Dreamlanders
Encyclopedia
John Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
has used in his films. The term comes from the name of Waters' production company
Production company
A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...
, Dreamland Productions. Many of the original Dreamlanders were friends of Waters from his native Baltimore, Maryland, regular customers at the Hollywood Bakery and Pete's Hotel, and students from Maryland Institute College of Art
Maryland Institute College of Art
Maryland Institute College of Art is an art and design college in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It was founded in 1826 as the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, making it one of the first and oldest art colleges in the United States. In 2008, MICA was ranked #2 in the nation...
.
Although Waters has attempted to feature many of the same actors and production team in every film, not every Dreamlander is used in each of Waters' films. This is frequently the result of the death of an actor, as was the case with Maelcum Soul
Maelcum Soul
Maelcum Soul was a 1960s Baltimore, Maryland bohemian, artist, and an actress in two of filmmaker John Waters' earliest works, Roman Candles and Eat Your Makeup....
, Edith Massey
Edith Massey
Edith Massey was an American actress and singer. Massey was best known for her appearances in a series of movies by director John Waters...
, Divine
Divine (Glen Milstead)
Divine , born Harris Glenn Milstead, was an American actor, singer and drag queen. Described by People magazine as the "Drag Queen of the Century", Divine often performed female roles in both cinema and theater and also appeared in women's clothing in musical performances...
, and David Lochary
David Lochary
David Crawford Lochary was one of the regular "Dreamlander" actors in early films of the controversial "trash" film director John Waters. He starred in such films as Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, and Multiple Maniacs, in which he typically played exotically-dressed, sophisticated perverts...
. Other actors such as Jean Hill and Ricki Lake
Ricki Lake
Ricki Pamela Lake is an American actress, producer, and television host. She is best known for her starring role as Tracy Turnblad in the original Hairspray, her ground-breaking documentary film The Business of Being Born, and her talk show which was broadcasted internationally from...
have not been used in every film, but appear occasionally.
Typically Waters would discover an actor and continue to use them in subsequent films. Most notably, Mary Vivian Pearce
Mary Vivian Pearce
Mary Vivian Pearce is an American actress. She has worked primarily in the films of John Waters.Pearce is the childhood best friend of John Waters and has appeared as an actress in all of his films. Because of her work with Waters, she is considered one of the Dreamlanders, Waters' ensemble of...
is the only Dreamlander to appear in every one of Waters' films, although her appearance in Cry-Baby
Cry-Baby
Cry-Baby is a 1990 American teen musical film written and directed by John Waters. It stars Johnny Depp as 1950s teen rebel "Cry-Baby" Wade Walker, and also features an expansive ensemble cast that includes Amy Locane, Iggy Pop, Traci Lords, Ricki Lake, Kim McGuire, David Nelson, Susan Tyrrell, and...
was removed. Mink Stole
Mink Stole
Nancy Paine Stoll better known by the stage name Mink Stole, is an American actress from Baltimore, Maryland. She began her career working for director John Waters, having appeared in all of his feature films to date...
has appeared in every Waters film except for Hag in a Black Leather Jacket
Hag in a Black Leather Jacket
Hag in a Black Leather Jacket is a John Waters short film made in Baltimore, Maryland, starring Mona Montgomery and Mary Vivian Pearce.-Plot:...
(1964), Eat Your Makeup
Eat Your Makeup
Eat Your Makeup is a short film by filmmaker John Waters starring Divine, Mary Vivian Pearce, David Lochary, and Maelcum Soul.It was John Waters' first film production made in 16mm film.It has never been released on video...
(1967), and The Diane Linkletter Story
The Diane Linkletter Story
The Diane Linkletter Story is a 16mm short film by Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. filmmaker John Waters starring Divine, Mary Vivian Pearce and David Lochary....
(1969). Although many Dreamlanders have a prolific history with Waters, the distinction of being a Dreamlander is generally bequested upon anyone who has made more than one Waters film, such as Traci Lords
Traci Lords
Traci Lords , also known as Traci Elizabeth Lords and Tracy Lords, is an American film actress, producer, film director, writer and singer...
who appeared in Cry-Baby
Cry-Baby
Cry-Baby is a 1990 American teen musical film written and directed by John Waters. It stars Johnny Depp as 1950s teen rebel "Cry-Baby" Wade Walker, and also features an expansive ensemble cast that includes Amy Locane, Iggy Pop, Traci Lords, Ricki Lake, Kim McGuire, David Nelson, Susan Tyrrell, and...
(1990) and Serial Mom
Serial Mom
Serial Mom is a 1994 American dark satire written and directed by John Waters, starring Kathleen Turner as the title character, Sam Waterston as her husband, and Ricki Lake and Matthew Lillard as her children. Despite statements to the contrary in the movie, the story is completely fictional...
(1994). Danny Mills is sometimes considered a Dreamlander despite only appearing in the 1972 film Pink Flamingos
Pink Flamingos
Pink Flamingos is a 1972 transgressive black comedy film written, produced, composed, shot, edited, and directed by John Waters. When the film was initially released, it caused a huge degree of controversy and thus became one of the most notorious cult films ever made. It made an underground star...
.
Actors
- Divine
- David LocharyDavid LocharyDavid Crawford Lochary was one of the regular "Dreamlander" actors in early films of the controversial "trash" film director John Waters. He starred in such films as Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, and Multiple Maniacs, in which he typically played exotically-dressed, sophisticated perverts...
- Susan LoweSusan LoweSusan Lowe is an American actress and artist who has appeared primarily in the works of John Waters for most of her career...
- Edith MasseyEdith MasseyEdith Massey was an American actress and singer. Massey was best known for her appearances in a series of movies by director John Waters...
- Cookie MuellerCookie MuellerDorothy Karen "Cookie" Mueller was an underground American actress, writer and Dreamlander, who starred in many of filmmaker John Waters' early films, including Multiple Maniacs,...
- Mary Vivian PearceMary Vivian PearceMary Vivian Pearce is an American actress. She has worked primarily in the films of John Waters.Pearce is the childhood best friend of John Waters and has appeared as an actress in all of his films. Because of her work with Waters, she is considered one of the Dreamlanders, Waters' ensemble of...
- Channing WilroyChanning WilroyChanning Wilroy is an American film actor who has appeared in seven films by John Waters. His first film role was the character Channing, the manservant in the film Pink Flamingos...
- Jean Hill
- Maelcum SoulMaelcum SoulMaelcum Soul was a 1960s Baltimore, Maryland bohemian, artist, and an actress in two of filmmaker John Waters' earliest works, Roman Candles and Eat Your Makeup....
- Mink StoleMink StoleNancy Paine Stoll better known by the stage name Mink Stole, is an American actress from Baltimore, Maryland. She began her career working for director John Waters, having appeared in all of his feature films to date...
- Danny Mills
- Susan WalshSusan WalshSusan Walsh was an American actress. She worked primarily in the films of John Waters. Because of her work with Waters, she is considered one of the Dreamlanders, Waters' ensemble of regular cast and crew members.-Biography:...
- Paul SwiftPaul SwiftPaul Swift was an American film actor.-Career:Between 1970 and 1977 he appeared in roles in four of the early feature films directed by John Waters. He additionally appeared as himself in two documentary films....
- George FiggsGeorge FiggsGeorge Figgs is an American actor and projectionist. He began his career portrayingcharacters in the early films of John Waters. Because of his work with Waters, he is considered one of the Dreamlanders, Waters' ensemble of regular cast and crew members.Figgs is a film historian interested in...
- Elizabeth CoffeyElizabeth CoffeyElizabeth Coffey is an American actress. She had notable roles in two of the early films of John Waters. Coffey is a post-operative transsexual woman....
- George Stover
Crew
- Pat Moran - casting director
- Ed Peranio - associate design
- Vincent PeranioVincent PeranioVincent Peranio is an American film and television production designer, art director, set designer, and actor.Peranio began his career designing film sets for John Waters...
- production design - Van SmithVan SmithVan Smith was an American costume designer and make-up artist. He worked primarily in the films of John Waters, designing the costumes and make-up for every John Waters film from 1972 to 2004...
- costumes/makeup - Steve YeagerSteve Yeager (filmmaker)Steve Yeager is an independent filmmaker from Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. He is best known for his film on the life of fellow director John Waters, Divine Trash, which won the Filmmakers Trophy for Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival in 1998....
- photography