Russell Albion "Russ" Meyer (March 21, 1922 – September 18, 2004) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, film editor, actor and photographer. Meyer is known primarily for writing and directing a series of successful low-budget sexploitation films that featured campy humor, sly satire and large-breasted women, such as Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!.
March 21, 1922, San Leandro, California, United States
Died
September 18, 2004, Hollywood Hills, California, United States
Place Of Birth
Oakland, California, USA
Height
6' 0¾" (1.85 m)
Profession
Director, Writer, Cinematographer
Spouse
Edy Williams (m. 1970–1975), Eve Meyer (m. 1952–1969), Betty Valdovinos (m. 1949–1950)
Parents
William Arthur Meyer, Lydia Lucinda Hauck
Star Sign
Aries
#
Trademark
1
Almost never pans or tilts or dollies his camera, suggests movement through editing, specifically montage.
2
Usually ends his films with some type of violence
3
Often casts women with abnormally large breasts
#
Quote
1
[about the drive-in audiences for his films] [They] do not read reviews. They're influenced by a shrieking, shouting radio spot, bombastic TV spot and bigger-than-life ads. They go and they eat the tacos and hamburgers and maybe make out a little bit, and it's just a nice place to go. So those people don't give a shit about Judith Crist or Rex Reed. Who are they, you know?
2
SuperVixen [from Supervixens (1975)] is like The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946). She wears a white dress, she's good, pure. Shari Eubank. She plays both parts; it's a reincarnation thing. But, you say, did Superangel really die in that bathtub? Was she really electrocuted? And she now is on top of the mountain, with the blood streaming down, but looking beautiful and elegant, guiding the destinies of three people: terrible, nasty, dirty, no-good Harry Sledge, policeman, former Green Beret, redneck, opinionated, a bum lay, sexually sick, very physical, very muscular; and Clint, clean, slim, obviously a stud but not in a pushy, forward kind of way, totally good; and Supervixen, voluptuous, pure, good, totally giving, self-sacrificing. And at the end, she says, "Leapin' Lizards!".
3
There can just be a thin edge separating evil and humor.
4
Nothing is obscene providing it is done in bad taste.
5
I always had a tremendous interest in big boobs.
6
I'd rather play cards if I can't have a lady with big boobs.
7
[commenting on his third marriage] I'm a serial bigamist.
8
The girls kick the hell out of the guys. I've always played well at the Ivy League . . . Cornell, Dartmouth. I have never encountered a berating woman.
9
I love big-breasted women with wasp waists. I love them with big cleavages.
#
Fact
1
A World War II US army veteran, Meyer had a special hatred for Adolf Hitler and often incorporated scathing satirical humor involving the Nazis and Hitler himself in his movies to mock and ridicule them, which explains why they always get their just desserts in his films.
Told John Lydon (Johnny Rotten of the punk rock band The Sex Pistols) during the pre-production of the ultimately aborted Sex Pistols film, "Who Killed Bambi?", that the United States had saved Britain during World War II after Rotten had expressed his distaste for Americans. Meyer had been stationed in Britain during the war; Rotten was unimpressed.
4
Considered his marriage to third wife Edy Williams a huge mistake. After divorcing Williams, he never married again.
5
A first-rate cameraman, Meyer fine-tuned his craft in the Army Signal Corps during World War II. After the war he moved to Hollywood to try to find work as a studio cameraman, but despite his expertise and the excellent footage he had shot during the war, he was refused a job due to the guild system. The Hollywood guilds typically were closed to outsiders unless they had gone through the apprentice system by starting at the very bottom.
6
While bivouacked at Moberley House, Manchester, sometime in May 1944, he was assigned by Col. Laughton, of the US Army Pictorial Service (London), to film a group of GI prisoners being trained in a stockade near Southampton. The Military Police guards told Meyer that they had been convicted of capital crimes and had been sentenced to death, but had agreed to be parachuted behind enemy lines prior to D-Day in a daring sabotage mission. He was driven there by his army driver, Charles E. Sumners, filmed the 12 dirty, uncooperative prisoners (one of whom was an American Indian and one of whom was black) for about 40 minutes, then returned to his unit. He sent the 200-foot reel to headquarters and later received the usual critique by Capt. Fred F. Fox on his work. Meyer encountered Col. Laughton near Metz, after the invasion, and was told the men had been parachuted into France, but had not been heard from since. Meyer told this story to his friend Eric Michael Nathanson, who was impressed by it, and used the story as the basis for his novel (as E.M. Nathanson) "The Dirty Dozen", which became the monster hit movie The Dirty Dozen (1967).
7
Served in the US Army during World War II, with the 166th Signal Photographic Company, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant and was commissioned to the 3rd US Army Headquarters, under the command of Gen. George S. Patton. On the afternoon of July 3, 1944, his section (Newsreel Unit #1) boarded a landing ship tank (LST) pointing to Normandy, France. Meyeropted to land early before the headquarters' company, and went over the side to a waiting landing craft infantry (LCI), getting a preview of the war immediately at hand. His camerawork--both at rest and during infantry and artillery action--received good reviews from his superiors; his composition and coverage often received special favorable mention. On June 2, 1945, he did a special request for Gen. Patton, and the footage he shot is used in Patton (1970), and seems to have influenced the statue of Patton at the West Point Military Academy, New York.
8
His works were considered pornographic at the time of their release, but contain very little graphic sexual content by today's standards.
9
His films are often studied in film schools and shown on the cult film festival circuit.
10
Although he briefly attended junior college, he admitted that he was pretty much self-taught as a photographer and filmmaker.
11
His films have influenced both John Waters and John Landis. Waters has often cited him as inspiration for his female characters.
12
In the 1980s he directed a video for a rock band who took their name from one of his films--Faster Pussycat. The bands Vixen and Mudhoney also took their names from Meyer film titles, even though Meyer had no connection to them.
13
Told New York Times that the first time he visited a whorehouse, as a soldier in France during World War II, he was taken there by Ernest Hemingway.
14
Famously reclusive, he rarely granted interviews in person but most of his 24 movies have been released through his company, RM Films.
15
In 1977, Malcolm McLaren hired Meyer to direct a film starring The Sex Pistols. Meyer handed the scriptwriting duties over to Roger Ebert, who, in collaboration with McLaren, produced a screenplay entitled "Who Killed Bambi?". According to Ebert, filming ended after a day and a half when the electricians walked off the set after McLaren was unable to pay them (McLaren has claimed that the project actually died at the behest of main financier 20th Century-Fox, under the pretext that "We are in the business of making family entertainment.").
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Pandora Peaks
2001
Video documentary
Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens
1979
Up!
1976
Supervixens
1975
Black Snake
1973
The Seven Minutes
1971
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
1970
Cherry, Harry & Raquel!
1970
Vixen!
1968
Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers!
1968
Good Morning... and Goodbye!
1967
How Much Loving Does a Normal Couple Need?
1967
Mondo Topless
1966
Documentary
Skyscrapers and Brassieres
1966
Short
Motorpsycho!
1965
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
1965
Mudhoney
1965
Russ Meyer's Fanny Hill
1964
Russ Meyer's Lorna
1964
Heavenly Bodies!
1963
Europe in the Raw
1963
Documentary
Wild Gals of the Naked West
1962
Erotica
1961
Eve and the Handyman
1961
The Naked Camera
1961
Short
This Is My Body
1960
Short
The Immoral Mr. Teas
1959
The French Peep Show
1949
Documentary short
Afro Mood Burlesque
1947
Short unconfirmed
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Faster Pussycat Fuck! Fuck!
2005
Video concept
Pandora Peaks
2001
Video documentary
Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens
1979
story - as B. Callum
Up!
1976
original story / screenplay - as B. Callum
Supervixens
1975
written by
Black Snake
1973
screenplay
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
1970
story
Cherry, Harry & Raquel!
1970
story
Vixen!
1968
original story
Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers!
1968
original story
How Much Loving Does a Normal Couple Need?
1967
uncredited
Skyscrapers and Brassieres
1966
Short
Motorpsycho!
1965
screenplay / story
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
1965
original story
Russ Meyer's Lorna
1964
from a story by - as R. Albion Meyer
Heavenly Bodies!
1963
writer
Europe in the Raw
1963
Documentary writer
Wild Gals of the Naked West
1962
uncredited
Erotica
1961
Eve and the Handyman
1961
written by
The Naked Camera
1961
Short
This Is My Body
1960
Short
The Immoral Mr. Teas
1959
writer
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Pandora Peaks
2001
Video documentary producer
Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens
1979
producer
Up!
1976
producer
Supervixens
1975
producer
Black Snake
1973
producer
The Seven Minutes
1971
producer
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
1970
producer
Cherry, Harry & Raquel!
1970
producer
Vixen!
1968
producer
Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers!
1968
producer
Good Morning... and Goodbye!
1967
producer
How Much Loving Does a Normal Couple Need?
1967
producer
Mondo Topless
1966
Documentary producer
Skyscrapers and Brassieres
1966
Short producer
Motorpsycho!
1965
producer
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
1965
producer
Mudhoney
1965
producer
Russ Meyer's Lorna
1964
producer
Heavenly Bodies!
1963
producer
Europe in the Raw
1963
Documentary producer
Wild Gals of the Naked West
1962
producer
Erotica
1961
producer
Eve and the Handyman
1961
producer
This Is My Body
1960
Short producer
The Immoral Mr. Teas
1959
producer
Cinematographer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Pandora Peaks
2001
Video documentary director of photography
Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens
1979
photographed by
Up!
1976
Supervixens
1975
photographed by
Cherry, Harry & Raquel!
1970
Vixen!
1968
Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers!
1968
director of photography
Good Morning... and Goodbye!
1967
director of photography
How Much Loving Does a Normal Couple Need?
1967
uncredited
Mondo Topless
1966
Documentary
Skyscrapers and Brassieres
1966
Short
Motorpsycho!
1965
Russ Meyer's Lorna
1964
director of photography
Heavenly Bodies!
1963
Europe in the Raw
1963
Documentary
Wild Gals of the Naked West
1962
Erotica
1961
Eve and the Handyman
1961
photographed by
The Naked Camera
1961
Short
The Immoral Mr. Teas
1959
The Desperate Women
1954
The French Peep Show
1949
Documentary short
Afro Mood Burlesque
1947
Short unconfirmed
This Is My Railroad
1946
Documentary short co-cinematographer - uncredited
Editor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Pandora Peaks
2001
Video documentary
Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens
1979
Up!
1976
Supervixens
1975
Cherry, Harry & Raquel!
1970
Vixen!
1968
Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers!
1968
Good Morning... and Goodbye!
1967
How Much Loving Does a Normal Couple Need?
1967
Mondo Topless
1966
Documentary
Skyscrapers and Brassieres
1966
Short
Motorpsycho!
1965
uncredited
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
1965
Mudhoney
1965
uncredited
Heavenly Bodies!
1963
Europe in the Raw
1963
Documentary
Wild Gals of the Naked West
1962
Erotica
1961
Eve and the Handyman
1961
The Immoral Mr. Teas
1959
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Amazon Women on the Moon
1987
Video Salesman (segment "Video Date")
All the Way In!
1984
Wondering flyer
Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens
1979
The Director (uncredited)
Up!
1976
Hitchcock (uncredited)
Supervixens
1975
Motel Manager #2 (uncredited)
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
1970
TV Cameraman (uncredited)
Vixen!
1968
Tourist (uncredited)
Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers!
1968
uncredited
Motorpsycho!
1965
Sheriff (as E.E. Meyer)
Mudhoney
1965
Townspeople (uncredited)
Heavenly Bodies!
1963
Wild Gals of the Naked West
1962
Erotica
1961
Cameraman
The Immoral Mr. Teas
1959
Burlesque Audience Member (uncredited)
Camera Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
Up!
1976
camera operator - as E.E. Meyer
Black Snake
1973
camera operator: second unit
The Immoral Mr. Teas
1959
gaffer - uncredited
The James Dean Story
1957
Documentary contributing photographer
Editorial Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
Russ Meyer's Lorna
1964
editorial supervisor - as R. Albion Meyer
Location Management
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Immoral Mr. Teas
1959
location scout - uncredited
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Boobaholics Anonymous 10
2014
Video special thanks: R.I.P.
Out of Print
2014/I
Documentary the director would like to thank
Nosferatu vs. Father Pipecock & Sister Funk
2014
special thanks
That's Sexploitation!
2013
Documentary special thanks
Daisy Derkins, Dogsitter of the Damned
2013
special thanks
Tráiganme la Cabeza de la Mujer Metralleta
2012
acknowledgment
Vixen Highway 2006: It Came from Uranus!
2010
special thanks
Taste of Flesh
2008
Video special thanks
Death Proof
2007
special thanks
36 pasos
2006
spiritual support
Faster Pussycat Fuck! Fuck!
2005
Video special thanks to - as The Late Russ Meyer
Pervert!
2005
dedicatee
Liebe ist Geschmackssache
1997
Short thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls: Cast and Crew Q&A
2016
Documentary
Himself
Pandora Peaks
2001
Video documentary
Himself / Narrator
Comme au cinéma
2001
TV Series documentary
Himself (Interview)
Shooting War
2000
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Playboy: The Story of X
1998
Video documentary
Himself - Producer and Director
Playboy: Voluptuous Vixens II
1998
Video documentary
Himself
Playboy: Voluptuous Vixens
1997
Video documentary
Himself
Reel Wild Cinema
1996-1997
TV Series
Himself
Les deniers du culte
1997
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The Late Jonathan Ross
1996
TV Series
Himself
Hollywood Women
1993
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993
TV Series
Himself
Eurotrash
1993
TV Series documentary
Himself
The Incredibly Strange Film Show
1988
TV Series documentary
Himself
Sinister Image
1987
TV Series
Himself
Personenbeschreibung
1983
TV Series documentary
Himself
That's Sexploitation
1973
Documentary
Himself
The Merv Griffin Show
1971
TV Series
Himself
The Virginia Graham Show
1970
TV Series
Himself
Skyscrapers and Brassieres
1966
Short
Himself (uncredited)
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Welcome to the Basement
2015
TV Series
Himself
The 77th Annual Academy Awards
2005
TV Special
Memorial Tribute
Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies
2001
Documentary
Himself
Cult People
1989
Video documentary
Himself
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1979
Stinker Award
The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards
Worst Sense of Direction (Stop them before they direct again!)
$4 Million
