Anton
LaVey, the flamboyant founder of the Church of Satan shrewdly targeted
celebrity converts for their publicity value, not unlike another cult we could
mention, but the Satanists were considerably less sinister in their dealings.
His greatest recruitment triumph may or may not have been Hollywood sex symbol
Jayne Mansfield. Accounts vary—drastically. P. David Ebersole & Todd Hughes
explore the unlikely relationship between the two very different icons in Mansfield 66/67 (trailer here), which screens
during Frameline 41 in San Francisco.
We’ve
largely forgotten now, but in 1957 Mansfield was one of the top box office
draws in the nation. In 1963, she became the first big name movie star to do a nude
scene in Promises…Promises! It is not
hard to understand why fate chose her for such a distinction. Unfortunately,
she was scuffling by 1966, thanks in part to some poor business decisions made
by her lover-manager Sam Brody. In fact, Brody’s influence over Mansfield was
so toxic, LaVey reportedly put a curse on the questionable attorney after
befriending Mansfield.
Just
how close they were and how deeply involved Mansfield was in the Church of Satan
remains hotly debated. Regardless, they were clearly quite willing to pose for PR
photos together. Indeed, several talking head commentators suggest the only
true religion either held was a faith in publicity. Still, this a wild story,
particularly with respects to the curse and other rituals LaVey supposedly
conducted on her behalf.
Let’s
be honest, it is impossible to make a boring film about Mansfield and LaVey. It
really calls out for a lurid, candy-colored narrative treatment from a visual
stylist like Love Witch helmer Anna
Biller. Ill-advisedly, Ebersole & Hughes try to exploit the Mansfield camp
factor with frequent song-and-dance numbers to represent various episodes under
discussion. For these musical interludes to work, they must be slyly droll and impressively
choreographed—but they just don’t land.
It
is too bad they waste so much time on the production numbers, because there is
some fascinating stuff in 66/67. It
isn’t exactly Lincoln and Kennedy, but the assembled experts draw some
intriguing parallels between the two very public figures (she lived in the “Pink
Palace,” he lived in the “Black House”). The animated segments are also
suitably irreverent. However, all bets are off when they establish an apostolic
feline link to Teppi Hedren and the utterly insane lions-around-the-house movie
Roar. Not surprisingly, none of the
Hargitay family chose to participate, but cult film icons Mary Woronov and John
Waters are present and accounted for, as well as her great rival, Mamie Van
Doren.