Jackie Curtis

Jackie Curtis
Born John Curtis Holder, Jr.
(1947-02-19)February 19, 1947
New York City
Died May 15, 1985(1985-05-15) (aged 38)
New York City
Cause of death Heroin overdose
Resting place Rose Hills Memorial Park, Putnam Valley, New York
Occupation Actress, writer, singer, Warhol Superstar

Jackie Curtis (February 19, 1947 – May 15, 1985) was an American actress, writer, singer and Warhol Superstar.

Early life and career

Jackie Curtis was born John Curtis Holder, Jr. in New York City to John Holder, Sr. and Jenevive Uglialoro. Her parents divorced and she had one sibling, half-brother Timothy Holder, who is an openly gay hip-hop priest.[1][2] Her maternal grandmother, who she was mostly raised by, was Ann Uglialoro, known by her nickname Slugger Ann. Jackie performed as both a man and a woman throughout her career. While performing in drag, Curtis would typically wear lipstick, glitter, bright red hair, and ripped dresses and stockings. Curtis pioneered this style, a combination of trash and glamour which has prompted assertions that Curtis inspired the "glitter rock" or "glam rock" movement of the 1970s.

"Jackie Curtis is not a drag queen. Jackie is an artist. A pioneer without a frontier", Andy Warhol said of his associate. Primarily a stage actress, Curtis debuted at the age of 17 in Tom Eyen's play Miss Neferititi Regrets. Curtis began to write her own plays immediately after this experience, often featuring famous transsexuals, such as Candy Darling and, later, Holly Woodlawn, both of whom appeared in her productions, which enjoyed successful runs at La MaMa and were well-reviewed. Curtis' work was inspired, in part, by the Playhouse of the Ridiculous. As writer and lead actress, her plays include Glamour, Glory and Gold, which also starred Candy Darling, Melba LaRose, Jr. and Robert De Niro in his first appearance on stage, playing several roles; Vain Victory, Amerika Cleopatra featuring Harvey Fierstein; Femme Fatale, with Patti Smith, Jayne County and Penny Arcade; and Heaven Grand in Amber Orbit with Holly Woodlawn.

Andy Warhol and his director Paul Morrissey cast Curtis and Candy Darling in Flesh (1968) and, with the addition of Holly Woodlawn, in Women in Revolt (1971), a comedic spoof of the women's liberation movement.

Curtis was also a singer and poet. In 1974 Curtis and Woodlawn appeared in the critically acclaimed Cabaret in the Sky at the New York Cultural Center. A CD of songs by Paul Serrato from the Curtis musicals Lucky Wonderful and Vain Victory, including the love ballad "Who Are You", which Curtis sang to Candy Darling, was released in 2004. Curtis' poem "B-Girls", much of which is based on her observations of people who visited her grandmother's bar, Slugger Ann's, led to Curtis' inclusion in the 1979 book The Poets' Encyclopedia. It was the longest poem in the book, spanning a total of eight pages.

Death

Jackie Curtis made two more movies during the 1980s. Drug addiction, however, had taken control of her life, eventually leading to her death by heroin overdose at the age of 38.[3]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1968 Flesh Jackie
1971 W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism Herself
1971 Women in Revolt Jackie
1971 An American Family Herself 1 episode
1973 The Corner Bar Herself 1 episode
1980 Underground U.S.A. Roommate
1983 Burroughs: the Movie Nurse
2002 The Cockettes Herself Archive footage
2004 Superstar in a Housedress Herself Archive footage
2010 Beautiful Darling Herself Archive footage

Plays

References

  1. ↑ Interviews in Superstar in a Housedress accessed 4/4/2015
  2. ↑ About Timothy Holder accessed 4/4/2015
  3. ↑ Holden, Stephen (May 5, 2004). "FILM REVIEW; Always the Lady, Even When He Needed a Shave". The New York Times. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
  4. ↑ Hann, Michael. "Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side: what became of Candy, Little Joe and co?". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  5. ↑ County, Jayne (1995). Man Enough To Be A Woman. Serpent's Tail. p. 51. ISBN 1-85242-338-2.
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