Desperate Living

Desperate Living is a 1977 film by Baltimore, Maryland, USA filmmaker John Waters starring Liz Renay, Edith Massey, Mink Stole, Jean Hill, Mary Vivian Pearce, and Susan Lowe.

Related Topics:
1977 - Baltimore - Maryland - USA - John Waters - Liz Renay - Edith Massey - Mink Stole - Jean Hill - Mary Vivian Pearce - Susan Lowe

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Uptight suburbanite Mink Stole and her heavyset maid Jean Hill escape to the filthy fairytale land/shantytown of Mortville, which is ruled by the evil Queen Carlotta (Edith Massey) and her developmentally disabled daughter Princess Coo-Coo (Mary Vivian Pearce).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Stole and Hill become friends with self-hating lesbian Mole McHenry (Susan Lowe) & her lover Muffy St. Jacques (Liz Renay) and get involved with revolutionary activities.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This is the only feature film John Waters made without Divine prior to the actor's death in 1988. Divine was touring as a live performer and couldn't fit Desperate Living into his schedule. This was also Waters' first film without David Lochary, who died of a PCP overdose just before production.

Related Topics:
Divine - 1988 - David Lochary - PCP

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Due to his Pink Flamingos infamy, Waters began to attract actors from outside his circle of friends. Liz Renay was a convicted felon and author of My Face for the World to See, her still-in-print autobiography (referenced in Waters' previous film Female Trouble). Casting Renay presaged his later use of other crimelebrities such as Patty Hearst and Traci Lords.

Related Topics:
Pink Flamingos - My Face for the World to See - Female Trouble - Patty Hearst - Traci Lords

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~