Pop Geeks Interviews Valerie Perrine And Stacey Souther
I was an early crowdfunder for the documentary Valerie, a film about Oscar-nominated actress Valerie Perrine that was directed by her good friend, Stacey Souther. The film is a touching piece about Valerie’s journey from Vegas showgirl to acclaimed actress, as well as her current health issues. I recently reached out to Mr. Souther about the possibility of having him and Valerie answer some questions about the documentary, and through e-mail, the both of them did. Before you purchase Valerie, here are some stories from both Mr. Souther and Ms. Perrine about what went into the documentary, as well as memorable stories from the both of them.
We start off with my questions for Stacey.
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Johnny: How did you decide that Valerie’s story could be a documentary?
Stacey: Valerie has lead the most fascinating life. It reads like a novel. She was raised in Japan after WWII, She was a showgirl in Vegas during it’s golden era and a movie star in 1970’s Hollywood during the last decade of glitz, glamour and excess. She’s lived a life most of us wish could experience 5% of and we would die happy. I had been saying someone needed to do a documentary on her for years. Then when she was going to have brain surgery I knew that was a once in a life time event that had to be captured. I borrowed a camera and that’s how the journey began.
Johnny: What were, respectively, the easiest and hardest parts of getting the documentary made?
Stacey: The easiest was shooting. I shot the documentary all alone. No crew. So I didn’t have to rely on anyone except myself. That made things easy. The hardest part would be the time it took to finish it. From start till release was 8 years. Which was a blessing for the story because I captured Valerie’s illness progress in real time.
Johnny: Valerie features many talents talking of how much they like Valerie. Who were you most surprised, in a positive way, to land an interview with for your documentary?
Stacey: Jeff Bridges was a pretty big surprise. I figured he would be to busy. But he had so much respect and admiration for Valerie he generously made some time for me.
Johnny: What was your favorite screening of the movie?
Stacey: Didn’t really get to do them because of the Pandemic. I was looking forward to AMDOC in Palm Springs because we were the closing night film. Which we ended up winning and that qualified the film for the Oscars. But that was done virtually.
Johnny: Valerie has been preserved by AMPAS’ Film Archive. How did you react upon hearing that announcement?
Stacey: That was such a surprise! I had no idea that was even a possibility. It’s the biggest honor of my life knowing the film will be preserved there for eternity. Not bad for my first film! LOL
Johnny: Valerie is very frank about her health issues. Were you nervous about capturing those on film?
Stacey: I wasn’t nervous. They are very raw revealing moments. She’s the bravest person I know to share such a personal struggle being in the public eye. She did it because she wanted other people struggling with issues be it physical, mental etc to know they aren’t alone. Anything can happen to anyone. She wanted to share her story and hopefully be inspirational to others.
Johnny: Who were your biggest documentary influences when making this film?
Stacey: The documentaries that inspired me were “Gleason”, “Life Itself” and “I’ll Be Me”. All about people in the public eye dealing with devastating diseases and bravely sharing that journey with the world. All very powerful docs.
Johnny: Is there a chance that perhaps Valerie’s story might become a book in order to capture the stories that couldn’t make it into the film?
Stacey: There’s no plans right now. She had always wanted to do a book. She even has an outline. Once she got sick that was put on hold. The film in a way became the book in a way.
Johnny: What can people who purchase Valerie on Blu-Ray and DVD look forward to seeing in terms of extra features?
Stacey: It’s only on DVD. Sadly there are no extras. It’s also streaming on Amazon, iTunes, Appletv, Google Play and YouTube.
Johnny: Finally, what messages do you hope to communicate with Valerie?
Stacey: This film is a love letter to her. I didn’t want her to be forgotten. I wanted her life and legacy to be celebrated and shared with the world. I hope that people take away a sense of hope and are inspired by her story.
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And now the questions I had for Valerie:
Johnny: Before you launched your acting career, you were a Vegas showgirl. You were part of the micro-generation born between 1937 and 1943, in other words, not quite a Baby Boomer and not quite part of the Silent Generation. Vegas had a lot of older entertainers of both the Greatest Generation and the Silent Generation, so what was it like to be working there in the 60s, and how did you remain in touch with the youthful side of things?
Valerie: I believe I was almost 19 when I got there. I had to lie about my age to work. So I was young and so where the other girls in the show. We had fun. But you have to remember being a showgirl is very time consuming. All you do is work and sleep. But Vegas in the 60’s was very glamorous. That was the last decade of glamour there. You still had the Rat Pack and all the great entertainment. People dressed up. It was a fabulous time to be young and in Vegas. The times were changing. So, much happened in the country and world during that time. Vegas had a special place in my heart.
Johnny: What was the most interesting show you performed in during your showgirl days?
Valerie: Lido de Paris at The Stardust! I was the lead.
Johnny: Your first credited movie role came with your work as Montana Wildhack in the Kurt Vonnegut adaptation Slaughterhouse-Five. As I’ve often asked of talents who have appeared in films adapted from books, had you read the book before signing on for the movie, and if so, did the book influence your portrayal of the character?
Valerie: I had read the book. But it didn’t influence me very much. George Roy Hill would tell me what he wanted me to do in the scene and I would do it. I didn’t come to Hollywood to be a movie star. I was literally discovered at a small dinner party at a friend’s house. I never had an acting class. I was offered a 7 year contract with Universal after a couple of days shooting. Universal forbid me from going to acting classes. They didn’t want my natural talent to be corrupted. That performance was due to George knowing what he wanted and what the movie needed.
Johnny: In 1973, you played Meredith in the TV adaptation of Steambath, becoming the first actress to do an intentional topless scene on American television. What was your favorite part of working on that program?
Valerie: I loved working with Bill Bixby. He was a brilliant actor.
Johnny: The following year, your portrayal of Honey Bruce in Lenny led you to an Oscar nomination. As you were directed by Bob Fosse in that movie, did he also choreograph your moves as Honey?
Valerie: He choreographed the dance scenes. But I was suppose to dance badly. And I couldn’t because I had been dancing in Vegas for 8 years. Plus here I was working with the greatest directors and choreographers in the business and I had to dance badly! The irony!
Johnny: You played Eve Teschmacher in the first two Superman movies. There have been many versions of the Man Of Steel on the big screen. As I asked Jack O’Halloran, what do you think the first two Superman movies had that all the films from Superman III onward did not?
Valerie: Richard Donner, his vision and his heart. That’s what made those films work, they are iconic and timeless because of him. Before you say, “Donner didn’t direct the second one, Valerie”, I only shot with Donner. He shoot 1 & 2 at the same time. I never worked with his replacement.
Johnny: Where do you think Miss Teschmacher ended up after leaving the Fortress Of Solitude in Superman II?
Valerie: Hackensack! đ
Johnny: One of your films released between the first two Superman movies was 1979’s The Magician Of Lublin, an early release from Cannon Films. I’ve interviewed several Cannon Films veterans over the years, and opinions of Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus are mixed, to say the least. What were your experiences like working with them?
Valerie: I don’t remember.
Johnny: In 1980, you played Samantha in Can’t Stop The Music. I read in the Allan Carr biography “Party Animals” that Carr got so mad at both you and director Nancy Walker that he called the both of you a rather derogatory word that begins with the letter C. Since he had been friendly to you before, how did you react to that, and were you able to forgive him?
Valerie: I loved Allan! He was a dear friend. We never had any issues. He was a true champion of me and my career.
Johnny: The character of Samantha was a model, and I definitely can see how you would be a good choice for playing one. Had you ever considered modeling before you got into show business, or would it be accurate to say that a showgirl could also be seen as a model of sorts?
Valerie: I think every young girl dreams of being a model. I didn’t pursue it really. All the model type stuff came to me because I was a movie star. I think showgirls have their own special place in the world. There’s something mysterious about them once they leave the stage. Two completely different worlds I think.
Johnny: You played Marcy opposite Jack Nicholson in 1982’s The Border. A rather juicy dramatic role, what drew you to working on that movie?
Valerie: I always wanted to work with Jack. It was also a good script. Those were the reasons.
Johnny: In 1985, you played Pamela in the Michael Caine comedy Water. The movie is a favorite of yours’, as you’ve talked enthusiastically of working with Michael Caine. Besides working with Michael, what was it about that movie that made it such a personal favorite?
Valerie: It was mostly working with him. He’s a legend. But Brenda Vaccaro was on that film too. We became very close friends. She’s one of my dearest friends. I attribute that to that film.
Johnny: Water ends with a concert by the Singing Rebels’ Band, which included the film’s producer George Harrison, his fellow Beatle Ringo Starr, and Eric Clapton. What was it like to see a performance with that much star power?
Valerie: It was magical! I got to see half of the Beatles!
Johnny: In the late 80s and early 90s, you filmed several projects in Italy. As you were a miltary BRAT, was it easy to do film in a different language, or did you have difficulty doing so?
Valerie: It wasn’t hard. I knew the language. I had traveled there so much and I also lived there for several years.
Johnny: For many years, you went on the convention circuit to shows like Chiller Theatre. What was the most rewarding part of attending conventions, and what was the most wonderful piece of memorabilia you can recall signing?
Valerie: It was always nice to meet fans and hear stories how a film influenced them and made a difference in their lives. I don’t remember any specific memorabilia. It would probably be something from Superman. Or there was one fan that had a book of all the Playmates or woman who had posed for Playboy and he had almost all their signatures. That was pretty impressive. I was in it. So he needed my signature.
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Valerie is now available for purchase digitally and physically on most major video websites. I would like to again thank Mr. Souther and Ms. Perrine for taking the time to answer my questions.
Coming soon to the Flashback Interview is my conversation with two-time Oscar-winning makeup artist Michele Burke. Thank you as always for reading. Be well, my friends.
Darkened124
May 15, 2022 @ 11:51 am
Aging really scares me because it’s the ultimate equalizer. Even a beautiful and successful actress like Valerie have to face health issues because of aging. My Uncle who was a strong military man just died of stroke today and I was shocked because he was a health and athletic guy. He had no health issues and suddenly he is gone.
Valerie is Brave to document her health issues in a documentary.
cmoneyspinner
June 25, 2022 @ 7:48 pm
I like that Ms. Stacey said: âI didnât want her to be forgotten.â What a beautiful thing to do for a dear friend. As for Ms. Perrine? She has lived a life that should be documented.