Holly Woodlawn Movies

Directed by Craig B. Highberger and narrated by Lily Tomlin, Superstar in a Housedress offers a unique retrospective of the late avant-garde actor and female impersonator Jackie Curtis, who was discovered in the 1960s by experimental filmmaker Andy Warhol. In addition to rare clips of Curtis in various underground stage productions, the documentary is supplemented by a surprising amount of never-before-seen archival footage, scenes from Women in Revolt and Flesh, and candid stories about Curtis from those who knew her best in her heyday. Among the interviewees are Joe Dallesandro, Paul Morrissey, Holly Woodlawn, and Penny Arcade. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

Identical twin brothers Mark Polish and Michael Polish have written, directed, and starred in an emotional romance about a prostitute who falls in love with Siamese twins. The Polish Brothers play the conjoined twins Blake and Francis Falls, who are joined at the chest and thus share many vital organs. They have come to the big city to find their long-lost mother and end their suffering once and for all. As a birthday present to themselves, they hire a pretty young prostitute named Penny Michele Hicks to comfort them in their dark hotel room. Turned off at first, Penny eventually sees beyond the boys' disabilities and agrees to help them. She invites them to an underground Halloween party where they finally fit in for the first time in their lives, albeit as part of a freak show. Slowly Penny falls in love with Blake; she explores his body in such a sensual way that she is both attracted and repulsed by his deformed torso. Eventually, Blake reveals that his better half, Francis, is dying. He must choose between dying with his brother or a risky operation that would allow him to be separated and further explore the love he has experienced with Penny. Can Blake adjust to an identity of his own? Can he ever get over the guilt of abandoning his brother? Is life worth living when a part of you is gone? ~ Arthur Borman, All Movie Guide

This odd, independently produced horror film features performances by Warhol-era legend Holly Woodlawn and the versatile performer John Leguizamo. In the story, the handsome young man (James Raftery) who picks up women at a disreputable neighborhood bar is a real lady-killer; in fact, he's a vampire. When his sister doesn't come home one day, Angel (Leguizamo) tries to find out why. Meanwhile, the vampire is having a love relationship with a young woman he would rather not kill. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

A charming portrait of Quentin Crisp, who has (very deliberately) become the closest thing this century has to an Oscar Wilde. Crisp moved to New York City at the age of 73 and has many devoted friends and admirers who sing his praises. Indeed, pop star Sting literally "sings" of Quentin in his hit "Englishman in New York." Other fans who make appearances in the film include John Hurt, Fran Lebowitz and director Paul Morrissey. Of course, not everyone loves Quentin, as we learn primarily in a segment from the Sally Jesse Raphael show. He is not only a frequent target of homophobic attacks but is described by one homosexual as a "gay Stepin Fetchit." Overall, though, this is certainly a sympathetic documentary which may even provoke a grudging admiration from the viewer. ~ John Voorhees, All Movie Guide

In this film, outspokenly homosexual filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim has documented his encounters with friends in the New York "underground" arts movement, the better-known of whom are William Burroughs (who says nothing for the camera), Andy Warhol (seen in the distance) and Fernando Arrabal (who is interviewed in Spanish). The emigrants named in the title are notable Germans who left the country before World War II, such as Greta Keller and Grete Mosheim. Reviewers at the time of the film's release considered it to have been a sort of paid vacation for the filmmaker rather than a serious effort. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This free-wheeling sex spoof features the Warhol "factory" personality, transvestite Holly Woodlawn. At the time this film was made, Warhol was not so interested in making films and was turning his attentions to producing the magazine, Interview. His film celebrities and the sensibility they served found new outlets, such as this one. Told in a series of vignettes, the story concerns a country girl (Woodlawn) who comes to the big city hoping to become a star. Colorful characters abound in this low-budget film, as do sexual situations. One character is a cab-driving nun, another is a midget wrestler. The names of these characters poke fun at famous movie and theater roles. One is named "Blanche Dubois," another is "Mary Poppins," yet another is "Rhett Butler," and so on. One highlight of the film is a scene which parodies Busby Berkeley musicals. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Andy Warhol produced this mordant satire of the women's movement, directed by Paul Morrissey and staring a trio of female impersonators. Candy (Candy Darling) is an aloof heiress caught in an unhappy relationship with her brother. Jackie (Jackie Curtis) is a virginal intellectual who believes that women are oppressed in contemporary American society. And Holly (Holly Woodlawn) is a nymphomaniac who has come to loathe men, despite her attraction to them. Together, they join a militant feminist group, P.I.G. (Politically Involved Girls), but their newfound liberation doesn't make them any happier; Jackie gets mixed up with a male hustler and winds up as an unwed mother, Holly becomes a homeless alcoholic, and Candy tries to make a go of show business via the casting couch. Several other Warhol/Morrissey "superstars" appear in supporting roles, including Jane Forth, Geri Miller, and Maurice Braddell. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide