The Film Society of Lincoln Center in Manhattan is doing one of their lovely tributes this weekend, a mini film festival highlighting Raquel Welch. Ms. Welch has been in attendance for many of the screenings at the Walter Reade Theatre (just across the street from Lincoln Center), and rather graciously, I think, has participated in several interviews and introductions of the movies--all with a kind of refreshing sense of humor, and wit!
I only bring all this up because Sunday afternoon she'll be on hand for another chat or two, acoompanying KANSAS CITY BOMBER, and HANNIE CAULDER (beginning at 4ish...)
But Saturday evening she told a neat story of when she was asked to appear in THE THREE MUSKETEERS. She was thrilled at the chance to work with Richard Lester, and potentially a pretty nifty cast, but didn't understand why her character Constance, "was always falling down."
Lester told her, "Don't think.... Just think of Buster Keaton."
Welch said she thought of "Keaton's dour expression" (did a pretty funny facsimilie for the crowd), and explained that she didn't see how that fit.
Then she thought of Stan Laurel, what she perceived as his kind of "innocence," and, Ms. Welch said, the role, in her mind, all fell into place!
