Big Bosoms and Square Jaws is a biography of the famous cult film-maker Russ Meyer by journalist and biographer Jimmy McDonough. The book is a mixture of fan appreciation and deliciously researched biography.
In the introduction, Jimmy McDonough describes his early encounters with the work of Russ Meyer as a young man, and how he was hooked on Meyer’s women. ‘I’d see a picture of a Meyer dame or one of his movies at the drive-in and they hit me like a lightning bolt.’
McDonough’s enthusiasm for Meyer’s work is evident here in every page: there’s never a dull moment.
The biographer’s enthusiasm, however, doesn’t get in the way of making plenty of good critical judgments about his movies. Most of Meyer’s oeuvre is a mad and energetic satire on sex. There is also a lot of self-satirising going on in the film-maker’s work.
If searching for a genre to slot Russ Meyer’s film’s into, surrealist would be the best fit. He’s Salvador Dali, the Marquis de Sade and Mae West all wrapped up in one.
Russ Meyer’s Strange Movie Plots
His films seem to have plots, but it’s hard to tell what they mean. For example, what can be made of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls? Or worse still, Beneath the Valley of the Ultra Vixens? In the film Up!, which features a lurid send up of Hitler, even Jimmy McDonough admits to the most hard core Meyer fans being offended.
It is to McDonough’s credit that he has the smarts to both appreciate Meyer’s work like a fan, but to rigorously critique the films that don’t work. A film like Vixen, McDonough isn’t afraid to say, simply runs too long.
Russ Meyer made one master piece, Faster Pussy Cat, Kill! Kill! And this seemed a total fluke. The previous film, Motor Psycho, told the tale of three male motor bike riding rapists. Meyer decided to reverse the formula for Faster Pussy Cat, Kill! Kill! Instead he made a film with three violent, marauding females. His second wife of eleven years, Eve Meyer, who was also a very canny businesswoman, pleaded with Meyer not to make the film, as she was convinced it would be a flop. She was right. It’s only now a cult classic, one that shows no chance of losing its vitality and freshness.
Russ Meyer’s Super Women
The best part of Big Bosoms and Square Jaws is of course the women: Tura Satana, Haji, Kitten Natividad, Raven de la Croix, Erica Gavin, Uschi Digard, Gigi La Touche. Only this time they are not presented as celluloid uber-women. Rather, Meyer fans are given page after page of terrific interview material. This time the girls get to tell their story. For those who have long put the likes of Tura Satana and Erica Gavin on a pedestal here is a chance to hear them talk.
Interestingly, most of the interview material comes from Erica Gavin, who is now a total recluse. Haji contributes quite a bit of fascinating commentary. It was Haji who Meyer introduced to some of his best known stars, notably Erica Gavin and Tura Satana.
Russ Meyer the War Photographer
It should also be noted that the early chapters of Big Bosoms and Square Jaws also detail Meyer’s work as a combat photographer. Photographers had to be pretty brave or either crazy to do this sort of work, as one in four photographers died. This was the very first photographic work that Meyer did. He also made important friendships that would last him for life. How peculiar, one would think, that photographing dead bodies, some violently blown apart, would lead to photographing naked women.
The sections on his mother and institutionalised half-sister could perhaps have been fleshed out a bit more. It seemed that there was some kind of madness that ran (or perhaps galloped) on his mother’s side. Russ obviously channelled it into his film making. But this is a minor quibble.
Russ’s decline and fall is a very sad affair, and Meyer fans may want to flick through these painful pages: Russ walking about the house wearing soiled underwear, being pushed around by a villain secretary. It’s not a pretty picture.
Big Bosoms and Square Jaws: The Biography of Russ Meyer, King of the Sex Film is a page-turner of a book on a fascinating and eccentric genius. This is an indispensible accompaniment to great films like Vixen, Faster Pussy Cat, Kill! Kill! and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.
Big Bosoms and Square Jaws: The Biography of Russ Meyer, King of the Sex Film by Jimmy McDonough is published by Three Rivers Press (2006). ISBN-13: 978-0307338440
Chris Saliba - Chris Saliba is a freelance writer. Read more of his workplace articles at chrissalibafreelancewriter.blogspot.com
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