Intl. Notebook

May 13 2023

THE RAREST RAQUEL

There was only one, but you could own an assortment of reproductions.

We wanted to circle back to the legendary Raquel Welch, who died a couple of months ago. We’ve been collecting material on her for years, but Hollywood deaths are usually unexpected, which means whatever we collect isn’t ready to share at a moment’s notice. Above we have three items for you. These are pin-up posters from the U.S. and Japan. The first is a life-sized door panel poster for the big screen caper The Biggest Bundle of Them All, printed in 1969. The second is for the 1967 adventure Fathom, printed when it was released in Japan in 1971. And the third is for 1970’s Myra Breckenridge, which was released in Japan the same year, resulting in a 1970 copyright on that poster. These are extremely rare items. And Raquel Welch was an extremely rare star.

Japan, The Biggest Bundle of Them All, Fathom, Myra Breckenridge, Raquel Welch

Vintage Pulp

August 9 2020

SUPER NATUREL RAQUEL

Welch tries to Fathom the spy game in cheeseball ’60s thriller.

This great poster was painted by French artist Vanni Tealdi for the 1967 spy adventure Une super-girl nommée Fathom, originally made as Fathom. The film was based on an unpublished novel by Larry Forrester, and is set in Spain in various beautiful locations around the Costa del Sol, including Nerja, which we discussed not long ago. Sixties icon Raquel Welch plays a member of a skydiving troupe recruited by Headquarters Allied Defenses Espionage and Security—HADES—to locate the fire dragon, which is supposedly a trigger for a nuclear bomb. Mostly the mission involves Welch using her smile and showing off her supernaturel physique, which is the real nuclear bomb, packed with kilotons of destructive power.

She finds herself caught in a web of lies and soon doesn’t know who’s the good guy, whether the fire dragon is really a nuclear trigger, and whether she shouldn’t just run away and catch up with the rest of her troupe. It’s all quite lighthearted, and considering what Welch is given to work with scriptwise, she manages not to sabotage herself or the film. However, she was not that great of an actress at this point, so your primary motive for watching this would be to enjoy the scenery—certainly of Welch, but also of Spain. Those two reasons will get you through the film’s ninety-nine minutes. Une super-girl nommée Fathom has no known French release date, but it premiered in the U.S. today in 1967, and would have made it to France later the same summer.

Spain, France, Une super-girl nommée Fathom, Fathom, Raquel Welch, Anthony Franciosa, Vanni Tealdi, poster art, cinema, movie review

Intl. Notebook

June 2 2020

SPANISH FIESTA

Raquel Welch is a one-woman party on the Costa del Sol.

This great photo shows U.S. actress Raquel Welch when she was filming the 1967 adventure Fathom in Spain, specifically in and around the Costa del Sol towns of Málaga, Mijas, Nerja, and Torremolinos. This moment, in which she shows her ability to turn men into drooling lemmings, is actually a scene from the movie in which she walks from her villa to the sea, along the way interrupting an afternoon dance party. We recognized the spot as soon as we saw it. We’ve been there. It’s a path below the tiny historic center of Nerja and an overlook known as Balcón de Europa, leading down to Playa Calahonda, a rocky beach. Below you see the path viewed from its top, and the bottom photo shows the general area, with the Balcón de Europa on the left. As far as we remember there’s no plaque or sign commemorating Welch traversing that path to the sea. Local authorities might consider rectifying that. We’d also suggest putting up a giant version of the above photo. It says Costa del Sol in a major way. As for the actual movie, we’ll talk about that later.

Spain, Málaga, Mijas, Nerja, Torremolinos, Fathom, Raquel Welch

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HISTORY REWIND

The headlines that mattered yesteryear.

October 13

1970—Angela Davis Arrested

After two months of evading police and federal authorities, Angela Davis is arrested in New York City by the FBI. She had been sought in connection with a kidnapping and murder because one of the guns used in the crime had been bought under her name. But after a trial a jury agreed that owning the weapon did not automatically make her complicit in the crimes.

October 12

1978—Sid Vicious Arrested for Murder

Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious is arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen is found in their room at New York City’s Chelsea Hotel. Vicious and Spungen had a famously stormy relationship, but Vicious proclaims he is innocent. He is released on bail and dies of a heroin overdose before a trial takes place.

October 12

1979—Adams Publishes First Hitchhiker's Book

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the first of five books in a series, is published by Douglas Adams. The novels follow on the heels of the tremendously successful British television series of the same name.

October 11

1976—China Coup Thwarted

The new head of the Chinese Communist Party, Hua Goufeng, snuffs out a coup led by Chairman Mao’s widow Jiang Qing and three other party members. They become known as the Gang of Four, and are tried, found guilty of treason, and receive death sentences that are later commuted to lengthy prison terms.

October 11

1987—Loch Ness Expedition Ends

A sonar exploration of Scotland’s Loch Ness, called Operation Deepscan, ends after a week without finding evidence that the legendary Loch Ness Monster exists. While the flotilla of boats had picked up three sonar contacts indicating something large in the waters, these are considered to be detections of salmon schools or possibly seals.

October 10

1971—London Bridge Goes Up

After being sold, dismantled and moved to the United States, London Bridge reopens in the resort town of Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

October 10

1975—Burton and Taylor Marry Again

British actor Richard Burton and American screen star Elizabeth Taylor secretly remarry sixteen months after their divorce, then jet away to a second honeymoon in Chobe Game Park in Botswana.