Fantasy Femmes of 60's Cinema: Interviews with 20 Actresses from Biker, Beach, and Elvis Movies

319 Pages·2001·79.69 MB·English

by  Tom Lisanti

Fantasy Femmes
of Sixties Cinema
Interviews with 20 Actresses
from Biker, Beach,
and Elvis Movies
by
TOM LISANTI
Foreword by CHRIS NOEL
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McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina, and London
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LibraryofCongress Cataloguing-in-PublicationData
Lisanti,Tom,1961-
Fantasy femmes ofsixtiescinema: interviewswith 20 actresses
from biker, beach, andElvis movies/ byTomLisanti; foreword by
Chris Noel.
p. em.
Includes bibliographicalreferences and index.
Contents:Joan O'Brien- DianeMcBain- JoanStaley- Jill
Haworth- PamelaTiffin- FrancineYork- JoyHarmon- Eileen
O'Neill- Julie Parrish- JeanHale- IreneTsu- Chris Noel
LanaWood- CelesteYarnall- JudyPace- Salli Sachse- Deanna
Lund- KarenJensen- LindaHarrison- Tisha Sterling- More
groovygals. eQ
ISBN 0-7864-0868-5 (illustratedcase binding: 50# alkalinepaper)
1. Motionpictureactors and actresses-UnitedStates-Biography.
2. Actresses-UnitedStates-Biography. I. Title.
PN1998.2.L57 2001
791.43'028'0820973-dc21 00-64008
BritishLibrarycataloguingdata are available
Coverimage: CelesteYarnall
©2001TomLisanti.All rights reserved
Nopartofthis book maybereproducedortransmittedinany form
orbyany means, electronicormechanical, includingphotocopying
orrecording, orbyanyinformation storageandretrievalsystem,
withoutpermissionin writingfrom the publisher.
ManufacturedintheUnitedStates ofAmerica
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611,Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
To my parents, Vincent and Joan,
for all those wonderful summer evenings at the drive-in.
b...-.
Acknowledgments
A number of people had a hand in for her legal help. My gratitude goes to
helping me put together this book. First my colleague Barbara Cohen-Stratyner
and foremost, I relay my thanks to the for her input and advice, to my former
lovely ladies who let me interview them boss Robert Marx at the New York Pub
andwho sharedtheir lives in Hollywood lic Library for the Performing Arts for
with me: Jean Hale, Joy Harmon, Linda giving me the support and flexibility to
Harrison, Jill Haworth, Karen Jensen, write this book, and to Bob Taylor, the
Deanna Lund, Diane McBain, Chris curator ofthe Billy Rose Theatre Collec
Noel,Joan O'Brien, Eileen O'Neill,Judy tion, for giving me unlimited access to
Pace,Julie Parrish, SalliSachse,Joan Sta the collection.
ley, Tisha Sterling, Pamela Tiffin, Irene I also wish to thank my family-my
Tsu, Lana Wood, Celeste Yarnall and motherJoanLisanti,Joe and BethLisanti,
FrancineYork.Ialsowishto thank Mitch Lorraine and Richie Nicolo (I spelled it
ell Bard, BrendonBoone,ShelleyFabares, right!) and Donna and Mike Cates. Abig
Laurel Goodwin, Sue Ane Langdon, hurrahto mynumber onefan onLongIs
Carol Lynley and Dale Sheets for their land, Vincent Page.
brief comments. Kudos to myfriends who haveprod
This book and my writing career ded me along with their helpfulness and
would never have come to pass if it encouragement-top billing must go to
weren't for the encouragement from my my LA friend Shaun "Floyd Smoot"
pool buddies and fellow authors Louis Chang and (in alphabetical order) Keith
Paul and Heidi Stock (agroovy galin her Aden, Bill Benish, Anne and Chris De
ownright). Thanks to MarkTolleson for Marco, Jeff Failla, Scott Hannibal, Pete
his editingprowess. He now knows more Kaiser, Tom Kazar, Phil Lindow, Jeremy
about "sixties gals" than he ever could Megraw, Alan Pally, TimRoberts, Mitch
have imagined. Thank you to my long ell Soble and Kevin Winkler.
time friends John Covelli and Teresa De Andlastbutcertainlynotleast,special
Turris with a special thank you to Teresa thanks to a great guy named Ernie Delia.
Vll
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Vll
Foreword by Chris Noel 1
Preface 3
Introduction 5
Elvis, Beach, Biker and Alienated Youth Films:
A BriefSummary 17
Joan O'Brien 27
Diane McBain 40
Joan Staley 53
Jill Haworth 67
Pamela Tiffin 79
Francine York 92
Joy Harmon 108
Eileen O'Neill 120
Julie Parrish 132
Jean Hale 146
Irene Tsu 158
Chris Noel 170
Lana Wood 184
Celeste Yarnall 197
IX
t ~,..
x Table of Contents
Judy Pace 211
Salli Sachse 224
Deanna Lund 234
Karen Jensen 247
Linda Harrison 259
Tisha Sterling 271
More Groovy Gals 282
Bibliography 295
Index 299
Foreword
The sixties were the highlight ofmy "01' Sixties Cinema Gals." We enjoyed
life. While my high school friends had doing Elvis, beach and teenage movies.
gone off to college, I hit New York City, These films were innocent fun. Nudity,
where director SandyHoward castme in violence or foul language weren't neces
his first film. I then went to California. I saryinthese films. Itwasn't until the late
had always dreamedofHollywood. How sixties that we encountered this.
exciting to be under contract to MGM Ilovedoursixtiesfilmculture.Ididn't
and to become a working movie actress! go to movies orwork infilms thatcaused
I learned my craft from successful, im nightmares from any violence or horror.
portant actors. Having not attended act I experienced that visiting our troops in
ing school, I studied by paying attention, Vietnam. Going back and forth from the
being disciplined and working hard. glamour offilmmaking to the stark real
Some of us worked mightily at being the ity of war later gave me nightmares. I
best we could be in one of the most de wish for all the children of the world
manding and desired of all careers. neverto have nightmares offright andvi
Though we were competitive with each olence, whether from war or films. That
other, we also liked one another. Actress is one reason I still like Elvis, beach and
Eileen O'Neill and I are best friends teenage movies. They make me happy!
today-almost like sisters.
Author Tom Lisanti has the heart to
understand, appreciate and applaud us Chris Noel
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