Star who shot to global fame in the 1960s in One Million Years BC and whose later roles showed her aptitude for comedy

Raquel Welch, who has died aged 82, had only three lines as Loana in the 1966 film fantasy One Million Years BC but attained sex-symbol status from the role, in which she was dressed in a fur-lined bikini. The image made its imprint in popular culture and the publicity poster sold millions. The feminist critic Camille Paglia described the American actor’s depiction as “a lioness – fierce, passionate and dangerously physical”.

The tale of cavepeople coexisting with dinosaurs was Welch’s breakthrough film – and the beginning of a largely unsuccessful battle she waged to be taken seriously as an actor. When she arrived on set, she told the director, Don Chaffey, she had been thinking about her scene. She recalled his response as: “Thinking? What do you mean you’ve been thinking? Just run from this rock to that rock – that’s all we need from you.”

Continue reading…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like

African fashion is on the rise, says Naomi Campbell: ‘And it’s about time!’

The supermodel speaks from Lagos about inclusivity, her late grandma, and why…

Jason Arday: he learned to talk at 11 and read at 18 – then became Cambridge’s youngest Black professor

Diagnosed with autism as a child, Arday found his voice through speech…

Florida Panhandle wildfires force evacuations of hundreds of homes

Veterans at a nursing home also evacuated, as well as residents of…