Raquel Welch(1940-2023)

A new reigning 1960s international sex symbol took to the cinematic throne as soon as Raquel Welch emerged from the sea in her purposely depleted, furry prehistoric bikini. Tantalizingly wet with her garb clinging to all the right amazonian places,One Million Years B.C. (1966),if nothing else, captured the hearts and libidos of modern men (not to mention their teenage sons) while producing THE most definitive and best-selling pin-up poster of that time.

She was born Jo Raquel Tejada on September 5, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois, the first of three children of Bolivian-born Armando Carlos Tejada, an aerospace engineer, and his wife, Josephine Sarah (Hall). The family moved to San Diego, California (her father was transferred) when Raquel was only two. Taking dance lessons as a youngster, she grew up to be quite a knockout and nailed a number of teen beauty titles ( "Miss Photogenic," "Miss La Jolla," "Miss Contour," "Miss Fairest of the Fair" and "Miss San Diego" ).

With her sights set on theater arts, she studied at San Diego State College on a scholarship starting in 1958 and married her first husband, high school sweetheart James Welch, the following year. They had two children:Damon Welch(born 1959), who later became an actor/production assistant, and actressTahnee Welch(born 1961). Tahnee went on to take advantage of her own stunning looks as an actress, most notably with her prime role inCocoon (1985).

Off campus, she became a local TV weather girl in San Diego and eventually quit college. Following the end of her marriage in 1962 (although Raquel and James Welch didn't divorce until 1964), she packed up her two children and moved to Dallas, Texas, where she modeled for Neiman-Marcus and worked as a barmaid for a time.

Regrouping, she returned to California and made the rounds of film/TV auditions. She found work providing minor but sexy set decoration on the small screen (Bewitched (1964),McHale's Navy (1962)andThe Virginian (1962)) as well as the large screen (Elvis Presley'sRoustabout (1964)andDoris Day'sDo Not Disturb (1965)). Caught in the midst of the "beach party" craze, it's not surprising to find out that her first major film role wasA Swingin' Summer (1965),which concentrated more on musical guestsThe Righteous BrothersandGary Lewis & The Playboysthan on Welch's outstanding assets. But 20th Century-Fox certainly took notice and signed her up.

With her very first film under contract (actually, she was on loan out to Britain's Hammer Studios at the time), she took onOne Million Years B.C. (1966)(the remake ofOne Million B.C. (1940),in the role originated byCarole Landis), and the rest is history. Welch remained an international celebrity in her first few years of stardom. In England, she was quite revealing as the deadly sin representing "lust" for the comedy team ofPeter CookandDudley Moorein their vehicleBedazzled (1967),and as the title secret agent in the spy spoofFathom (1967).In Italy, she gained some exposure in primarily mediocre vehicles opposite such heartthrobs asMarcello Mastroianni.

Back in the U.S., however, she caused quite a stir in her groundbreaking sex scenes with black athleteJim Brownin the "spaghetti western"100 Rifles (1969),and as the transgender title role in the unfathomableMyra Breckinridge (1970).Adapted fromGore Vidal's novel, she created some unwelcome notoriety by locking horns with septuagenarian divaMae Weston the set. The instant cult movie certainly didn't help Welch's attempt at being taking seriously as an actress.

Box office bombs abounded. Try as she might in such films asKansas City Bomber (1972)andThe Wild Party (1975),which drew some good reviews for her, her sexy typecast gave her little room to breathe. With determination, however, she partly offset this with modest supporting roles in larger ensemble pieces. She showed definite spark and won a Golden Globe for the swashbucklerThe Three Musketeers (1973),and appeared in the mystery thrillerThe Last of Sheila (1973).She planned on making a comeback inCannery Row (1982),even agreeing to appear topless (which she had never done before), but was suddenly fired during production without notice. She sued MGM for breach of contract and ultimately won a $15 million settlement, but it didn't help her film career and only helped to label her as trouble on a set.

TV movies became a positive milieu for Welch as she developed sound vehicles for herself such asThe Legend of Walks Far Woman (1980)andRight to Die (1987),earning a Golden Globe nomination for the latter project. She also found a lucrative avenue pitching beauty products in infomercials and developing exercise videos (such asJane Fonda).

Welch took advantage of her modest singing and dancing abilities by performing in splashy Las Vegas showroom acts and starring in such plausible stage vehicles as "Woman of the Year" and "Victor/Victoria". She spoofed her own image on occasion, most memorably onSeinfeld (1989).Into the millennium, she co-starred in the Hispanic-oriented TV seriesAmerican Family (2002)and the short-lived comediesWelcome to the Captain (2008)andDate My Dad (2017),along with the moviesTortilla Soup (2001),Legally Blonde (2001),Forget About It (2006)andHow to Be a Latin Lover (2017).

Her three subsequent marriages were to producer/agentPatrick Curtis(who produced her TV special,Raquel (1970)), directorAndré Weinfeld(who directed her in several fitness videos), and pizza parlor ownerRichie Palmer,who was 14 years her junior. All these unions ended in divorce.

She died at 2:25 a.m. on February 15, 2023, aged 82, at her Los Angeles home after suffering a cardiac arrest. She had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease.