Holly Woodlawn
Encyclopedia
Holly Woodlawn is a Puerto Rican
-born transgendered actress and former Warhol superstar
, who appeared in his movies Trash
(1970) and Women in Revolt
(1972).
, Woodlawn adopted the name Holly from the heroine of Breakfast at Tiffany's, and in 1969 added the surname from a sign she saw on an episode of I Love Lucy
. After changing her name she began to tell people she was the heiress to Woodlawn Cemetery.
Woodlawn grew up in Miami Beach and in 1962 left, heading north. She recollects that "I hocked some jewellery and ... made it all the way to Georgia, where the money ran out and ... had to hitchhike the rest of the way" to New York.
at the Factory
, at a screening of Flesh
. Through him she met Jackie Curtis
, who cast Woodlawn in her play Heaven Grand in Amber Orbit in the autumn of 1969. In October she was given a bit role in Trash
, but so impressed director Paul Morrissey
that she was given a much larger role. In 1970 she received word from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
that George Cukor
, supported by others, was petitioning the Academy to nominate her for best actress for her work in Trash
, however, nothing came of this campaign.
In May 1971, Woodlawn replaced Candy Darling
at the La Mama Theatre, New York
in a production of Vain Victory written and directed by Jackie Curtis. She was arrested and briefly incarcerated in Puerto Rico after being caught shoplifting. Woodlawn created a stir when she was arrested in New York City after impersonating the wife of the French Ambassador to the United Nations
. When arrested, she was taken to the Women's House of Detention then transferred to a men's facility when her biological sex was discovered.
In 1972 director Robert Kaplan and cinematographer Paul Glickman concocted the idea of a movie whose premise would be using a transvestite as the lead in a film without revealing the sex of the actress. Woodlawn played a young, starstruck girl hoping for success as an actress in New York City. The film, "Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers", was a low budget, 16mm, unsuccessful musical feature. The song "In The Very Last Row", written by Marshall Barer
, was performed by Bette Midler
.
In 1977, Woodlawn moved to San Francisco. She returned to New York later in the year, appearing on Geraldo Rivera
's talk show, before being jailed again in 1978 for violating terms of probation
. She was released on the appeal of politician Ethan Geto, who helped organize a benefit for her.
By 1979, she surrendered to a faltering career, cut her hair and moved back to her parents' home in Miami, while working as a busboy at Benihana
.
Woodlawn continued to make cameo appearances in plays and films such as Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss
throughout the 1980s and 1990s. After Warhol's death, she was interviewed frequently on his life and influence. She currently resides in West Hollywood.
Woodlawn began performing in cabaret shows in sold-out New York and Los Angeles
performances in the early 2000s. She continues to travel with her cabaret show, most recently appearing in Kraków
and London
in 2008.
refers to in his song "Walk on the Wild Side," in the lyric "Holly came from Miami, FLA."
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
-born transgendered actress and former Warhol superstar
Warhol superstar
Warhol superstars were a clique of New York City personalities promoted by Andy Warhol during the 1960s and early 1970s. These personalities appeared in Warhol's artworks and accompanied him in his social life...
, who appeared in his movies Trash
Trash (film)
Trash is a 1970 American film directed and written by filmmaker Paul Morrissey.The movie stars Joe Dallesandro, transsexual Holly Woodlawn and Jane Forth. Dallesandro had previously starred in several other Andy Warhol/Paul Morrissey films such as The Loves of Ondine, Lonesome Cowboys, and Flesh...
(1970) and Women in Revolt
Women in Revolt
Women In Revolt is a 1971 satire film produced by Andy Warhol and directed by American filmmaker Paul Morrissey.The stars of the film are Jackie Curtis, Candy Darling and Holly Woodlawn, three transgendered superstars of Andy Warhol's Factory scene. Jackie and Candy had previously appeared in Flesh...
(1972).
Early life
Born Haroldo Santiago Franceschi Rodriguez Danhakl in Juana Díaz, Puerto RicoJuana Díaz, Puerto Rico
Juana Díaz is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island, south of Jayuya, Ciales, Orocovis and Villalba; east of Ponce; and west of Coamo and Santa Isabel and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Juana Díaz is spread over 12 wards and Juana Diaz Pueblo...
, Woodlawn adopted the name Holly from the heroine of Breakfast at Tiffany's, and in 1969 added the surname from a sign she saw on an episode of I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
. After changing her name she began to tell people she was the heiress to Woodlawn Cemetery.
Woodlawn grew up in Miami Beach and in 1962 left, heading north. She recollects that "I hocked some jewellery and ... made it all the way to Georgia, where the money ran out and ... had to hitchhike the rest of the way" to New York.
Career
Woodlawn met Andy WarholAndy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
at the Factory
The Factory
The Factory was Andy Warhol's original New York City studio from 1962 to 1968, although his later studios were known as The Factory as well. The Factory was located on the fifth floor at 231 East 47th Street, in Midtown Manhattan. The rent was "only about one hundred dollars a year"...
, at a screening of Flesh
Flesh (film)
Flesh is a 1968 film directed by American filmmaker Paul Morrissey.Flesh is the first film of the "Paul Morrissey Trilogy" produced by Andy Warhol. The other films in the trilogy include Trash and Heat. All three have gained a cult following and are noted examples of the ideals and ideology of the...
. Through him she met Jackie Curtis
Jackie Curtis
John Curtis Holder, Jr. , better known as Jackie Curtis, was an actor, writer, singer and Warhol Superstar.-Early life and career:...
, who cast Woodlawn in her play Heaven Grand in Amber Orbit in the autumn of 1969. In October she was given a bit role in Trash
Trash (film)
Trash is a 1970 American film directed and written by filmmaker Paul Morrissey.The movie stars Joe Dallesandro, transsexual Holly Woodlawn and Jane Forth. Dallesandro had previously starred in several other Andy Warhol/Paul Morrissey films such as The Loves of Ondine, Lonesome Cowboys, and Flesh...
, but so impressed director Paul Morrissey
Paul Morrissey
Paul Morrissey is an American film director, best-known for his association with Andy Warhol.Morrissey attended Ampleforth College, a private Roman Catholic boarding school and Fordham University, both Roman Catholic schools, and later served in the United States Army...
that she was given a much larger role. In 1970 she received word from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
that George Cukor
George Cukor
George Dewey Cukor was an American film director. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO and later MGM, where he directed What Price Hollywood? , A Bill of Divorcement , Dinner at Eight , Little Women , David Copperfield , Romeo and Juliet and...
, supported by others, was petitioning the Academy to nominate her for best actress for her work in Trash
Trash (film)
Trash is a 1970 American film directed and written by filmmaker Paul Morrissey.The movie stars Joe Dallesandro, transsexual Holly Woodlawn and Jane Forth. Dallesandro had previously starred in several other Andy Warhol/Paul Morrissey films such as The Loves of Ondine, Lonesome Cowboys, and Flesh...
, however, nothing came of this campaign.
In May 1971, Woodlawn replaced Candy Darling
Candy Darling
Candy Darling was an American actress, best known as a Warhol Superstar. A male-to-female transsexual, she starred in Andy Warhol's films Flesh and Women in Revolt , and was a muse of the protopunk band The Velvet Underground.-Early life:Candy Darling was born James Lawrence Slattery in Forest...
at the La Mama Theatre, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in a production of Vain Victory written and directed by Jackie Curtis. She was arrested and briefly incarcerated in Puerto Rico after being caught shoplifting. Woodlawn created a stir when she was arrested in New York City after impersonating the wife of the French Ambassador to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. When arrested, she was taken to the Women's House of Detention then transferred to a men's facility when her biological sex was discovered.
In 1972 director Robert Kaplan and cinematographer Paul Glickman concocted the idea of a movie whose premise would be using a transvestite as the lead in a film without revealing the sex of the actress. Woodlawn played a young, starstruck girl hoping for success as an actress in New York City. The film, "Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers", was a low budget, 16mm, unsuccessful musical feature. The song "In The Very Last Row", written by Marshall Barer
Marshall Barer
Marshall Barer - Born Marshall Louis Barer, Astoria, New York City, 19 February 1923. Lyricist, librettist, singer, songwriter and director. Died Santa Fe, New Mexico, 25 August 1998....
, was performed by Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
.
In 1977, Woodlawn moved to San Francisco. She returned to New York later in the year, appearing on Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera is an American attorney, journalist, author, reporter, and former talk show host...
's talk show, before being jailed again in 1978 for violating terms of probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
. She was released on the appeal of politician Ethan Geto, who helped organize a benefit for her.
By 1979, she surrendered to a faltering career, cut her hair and moved back to her parents' home in Miami, while working as a busboy at Benihana
Benihana
Benihana can refer to:*Benihana, Benihana's Hibachi Restaurant*Benihana * Benihana, the Japanese word for safflower...
.
Woodlawn continued to make cameo appearances in plays and films such as Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss
Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss
Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss is a 1998 American independent, gay-themed romantic comedy film written and directed by Tommy O'Haver and starring Sean P. Hayes, Brad Rowe, and Meredith Scott Lynn...
throughout the 1980s and 1990s. After Warhol's death, she was interviewed frequently on his life and influence. She currently resides in West Hollywood.
Woodlawn began performing in cabaret shows in sold-out New York and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
performances in the early 2000s. She continues to travel with her cabaret show, most recently appearing in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 2008.
Trivia
It is Holly whom Lou ReedLou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
refers to in his song "Walk on the Wild Side," in the lyric "Holly came from Miami, FLA."
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1970 | Trash Trash (film) Trash is a 1970 American film directed and written by filmmaker Paul Morrissey.The movie stars Joe Dallesandro, transsexual Holly Woodlawn and Jane Forth. Dallesandro had previously starred in several other Andy Warhol/Paul Morrissey films such as The Loves of Ondine, Lonesome Cowboys, and Flesh... |
Holly | a.k.a "Andy Warhol's Trash" |
| 1971 | Women In Revolt Women in Revolt Women In Revolt is a 1971 satire film produced by Andy Warhol and directed by American filmmaker Paul Morrissey.The stars of the film are Jackie Curtis, Candy Darling and Holly Woodlawn, three transgendered superstars of Andy Warhol's Factory scene. Jackie and Candy had previously appeared in Flesh... |
Holly | |
| Is There Sex After Death? Is There Sex After Death? -Plot:Driving through New York City in his Sexmobile, Dr. Harrison Rogers of the Bureau of Sexological Investigation searches out luminary figures in the world of sex.-Cast:* Alan Abel as Dr. Rogers* Buck Henry as Dr. Louise Manos* Marshall Efron as Vince Domino... |
Herself | ||
| 1972 | Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers | Eve Harrington / Rhett Butler | |
| 1973 | Broken Goddess | ||
| 1993 | Night Owl Night Owl (film) Night Owl, a 1993 vampire film shot in New York's Alphabet City and directed by Jeffrey Arsenault, starred John Leguizamo and James Raftery as Jake, a brooding vampire/squatter who picks up women in nightclubs and while having sex with them, slices their necks with a matte knife and drinks their... |
Barfly | |
| 1995 | The Matinee Idol | Party Guest | |
| Scathed | Miss Antonia Curtis | ||
| 1996 | Phantom Pain | ||
| 1998 | Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss is a 1998 American independent, gay-themed romantic comedy film written and directed by Tommy O'Haver and starring Sean P. Hayes, Brad Rowe, and Meredith Scott Lynn... |
||
| Beverly Hills Hustlers | |||
| 1999 | Twin Falls Idaho Twin Falls Idaho (film) Twin Falls Idaho is a 1999 independent film directed by Michael Polish, who co-wrote and co-stars in the film with his identical twin brother, Mark Polish.-Plot:... |
Flamboyant at Party | |
| 2002 | The Cockettes The Cockettes (film) The Cockettes is a 2002 American documentary film. It was directed by Bill Weber and David Weissman, and produced by Weissman. Its subject is the 1960s-70s San Francisco performance group The Cockettes. The film debuted at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury... |
Herself | Documentary |
| 2003 | Milwaukee, Minnesota | Transvestite | |
| 2004 | Superstar in a Housedress Superstar in a Housedress Superstar in a Housedress is a feature-length documentary by independent filmmaker Craig Highberger about the life and legend of Warhol superstar Jackie Curtis. Highberger also wrote the biography of the same name, published by Penguin imprint Chamberlain Bros. in 2005... |
Herself | Documentary |
| 2006 | Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis is a documentary film that premiered in the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. It is a collection of interviews and clips by and about the revolutionary artist Jack Smith... |
Herself | Documentary |
| Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film is a four-hour 2006 documentary by Ric Burns about pop artist Andy Warhol.The film is Burns' cinematic argument that Warhol was the greatest artist of the second half of the 20th Century... |
Herself | Documentary | |
| 2007 | Alibi | Gracie | |
| 2009 | Heaven Wants Out | ||
| 2010 | Beautiful Darling Beautiful Darling Beautiful Darling: The Life and Times of Candy Darling, Andy Warhol Superstar is a 2010 feature-length documentary film about Candy Darling, the transgender pioneer, actress and Andy Warhol Superstar. The film was written and directed by James Rasin and features Chloe Sevigny as "the voice of... |
Herself | Documentary |
| The Lie | Cherry | Post-production | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1971 | An American Family An American Family An American Family is an American television documentary filmed from May 30 through December 31, 1971 and first aired in the United States on the Public Broadcasting Service in early 1973. After being edited down from about 300 hours of raw footage, the series ran 12 episodes and one season... |
Herself | 1 episode |
Further reading
- Andy Warhol Close Up, Bob Colacello
- Man Enough to be a Woman, Jayne CountyJayne CountyJayne County , formerly known as Wayne County, is an American male-to-female transsexual performer, musician and actress whose career has spanned several decades. County would go on to be known as rock's first transsexual singer...
External links
- Holly Woodlawn at the Warhol Superstars Website
- The La Mama Theatre
- Sadie Lee; Painting a Warhol Legend, Woman's HourWoman's HourWoman's Hour is a radio magazine programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom.-History:Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by Alan Ivimey the programme was first broadcast on 7 October 1946 on the BBC's Light Programme . It was transferred to its current home in 1973...
, BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
, 26 April 2007 - Guardian interview with Holly Woodlawn