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“ART IS REVOLUTION OR IT IS NOTHING”

In rediscovering the Marchesa I was reminded of a more contemporary eccentric genius whom I first came to know from the glorious days of “The Cockettes”at the Palace and the eternal party that was San Francisco in the late 70’s, the gifted artist Steven Arnold… Steven was always surrounded by magic, he attracted a Phantasmagoria wherever he lived or worked. Steven was a master of light and fantasy, an accomplished filmmaker, photographer and dreamer.

Steven Arnold arrived with his own special entourage to introduce his film LUMINOUS PROCURESS. It was the talk of the San Francisco Film festival. The night it played in the magical Palace of fine arts Steven Arnold had arrived. He was a gentle, soft spoken man as fragile as an angel who fell from Heaven. You wanted to protect him. After the film he was asked if he acknowledged the influence of Cocteau in his film. Steven replied “I am Cocteau…with a little LSD in the mix”!

Steven was a guiding force during the golden days of The Palace theatre in North Beach, and the international success of “The Cockettes,” his direction and concepts, gave way for directors like John Waters to experiment with surrealist theater. I remember the first time I saw Divine in the flesh was at the Palace. From these humble beginnings Steven would soon be transformed by Salvador Dali himself. Dali met Steven in New York and the two became instant soul mates, Dali saw Steven’s film and declared it a masterpiece! Dali asked Steven to work in his private museum in Spain and the two remained close from that time until Dali’s death.

Years later, Steven had established yet another alternative universe off Beverly Blvd towards downtown LA. His

“Salons” were legendary as every type of personality was given a chance to mingle with models, artists, filmmakers, drag queens…all were accepted as long as one kept it non-judgmental. Steven quietly presided over these festivities “with grace and humor,” films were screened, performance artists showcased their work and no one wanted to leave! The house itself was non-descript but once inside you were in a magical realm of gods and goddesses, sex and beauty, in rooms lined with mirrors, masks from Venice, gold and silver wings suspended from the ceiling, a heavenly world out of Aladdin’s lamp.

I was introduced to Hiram Keller at one of these salons and for a time acted as his agent though no real offers ever materialized for the star of FELLINI SATYRICON. Hiram had lived by his looks for most of his adult life. A self proclaimed “hustler” he dabbled in acting as one of the founding members of “Hair.” Hiram was known far and wide as the guy who shed his clothes nightly on Broadway. He resembled Nureyev in a certain light, or rather he resembled him enough to prompt Rudy to invite Hiram to join his tour for a few weeks until the novelty wore off.

Anne Rice’s “Interview with a Vampire” was very hot at this time and Paramount had announced that John Travolta would be playing Lestadt. Steven decided that Hiram was born to play a vampire so, to convince the studio of this, a series of photographs were created. All the make-up and lighting were done by Steven as well. The end result was “vampire heaven”…Hiram was indeed to the coffin born. He did get an opportunity to meet with Bob LeMond at Paramount, but unfortunately the project was put on hold and then dropped. A film of ‘Interview would not be made for another decade or so. Hiram being Hiram, wound up living with Joni Mitchell for a while before returning to Georgia where he died a few years later.

The last time I saw Steven Arnold was at his studio about five years before he died. The place was in a flurry of activity for a photo shoot. Naked men covered in gold and silver glitter preparing for Steven’s camera. I always thought this was one place that would never change. Steven was a truly kind man who cared so much about his art. I like to think of him lounging in a Heavenly villa with his mentor, Dali, laughing away and having the most divine time.

WE’RE WAVING

When news reached me of the death of Alida Valli, I felt we had lost yet another irreplaceable icon of Cinema history. For nearly seven decades screen actress Alida Valli has captivated audiences with her haunting beauty.

Her films in America are only a shadow of the immense celebrity Valli enjoyed in Italy where her work is regarded as among the finest examples of acting in Italian Cinema. Valli worked for most if not all of the great directors Italy had to offer: Visconti, Antonioni, Pasolini, Bertolucci, Argento and Bava.

It was Kenneth Anger of all people who made an issue of me taking him to see the recent revival of WE THE LIVING, also known in two parts as “Noi Vi vi/Addio Kira” and I am forever in his debt as a result. If you are only familiar with Alida Valli from her work in Carol Reed’s THE THIRD MAN or Hitchcock’s PARADINE CASE then rent this amazing film to see Alida Valli at the height of her beauty and talent.

The woman who was first known in America simply as “Valli” entered this world as Alida Maria Laura Von Altenburger in 1921. She would begin acting at a very young age and soon reached national recognition as a great beauty and accomplished actress. Even Mussolini was smitten calling her “The most beautiful woman in the world after Garbo!”

Her performance as the strong willed Kira in WE THE LIVING attracted the attention of Selznick, cementing her arrival in Hollywood as the next Bergman, with all the mystery and beauty Hollywood had not seen since Garbo. Valli made few films during her stay in Hollywood, however during the filming of MIRACLE OF THE BELLS she fell madly in love with Frank Sinatra.

Returning to Europe after the war Valli made some of her greatest films including Antonini’s IL GRIDO. With Visconti’s knowing direction of her performance in SENSO as Countess Serpieri, Valli achieved such a remarkable combination of sensuality and radiance that she came to embody an age in Italian Cinema. However for most film goers she will be best remembered for her performance as Anna Schmidt in Carol Reed’s THE THIRD MAN. Her beauty caused co-star Orson Welles to lament “During the filming I was afraid to go near her, yet I lusted after her in private!”

During a career that included some eighty films, Alida Valli also worked her magic on the stage in Italy creating some fine work in Shakespeare as well as Tennessee Williams. Her performance as Mrs. Venable in ‘The Garden District’ was highly praised; Kate Hepburn had done the film version known as SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER.

For me her character work in later films was equally fascinating, especially for Argento in SUSPERIA and INFERNO, Mario Bava’s LISA AND THE DEVIL, and especially as the nurse Louise whose blind love for the guilt ridden doctor causes her to kill without mercy in EYES WITHOUT A FACE. Valli will be remembered for her talent, which she had in abundance, even when her haunting beauty began to fade with time. She never succumbed to narcissism, refusing to discuss her films with the public, keeping her private life private. When asked about her career recently she replied “Don’t bother; it doesn’t really matter”.

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