Myra Breckinridge (1970)

User Rating:

3.8/10   

Director:

Michael Sarne

Writers:

David Giler (writer)
Michael Sarne (writer)

Release Date:

24 June 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Meet Myra Breckinridge. You'll Never Forget Her!

Plot:

Myron Breckinridge is waiting for his sex-change operation while a stoned surgeon stumbles into the operating room...

Plot Keywords:

Hollywood | Alter Ego | Talent Scout | Estate | Sex Change

Cast

Mae West	...	Leticia Van Allen
John Huston	...	Buck Loner
Raquel Welch	...	Myra Breckinridge
Rex Reed	...	Myron
Farrah Fawcett	...	Mary Ann Pringle
Roger C. Carmel	...	Dr. Randolph Spencer Montag
Roger Herren	...	Rusty Godowski
George Furth	...	Charlie Flager Jr.
Calvin Lockhart	...	Irving Amadeus
Jim Backus	...	Doctor
John Carradine	...	Surgeon
Andy Devine	...	Coyote Bill
Grady Sutton	...	Kid Barlow
Robert P. Lieb	...	Charlie Flager Sr. (as Robert Lieb)
Skip Ward	...	Chance

Also Known As:

Gore Vidal's Myra Breckinridge
Il caso Myra Breckinridge (Italy) [it]
Myra - herkkua helmoissa (Finland) [fi]
Myra Breckinridge (Austria) [de]
Myra Breckinridge (Spain) [es]
Myra Breckinridge (France) [fr]
Myra Breckinridge - Die Sexgöttin Hollywoods (West Germany) [de]
To flogero agorokoritso (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

94 min | Spain:91 min (alternate version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Germany:12 (re-rating) (2006) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | USA:X (original rating) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-16 | UK:18 | USA:R (edited for re-rating) (1978) | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Chateau Marmont - 8221 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

This film originally included at least one fast-cut montage, using archival footage from past 20th Century-Fox films and featuring such recognizable Fox stars as Shirley Temple, Betty Grable and Loretta Young. The montage was intended to depict images going through a character's head while being raped. Young and some of the other stars, whose faces were used without their permission, successfully sued the studio to have footage of themselves cut from release prints of this film.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: The sign at the entrance identifying Buck Loner's Academy is placed to be read from inside the campus, not from the street outside as would be necessary in real life to help people find the establishment.

Quotes:

Myra: You have a lot to learn. All you men have a lot to learn. And I have taken it upon myself to teach you.
Rusty Godowsky: What do you mean?
Myra: This is the most important part of your education. The part your teachers fail to instruct you in. It's called balling.
Rusty Godowsky: I know how to do that!
Myra: That's what you think. Did you know you have a temperature?
Rusty Godowsky: No I didn't!
Myra: Well you do. But no matter. I shall cure what's wrong with you.
Rusty Godowsky: What are you gonna do?
Myra: I shall ball you rusty. It's very simple.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (#26.8)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

You Gotta S-M-I-L-E to Be H-A-Double-P-Y

This movie was taken seriously by its cast and crew?

Raquel Welch usually delivers great eye candy in her films, sometimes giving great performances, making most of them at least memorable due to her appearance. MYRA BRECKENRIDGE, despite having Welch star in the title role, is not saved by anything. Despite having a cool cast and some interesting oddball antics, BRECKENRIDGE is embarrassing for the viewer, the cast, the crew, even the VCR that is playing it!

Rex Reed (good-looking, but horrible) is Myron, a gay guy who gets a sex change from doctor John Carradine (terrible) and becomes Myra (Raquel Welch, who is good). Myra worms her way into her uncle Buck Loner (pathetic John Huston)'s acting academy, teaching a class on the history of motion pictures. She sodomizes a sexy southern stud and then steals his girlfriend (Farrah Fawcett!). Thrown into the mix is top-billed Mae West, who contributes what amounts to a cameo as a hideous embalmed agent who has sex with her exclusively male clients. Tom Selleck (minus mustache, but still recognizable) is one of her first studs. Add to this mess clips from old films to help "narrate" the action, two songs by West, ludicrous dialogue, Rex Reed masturbating, and a pretty dumb ending and MYRA BRECKENRIDGE may be worth seeing for fans of extremely horrible films.

Despite my love for so-bad-it's-good films (i.e., VALLEY OF THE DOLLS), BRECKENRIDGE didn't do it for me. It was just too jumbled, unlikable, and boring. Yes, boring! In-between the outrageous and tasteless sexual innuendo, there is boring dialogue and attempted humor that falls flat. Slow viewers will no doubt be confused throughout the entire film and those looking for cheap thrills will feel cheated. While women will feel fulfilled with all the hunks floating throughout the film, men will be disappointed in the lack of any female nudity. Welch does not do nude scenes, unfortunately, and Fawcett does not bare any flesh. Thank God West didn't volunteer her ample endowments!!!

MYRA BRECKENRIDGE could be fun viewing for some cult film fans, but it just didn't work for me. While some scenes do stand out (the sodomy scene, West's musical numbers), BRECKENRIDGE just was too boring for me. I actually fell asleep in the middle of it! Not highly recommended, but those who are curious owe it to themselves to at least say that they've seen it!