Misplaced Pages

#700299

76-543: Jo Raquel Welch ( née   Tejada ; September 5, 1940 – February 15, 2023) was an American actress. Welch first gained attention for her role in Fantastic Voyage (1966), after which she signed a long-term contract with 20th Century Fox . They lent her contract to the British studio Hammer Film Productions , for whom she made One Million Years B.C. (1966). Although Welch had only three lines of dialogue in

152-605: A "man's work". In 1977, Welch acted in the French film Animal , co-starring with Jean-Paul Belmondo . She also starred in the British swashbuckling adventure The Prince and the Pauper . Welch made a guest appearance on The Muppet Show in 1978, where she sang "I'm a Woman" with Miss Piggy . The following year, Welch guest-starred as Captain Nirvana, an alien bounty hunter, in an episode of Mork & Mindy titled "Mork vs.

228-643: A Musical or Comedy in 1974 for her performance as Constance Bonacieux in The Three Musketeers and reprised the role in its sequel the following year. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Television Film for her performance in Right to Die (1987). Her final film was How to Be a Latin Lover (2017). In 1995, Welch was chosen by Empire magazine as one of

304-591: A Musical or Comedy for The Three Musketeers . She was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her performance in the television drama Right to Die (1987). In 1996, Welch received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard . In 2001, she was awarded the Imagen Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award for her positive promotion of Americans of Latin heritage throughout her career. In 2012,

380-422: A Woman " on an episode of The Cher Show . She then co-starred with Bill Cosby and Harvey Keitel in the action comedy Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976), directed by Peter Yates . Welch's character, promoted from Dispatcher to Emergency Medical Technician after threatening a sexual discrimination lawsuit, is an early example of feminism and equal pay for equal work as she breaks the "glass ceiling" doing

456-423: A businesswoman, Welch succeeded with her signature line of wigs. She also began a jewelry and skincare line, although neither of those ventures compared to the success of her wig collection HAIRuWEAR . In January 2007, Welch was selected as the newest face of MAC Cosmetics Beauty Icon series. Her line features several limited-edition makeup shades in glossy black and tiger-print packaging. The tiger print motif of

532-572: A disqualified entry in 2003. Most Memorable Contestant was 1979 Marlene Rosas of El Cajon, and the best known winner of the Fairest of the Fair pageant was the late 1958 winner, a La Jolla High School student named Raquel Tejada, better known as actress Raquel Welch (1940-2023). For decades the official greeter and host of the fair was Don Diego, a smiling caballero portrayed by Spanish actor Tom Hernández from 1947 until his death in 1984. The character

608-465: A family comedy-drama inspired by Ang Lee 's Eat Drink Man Woman , playing Hortensia, a domineering mother determined to marry the master chef who thinks he is losing his sense of smell and taste. Welch starred in Forget About It (2006), a mobster comedy in which Burt Reynolds, Robert Loggia , and Charles Durning competed for her affection. She played a single billionaire grandmother in

684-501: A freedom fighter leader in 100 Rifles , a 1969 western directed by Tom Gries and filmed in Almería , Spain. It also starred Jim Brown , Burt Reynolds , and Fernando Lamas . The film provoked publicity and controversy at the time because it included a love scene between Welch and Brown that breached Hollywood's taboo against onscreen interracial intimacy. The film is remembered for the spectacular "Shower Scene" in which Welch distracts

760-465: A hardened derby star and single mother who tries to balance her desire for a happy personal life and her dreams of stardom. Life magazine dubbed Welch the "hottest thing on wheels" for her role. The production of the film shut down for six weeks after Welch broke her wrist doing some of her own stunts. In the interim, she flew to Budapest and filmed a cameo in Bluebeard opposite Richard Burton , and

836-556: A job as a weather presenter at KFMB , a local San Diego television station. Because her family life and television duties were so demanding, she decided to give up her drama classes. After her separation from James Welch, she moved with her two children to Dallas , Texas, where she made a "precarious living" as a model for Neiman Marcus and as a cocktail waitress . Welch initially intended to move to New York City from Dallas, but moved back to Los Angeles in 1963 and started applying for roles with film studios. During this period, she met

SECTION 10

#1732780043701

912-485: A man who becomes a woman through surgery. The film's producer Robert Fryer stated: "If a man were going to become a woman, he would want to become the most beautiful woman in the world. He would become Raquel Welch". Her looks and fame led Playboy to dub her the "Most Desired Woman" of the 1970s. Welch presented at the Academy Awards ceremony several times during the 1970s due to her popularity. She accepted

988-536: A member of a medical team that is miniaturized and injected into the body of an injured scientist with the mission to save his life. The film was a hit and made her a star. Fox loaned Welch to Hammer Studios in Britain where she starred in the science fiction film One Million Years B.C. (1966), a remake of the Hal Roach film One Million B.C. (1940). Her only costume was a two-piece deer skin bikini . She

1064-522: A miscarriage three months into her pregnancy. Her marriage to Weinfeld ended in August 1990. In 1996, after keeping a low romantic profile for several years, she dated former British boxing champion Gary Stretch , who was younger than both of Welch's children. Welch wed Richie Palmer, co-owner of Mulberry Street Pizzeria, on July 17, 1999, at her home in Beverly Hills. Palmer, who had one son from

1140-582: A music video. In December 1981, Welch starred on Broadway in Woman of the Year for two weeks, filling in for Lauren Bacall in the title role while Bacall was on vacation. Critics were so enthusiastic about Welch's performance, she was invited back to perform the role again for six months in 1982. In 1997, Welch starred on Broadway in Victor/Victoria , following Julie Andrews and Liza Minnelli in

1216-420: A one-time child actor and Hollywood agent Patrick Curtis who became her personal and business manager. They developed a plan to turn Welch into a sex symbol . To avoid typecasting as a Latina , he convinced her to use her ex-husband's surname. She was cast in small roles in two films, A House Is Not a Home (1964) and the musical Roustabout (1964), an Elvis Presley film. She also landed small roles on

1292-546: A particular city or town in San Diego County. Food also is a feature of the fair, with more than 100 food booths. There are many fair classics as well as other interesting or outrageous creations such as beef sundaes, fried Twinkies , and apple fries. Something new is added every year, such as fried cola in 2007, chocolate bacon in 2009, and fried butter in 2010. In 2015 the new Fair fare is an eclectic mix of pork and bacon to sweets and spice - and much more. 2019 saw

1368-512: A previous marriage, broke off his engagement with business partner and actress Cathy Moriarty to pursue Welch in October 1997. The pair separated in August 2003 and divorced a year later. In 2011, Welch told Elle magazine she would not remarry. Her last relationship of record, during the early-to-mid-2010s, was with American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe . Welch was Presbyterian , the religion of her childhood, and had said, "I remembered

1444-537: A sequel, The Four Musketeers (1974). Welch was offered the title role in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), which earned an Oscar for its eventual star Ellen Burstyn ; she also turned down the chance to play Honey Bruce in the biographical film Lenny (1974), a part that went to Valerie Perrine . In 1975, Welch appeared in The Wild Party and also performed a duet with Cher , singing " I'm

1520-633: A star and the dream girl of millions of young moviegoers". A publicity still of her in the bikini became a bestselling poster and turned her into an instant pin-up girl . The film raised Welch's stature as a leading sex symbol of the era. In 2011, Time magazine listed Welch's B.C. bikini in the "Top Ten Bikinis in Pop Culture". In 1966, Welch starred with Marcello Mastroianni in the Italian crime film Shoot Loud, Louder... I Don't Understand for Joseph E. Levine . The same year, she appeared in

1596-474: A theater arts scholarship, and the following year she married her high school sweetheart, James Welch. She assumed his last name and kept it throughout her life. She won several parts in local theater productions. In 1959, she played the title role in The Ramona Pageant , a yearly outdoor play at Hemet, California , which is based on the novel Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson . In 1960, Welch got

SECTION 20

#1732780043701

1672-466: A younger brother, James "Jim," and a younger sister, Gayle. Welch was raised in the Presbyterian religion and attended Pacific Beach Presbyterian Church every Sunday with her family. As a young girl, Welch had the desire to be a performer and entertainer. She began studying ballet at age seven, but after ten years of study, she left the art at seventeen when her instructor told her she did not have

1748-452: Is forced to fire Welch from the lead role in a fictional Tony Award -winning musical called "Scarsdale Surprise", while the character Elaine gets into a "catfight" with her after a chance encounter on the street. Entertainment Weekly wrote, "By delivering a pitch-perfect performance as a fire-breathing prima donna, Welch also poked fun at her reputation (fairly earned or not) for being difficult to work with." In 2002, Welch co-starred in

1824-468: Is going to shout, 'Wow it's Anne Bancroft all over again'," said Welch of her performance, "but at least I'm not Miss Sexpot running around half naked all the time." In 1968, Welch appeared with Frank Sinatra in the detective film Lady in Cement , a sequel to the film Tony Rome (1967). She played the socialite Kit Forrest, the romantic interest of Tony Rome. Welch later said wittily that she caught

1900-508: Is the name given to a person upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname , the given name , or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth register may by that fact alone become the person's legal name . The assumption in the Western world is often that the name from birth (or perhaps from baptism or brit milah ) will persist to adulthood in

1976-905: Is the fourth largest fair in North America, and California's largest ever, surpassed in attendance only by the State Fair of Texas , Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo , and the Minnesota State Fair . The fair is generally held from the last weekend in May (early June otherwise) through the Fourth of July weekend, and is closed Mondays/Tuesdays in June. The fair is held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in Del Mar, California, off

2052-461: Is the masculine form. The term née , having feminine grammatical gender , can be used to denote a woman's surname at birth that has been replaced or changed. In most English-speaking cultures, it is specifically applied to a woman's maiden name after her surname has changed due to marriage. The term né can be used to denote a man's surname at birth that has subsequently been replaced or changed. The diacritic mark (the acute accent ) over

2128-714: The COVID-19 pandemic . The fair has been known by various names during its history: The San Diego County Fair from 1880 to 1953 and from 2002 to present; the Southern California Exposition and San Diego County Fair from 1954 to 1969; the Southern California Exposition from 1970 to 1982; and the Del Mar Fair from 1983 through 2001. After visiting farm animals at the fair in 2019, a 2-year-old boy died and three others were sickened but not hospitalized; they had contracted pathogenic E. coli, and

2204-647: The Film Society of Lincoln Center presented a special retrospective of the films of Welch at the Walter Reade Theater. The Raquel Welch Total Beauty and Fitness Program book and videos were first released in 1984. The book, written by Welch with photographs by André Weinfeld , includes a hatha yoga fitness program, her views on healthy living and nutrition, as well as beauty and personal style. The Multi-Platinum collection of Fitness and Yoga videos were produced and directed by André Weinfeld . As

2280-572: The Mayflower ; she was the daughter of Clara Louise Adams and architect Emery Stanford Hall. Her father was an aeronautical engineer from La Paz , Bolivia, of Spanish descent; he was the son of Raquel Urquizo and Agustin Tejada. Her cousin, Bolivian politician Lidia Gueiler Tejada , became the first female president of Bolivia and the second female non-royal head of state in the Americas. Welch had

2356-573: The PBS series American Family , a story about a Mexican American family in East Los Angeles , with Edward James Olmos . Her role as Aunt Dora, the "drama queen of the family", marked the first time in her 40-year career that Welch had acknowledged her heritage as a Latina . In 2008, Welch appeared in Welcome to The Captain on CBS , playing a "sultry actress"; according to one critic, she

Raquel Welch - Misplaced Pages Continue

2432-456: The e is considered significant to its spelling, and ultimately its meaning, but is sometimes omitted. According to Oxford University 's Dictionary of Modern English Usage , the terms are typically placed after the current surname (e.g., " Margaret Thatcher , née Roberts" or " Bill Clinton , né Blythe"). Since they are terms adopted into English (from French), they do not have to be italicized , but they often are. In Polish tradition ,

2508-617: The "100 Sexiest Stars in Film History". Playboy ranked Welch No.   3 on their "100 Sexiest Stars of the Twentieth Century" list. Welch was born Jo Raquel Tejada on September 5, 1940, in Chicago , Illinois, and moved to San Diego , California, at age two with her family. She was the first child of Josephine Sarah Hall and Armando Carlos Tejada Urquizo. Her mother was of English descent with ancestors tracing back to

2584-507: The 1960s was that of a torrid sex temptress, Welch's private life was quite different. Welch once famously said, "What I do on the screen is not to be equated with what I do in my private life. Privately, I am understated and dislike any hoopla." She also admitted, "I was not brought up to be a sex symbol, nor is it in my nature to be one. The fact that I became one is probably the loveliest, most glamorous, and fortunate misunderstanding." Birth name#Maiden and married names A birth name

2660-759: The Best Supporting Actress Oscar on behalf of fellow actress Goldie Hawn when Hawn could not be there to accept it. On April 26, 1970, CBS released her television special Raquel! On the day of the premiere, the show received a 51 percent share on the National ARB Ratings and an overnight New York Nielsen rating of 58 percent share. Also that year Welch starred in The Beloved with co-star Richard Johnson , which she co-produced and filmed in Cyprus . In 1971, Welch had

2736-607: The Deb Star while her photo in a Life magazine layout called "The End of the Great Girl Drought!" created a buzz around town. She was strongly considered for the role of Domino in Thunderball and was also noticed by the wife of producer Saul David , who recommended her to 20th Century Fox , where with the help of Curtis she landed a contract. She agreed to a seven-year nonexclusive contract, five pictures over

2812-403: The Fair and other celebrities, and personally greeted ordinary fairgoers with a "¡Bienvenidos Amigos!" ("Welcome, Friends)". After Hernandez' death the fair board decided to retire the character rather than try to replace Hernandez, who they felt had been uniquely qualified for the role of Don Diego. A 16-foot bronze statue of Hernandez as Don Diego, created by artist Maher Morcos, now stands at

2888-636: The Necrotons". In 1982, Welch starred in the Western The Legend of Walks Far Woman for NBC . Billed as her "first TV movie dramatic debut", Welch played a 19th-century Native American woman in Montana. In the summer of 1982, Welch was among the candidates considered for the role of Alexis Carrington on the ABC primetime drama Dynasty , along with Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren , before

2964-534: The Via De La Valle exit (Exit 36) on the Interstate 5 Freeway. The address is 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar, CA 92014. Pacific Surfliner and Coaster stop at the nearby Solana Beach Transit Center on regular schedules, and they usually increase service during the events of the fair (NCTD uses their "Fair Tripper" ticket packages for discounts and Amtrak increases capacity). There are plans in

3040-403: The child had developed a kidney infection. From 1936 through 2003 the fair included a beauty pageant. The winner was originally called Queen of the Fair; in 1947 the title was changed to Fairest of the Fair. The winner and her "court of lovelies" were featured at the fair and in public appearances throughout the year. In 2004 the pageant was discontinued due to high costs and legal wrangling over

3116-749: The collection celebrates Welch's feline and sensuous image: "strong and wild, yet sultry and exotic". Her personal beauty regime included abstinence from alcohol and tobacco; daily yoga; and moisturising with Bag Balm . Welch married her high school sweetheart, James Welch, in Las Vegas on May 8, 1959. They had two children, Damon (born November 6, 1959) and Tahnee (born December 26, 1961). The couple separated in 1962 and divorced in 1964; she retained Welch's surname until her death in 2023. She married publicist Patrick Curtis in Paris on February 14, 1967, and they divorced on January 6, 1972. Curtis later claimed to

Raquel Welch - Misplaced Pages Continue

3192-470: The dark comedy The Magic Christian . Welch's most controversial role came in Myra Breckinridge (1970). She took the role of the film's transsexual heroine in an attempt to be taken seriously as an actress. The production was characterized by animosity between Welch and Mae West , who walked out of the film for three days. The film was based on Gore Vidal 's controversial bestseller about

3268-633: The debut of the Buffalo Chicken Chimichanga . From Wasabi Bacon Bombs to Sriracha Corn Dogs, Deep-fried Slimfast Bars, and a Fireball Donut, there is a lot to eat and see at the San Diego County Fair. The Fourth of July brings events celebrating the United States' independence, including a parade and a large fireworks display in the evening. With an average daily attendance of more than 60,000 in 2014, it

3344-752: The fair's main entrance. The fair established a scholarship fund in 1986, the Don Diego fund, in his honor. Each year the statue is dressed in garb that is appropriate to the theme of that year's fair. The fair features many musical and talent performances from artists of varying genres, from nationally known acts on the infield stage to local professionals to amateur groups. There are dozens of contests ranging from agricultural efforts to cooking to flower arranging. As with many county fairs, animal exhibits are abundant. There are also two buildings full of commercial exhibits. There are exhibits featuring San Diego County's heritage, as well as exhibits specially designed for

3420-684: The fair's theme, which changes annually, making the fair somewhat different each year. Most recently, the theme for 2023 was "Get Out There!". Children and students are honored in the Kids' Best and Student Showcase displays, which feature artwork created by students ranging from kindergarten through community college. School yearbooks are displayed as well as woodworking, photography, and art projects constructed by high school students. All ages can display their talents in exhibits such as Design in Wood , photo and art shows, and Home and Hobby . Each day features

3496-411: The film Sex Quartet as Elena in the segment "Fata Elena". She was the only American in the cast of the anthology comedy film The Oldest Profession (1967); her segment was directed by Michael Pfleghar . In Italy, she also appeared in a heist film for MGM , The Biggest Bundle of Them All (1968). It co-starred Edward G. Robinson , who said of Welch, "I must say she has quite a body. She has been

3572-429: The film from time to time and realized only later that Kit Forrest was an alcoholic: "I'm watching this movie and I'm thinking, 'What the hell has she got on?' At one point, I had this epiphany: 'Oh, she's an alcoholic!' I didn't know that. How could I miss that?" She reportedly was so smitten with Sinatra that she forgot to act: "I think I was just so enamored with Frank Sinatra, you know. He's hypnotic." Welch starred as

3648-610: The film, images of her in the doe-skin bikini became bestselling posters that turned her into an international sex symbol . She later starred in Bedazzled (1967), Bandolero! (1968), 100 Rifles (1969), Myra Breckinridge (1970), Hannie Caulder (1971), Kansas City Bomber (1972), The Last of Sheila (1973), The Three Musketeers (1973), The Wild Party (1975), and Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976). She made several television variety specials. Through her portrayal of strong female characters , helping her break

3724-558: The future to build a special events platform on the west side of the Del Mar Fairgrounds to provide easier access to events held there, such as the fair. The Del Mar Fairgrounds charges $ 17 for parking in their main lots during the San Diego Fair. There are multiple free and reduced fee options for parking during the fair that includes free shuttle service to help combat traffic and parking problems. Since 1998

3800-413: The men in the front office are really running it. Which I thought was a really nice metaphor for the way a lot of women felt about their lives at that time." Also in 1972, Welch reunited with Burt Reynolds for the detective film Fuzz . In 1973, Welch acted in two films: The Last of Sheila and The Three Musketeers . The latter – for which she won a Golden Globe as Best Actress in a Comedy – spawned

3876-437: The mold of the traditional sex symbol, Welch developed a unique film persona that made her an icon of the 1960s and 1970s. Her rise to stardom in the mid-1960s was partly credited with ending Hollywood's vigorous promotion of the blonde bombshell . Her love scene with Jim Brown in 100 Rifles also made cinematic history with their portrayal of interracial intimacy. She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress in

SECTION 50

#1732780043701

3952-455: The mold. Like Maria, Raquel can't act from here to there, but both ladies seem to have been born to be photographed ... this sappiest of spy pictures." At this stage, Welch owed Fox four films, at one a year. She and Curtis also established their own production company, Curtwel. Fox wanted Welch to play Jennifer in their adaptation of Valley of the Dolls but she refused, wanting to play

4028-452: The next five years, and two floaters. Studio executives talked about changing her name to "Debbie". They thought "Raquel" would be hard to pronounce. She refused their request. She wanted her real name, so she stuck with "Raquel Welch". After screen testing for Saul David's Our Man Flint , she was cast in a leading role in David's sci-fi film Fantastic Voyage (1966), in which she portrayed

4104-405: The normal course of affairs—either throughout life or until marriage. Some reasons for changes of a person's name include middle names , diminutive forms, changes relating to parental status (due to one's parents' divorce or adoption by different parents), and gender transition . The French and English-adopted née is the feminine past participle of naître , which means "to be born". Né

4180-547: The producers settled on Joan Collins . In 1987, Welch starred in the television drama Right to Die , an "unglamorous" role in which she portrayed a college professor and mother of two stricken with Lou Gehrig's disease , and asks to die with dignity. She received a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actress for her performance. Welch starred in the made-for-television films Scandal in a Small Town (1988), Trouble in Paradise (1989), and Torch Song (1993). In 1995, she

4256-549: The product of a good publicity campaign. I hope she lives up to it because a body will only take you so far." Her first starring vehicle, the British Modesty Blaise -style spy film Fathom (1967), was filmed in Spain for 20th Century Fox. Second unit director Peter Medak said Welch "was at that time quite inexperienced, exactly like one of those American drum majorettes. But she tried very hard and went to see

4332-724: The right body type for professional ballet companies. At age 14, she won beauty titles as Miss Photogenic and Miss Contour. While attending La Jolla High School she won the title of Miss La Jolla and the title of Miss San Diego – the Fairest of the Fair ;– at the San Diego County Fair . This long line of beauty contests eventually led to the state title of Maid of California. Her parents divorced when she finished her school years. Welch graduated with honors from high school in 1958. Seeking an acting career, she entered San Diego State College on

4408-811: The role of Neely O'Hara. The studio was not interested, casting Patty Duke ; Sharon Tate played Jennifer North. In England, she appeared as Lust incarnate in the Peter Cook – Dudley Moore comedy, Bedazzled (1967), a Swinging Sixties retelling of the Faust legend. It was popular, as was the Western, Bandolero! (1968), which was shot in Del Rio, Texas , at the Alamo Village . She co-starred with James Stewart and Dean Martin . "I think she's going to stack up all right," Stewart said of Welch. "No one

4484-514: The romantic comedy How to Be a Latin Lover (2017). In December 1972, Welch made her nightclub debut at the Las Vegas Hilton ; her act preceded Elvis Presley 's. Over the next decade, she took her nightclub act to other venues, and starred in television specials featuring her singing and dancing. She released the dance single "This Girl's Back In Town", which peaked at No. 29 on Billboard ' s dance club chart in 1988, along with

4560-537: The rushes each day, gradually improving. 'Who's this dumb broad?' people used to say. But I said: 'You wait. I'll bet she makes it.' I liked her very much because she was such a genuine person. And she had a beautiful body which always helps." Welch said her role was "a blown up Barbie doll". Reviewing her performance, the Los Angeles Times film critic said that "each new Raquel Welch picture brings further proof that when Maria Montez died they didn't break

4636-405: The soldiers on the train by taking a shower at a water tower along the tracks. The director, Gries, tried hard to convince Welch to do the scene naked, but she refused. It was one of the many instances Welch resisted going nude on-screen and pushed back for years against producers who wanted her to act or pose nude. In 1969, Welch also starred in the thriller Flareup and had a supporting role in

SECTION 60

#1732780043701

4712-850: The tabloids that Welch got an abortion during their marriage. Spanish media reported that during the shooting of 100 Rifles in Spain in 1968, Welch, while married to Curtis, had a relationship with Spanish actor Sancho Gracia , who had a small role in the film, and that Welch's husband, upon finding out about the affair, chased Gracia at gunpoint through the hotel where they were staying in Aguadulce . Subsequent boyfriends included football player Joe Namath , producer Robert Evans and comedian Freddie Prinze . On July 5, 1980, she married producer André Weinfeld in Cabo San Lucas . In early February 1983, while vacationing in Mustique , Welch suffered

4788-412: The television series Bewitched , McHale's Navy and The Virginian and appeared on the weekly variety series The Hollywood Palace as a billboard girl and presenter. She was one of many actresses who auditioned for the role of Mary Ann Summers on the television series Gilligan's Island . Welch's first featured role was in the beach film A Swingin' Summer (1965). That same year, she won

4864-526: The term z domu (literally meaning "of the house", de domo in Latin ) may be used, with rare exceptions, meaning the same as née . San Diego County Fair The San Diego County Fair began in 1880 as an agricultural fair. The location moved from place to place for several years, finally settling on the Del Mar Fairgrounds when it opened in 1936. There was no fair in 1917–18 due to World War I , 1942–45 due to World War II , and 2020 in response to

4940-656: The title role in Hannie Caulder , a Western produced by Tigon and Curtwel, which was shot in Spain. Welch was one of the few actresses, and one of the earliest, who had a lead role in a Western film. Hannie Caulder was a significant influence on later revenge films, with director Quentin Tarantino citing it as an inspiration for his 2003 film, Kill Bill: Volume 1 . The following year, in 1972, Welch starred in Kansas City Bomber , in which she played

5016-408: The title role. Theatre critic Jamie Portman wrote that her glamor made Welch "scarcely believable as the vulnerable Victoria and totally unbelievable as the swaggering tuxedoed Victor", but that she at least "earns high marks for valor" for attempting to breathe life into "the misbegotten musical version of Victor/Victoria ". In 1975, Welch won a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress in

5092-493: The trial was that she was an actress over 40 and generally actresses in that age range cannot get roles any more. Welch's evidence at trial proved there was a conspiracy to falsely blame her for the film's budget problems and delays. The jury sided with Welch and she won a $ 10.8 million verdict against MGM in 1986. Despite the win, Welch wished the whole episode never had happened. "I just wanted to clear my reputation and get back to my work, my work in movies", she said. But she

5168-481: The wonderful sense of peace I'd felt when sitting under the protection and grace of my mother's faith." She was a faithful member of Calvary Presbyterian Church in Glendale , which she described as a "beautiful little church" where the people "weren't Hollywood types. They were modest, unassuming, cheerful and friendly. They welcomed me." Welch's faith helped her after the death of her mother, a devout Presbyterian, and her sister's recovery from cancer. While her image in

5244-490: Was "spoofing herself". She guest starred on CSI: Miami in 2012 and played Aunt Lucia in the 2013 Lifetime original movie House of Versace . In 2015, she portrayed Miss Sally May Anderson in the television drama The Ultimate Legacy . Welch played the mother-in-law of Barry Watson 's character in a Canadian sitcom titled Date My Dad (2017) where she reunited with Robert Wagner on screen, five decades after starring together in The Biggest Bundle of Them All . Welch

5320-461: Was a guest star in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman . In the Season 2 episode "Top Copy", Welch played a television reporter and assassin who threatens to expose Clark's identity as Superman. In 1996, Welch joined the cast of the night-time soap opera Central Park West , after CBS had already slated it for cancellation, as creator Darren Star made a final attempt to save the show by boosting its ratings late in its first season. She

5396-450: Was a guest star on the American comedy series Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1997), playing Sabrina's flamboyant Aunt Vesta from the realm called the Pleasuredome. Welch acted in the Season 8 finale of the comedy series Seinfeld , titled " The Summer of George " (1997), playing an exaggerated and highly temperamental version of herself. In the episode, ranked by Zap2it as one of the top 10 episodes of Seinfeld , series character Kramer

5472-399: Was based on a real person, Don Diego Alvarado, whose family had a large land grant in the Del Mar area during the late 1800s; Alvarado was known for his grand parties and was regarded as the local symbol of a gracious host. Dressed in a huge sombrero, embroidered tunic and trousers, and boots, and toting a guitar, Hernandez promoted the fair as its goodwill ambassador. He escorted the Fairest of

5548-583: Was blackballed by the industry and the incident affected her film career on the big screen from that moment on. In 1994, Welch made a cameo appearance in Naked Gun 33 + 1 ⁄ 3 : The Final Insult , in the scene where Leslie Nielsen 's character crashes the Academy Awards . In 2001, she had a cameo in the comedy film Legally Blonde with Reese Witherspoon , playing a wealthy ex-wife in court. Also that year, Welch appeared in Tortilla Soup ,

5624-448: Was described as "wearing mankind's first bikini" and the fur bikini was described as a "definitive look of the 1960s". The New York Times hailed her in its review of the film (which was released in the UK in 1966 and in the U.S. in 1967), "a marvelous breathing monument to womankind". One author said, "although she had only three lines in the film, her luscious figure in a fur bikini made her

5700-402: Was due to star in a 1982 adaptation of John Steinbeck 's Cannery Row , but was abruptly fired by the producers a few weeks into production. The studio claimed she was not living up to her contract, by refusing early-morning rehearsals, and was replaced with Debra Winger . Welch sued MGM for breach of contract. Studio executives claimed in testimony the reason Welch was following through with

5776-436: Was photographed at a lavish party thrown by Burton for his then-wife Elizabeth Taylor 's fortieth birthday, even though Taylor had specifically uninvited her. Despite not being considered a critical success, Kansas City Bomber was noted for its depiction of gender relations in the early 1970s. In a 2012 interview with GQ , Welch reflected on the roller derby world depicted in the film: "You have all those women out there, but

#700299