Dolores Fuller
Encyclopedia
Dolores Agnes Fuller was an American actress and songwriter
best known as the one-time girlfriend of the low-budget film director Edward D. Wood, Jr. She played the protagonist's girlfriend in Glen or Glenda, co-starred in Wood's Jail Bait, and had a minor role in Bride of the Monster
. Later, Elvis Presley
recorded a number of her songs written for his films.
’s It Happened One Night
.
According to Fuller, the female lead in Bride of the Monster
was written for her but Wood gave it to Loretta King
instead. King denied the allegation.
In August 1954, Fuller was cast in Wood's The Vampire's Tomb, intended to star Bela Lugosi
. Frank Yaconelli was named as her co-star and 'comic killer'. The film was never made. She ended up making a cameo appearance in Bride of the Monster (1956), also with Lugosi. Fuller hosted a benefit for Lugosi which preceded the showing of Bride of the Atom (early working title of Bride of the Monster) on May 11, 1955. A cocktail party was held at the Gardens Restaurant at 4311 Magnolia Avenue in Burbank
, California
. Vampira
attended and was escorted by Paul Marco
. A single screening of the film was presented at the Hollywood Paramount.
According to Fuller, as quoted in Wood biography Nightmare of Ecstasy (1992), she first met Ed Wood when she attended a casting call with a friend for a movie he was supposed to direct called Behind Locked Doors
: it has also been stated that they met in a restaurant. She became his girlfriend shortly thereafter and began acting in his films.
Her movie career included a bit part in It Happened One Night
(1934) and roles in Outlaw Women (1952), Glen or Glenda (1953), Body Beautiful (1953), The Blue Gardenia (1953), Count the Hours
(1953), Mesa of Lost Women
(1953), College Capers (1954), Jail Bait (1954), The Raid (1954), This Is My Love (1954), The Opposite Sex
(1956), The Ironbound Vampire (1997), and Dimensions in Fear (1998).
and The Dinah Shore Show
. As Fuller remembered, she was the one "putting bread on the table." Another quote from her: "I had a size four and a half foot, so I modeled the slippers in an artist's short smock."
She lost her job on The Dinah Shore Show when, as she said, "We were shooting all night, and into the next day, and time just got away from me, and I didn't realize that I was supposed to be on the set working as Dinah's double on her show, Chevy Theatre. I completely messed up my job, I was what they called a no show."
Fuller's ability as a songwriter manifested itself through the intervention of her friend, producer Hal Wallis
; Fuller had wanted to get an acting role in the Elvis Presley movie Blue Hawaii
, which Wallis was producing, but instead he put her in touch with Hill & Range
, the publisher that provided Presley with songs. Fuller went into a collaborative partnership with composer Ben Weisman
and co-wrote one song, "Rock-A-Hula Baby
", for the film. It was a beginning that eventually led to Elvis Presley recording a dozen of her songs, including "I Got Lucky" and "Spinout". Fuller also had her music recorded by Nat 'King' Cole, Peggy Lee
, and other leading talents of the time.
Dolores Fuller's autobiography, A Fuller Life: Hollywood, Ed Wood and Me, co-authored by Winnipeg writer Stone Wallace and her husband Philip Chamberlin, was published in 2008.
in Tim Burton
's 1994 Wood biopic Ed Wood, a portrayal of which she disapproved due to the image of her smoking in the film. Fuller says she never smoked. She also complained that she was only portrayed as "sort of as an actress" and did not feel she was given credit for her other accomplishments and contributions towards Wood's career. However, she stated that she liked the film overall, praising Johnny Depp
's performance in the title role.
According to Allmusic, other songs co-written by her include I'll Touch a Star by Terry Stafford
, Lost Summer Love by Shelley Fabares
and Someone to Tell It To by Nat King Cole
.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
best known as the one-time girlfriend of the low-budget film director Edward D. Wood, Jr. She played the protagonist's girlfriend in Glen or Glenda, co-starred in Wood's Jail Bait, and had a minor role in Bride of the Monster
Bride of the Monster
Bride of the Monster is a 1955 sci-fi horror film starring Bela Lugosi, along with Tor Johnson, Tony McCoy and Loretta King Hadler. It was produced, directed and co-written by Edward D. Wood, Jr....
. Later, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
recorded a number of her songs written for his films.
Film career
Her first screen appearance was at the age of 10, when she appeared briefly in Frank CapraFrank Capra
Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...
’s It Happened One Night
It Happened One Night
It Happened One Night is a 1934 American romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy directed by Frank Capra, in which a pampered socialite tries to get out from under her father's thumb, and falls in love with a roguish reporter . The plot was based on the story Night Bus by Samuel...
.
According to Fuller, the female lead in Bride of the Monster
Bride of the Monster
Bride of the Monster is a 1955 sci-fi horror film starring Bela Lugosi, along with Tor Johnson, Tony McCoy and Loretta King Hadler. It was produced, directed and co-written by Edward D. Wood, Jr....
was written for her but Wood gave it to Loretta King
Loretta King Hadler
Loretta King Hadler was an American actress, best known for the brevity of her career and her relationship with director Ed Wood.-Career:...
instead. King denied the allegation.
In August 1954, Fuller was cast in Wood's The Vampire's Tomb, intended to star Bela Lugosi
Béla Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
. Frank Yaconelli was named as her co-star and 'comic killer'. The film was never made. She ended up making a cameo appearance in Bride of the Monster (1956), also with Lugosi. Fuller hosted a benefit for Lugosi which preceded the showing of Bride of the Atom (early working title of Bride of the Monster) on May 11, 1955. A cocktail party was held at the Gardens Restaurant at 4311 Magnolia Avenue in Burbank
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Vampira
Maila Nurmi
Maila Nurmi was a Finnish-American actress who created the campy 1950s characterVampira. She portrayed Vampira as TV's first horror host and in the Ed Wood cult film Plan 9 from Outer Space...
attended and was escorted by Paul Marco
Paul Marco
Paul Marco was an American actor who often appeared in movies made by Ed Wood, including the "Kelton Trilogy" of Bride of the Monster, Night of the Ghouls and Plan 9 from Outer Space, in which he played a bumbling, fearful policeman named Kelton.-Career:Born in Los Angeles, Marco started taking...
. A single screening of the film was presented at the Hollywood Paramount.
According to Fuller, as quoted in Wood biography Nightmare of Ecstasy (1992), she first met Ed Wood when she attended a casting call with a friend for a movie he was supposed to direct called Behind Locked Doors
Behind Locked Doors
Behind Locked Doors is a 1948 black-and-white B-movie starring Lucille Bremer. The movie, directed by Budd Boetticher, runs a scant 63 minutes. The film also stars Richard Carlson and features Tor Johnson as 'The Champ'.-Plot:...
: it has also been stated that they met in a restaurant. She became his girlfriend shortly thereafter and began acting in his films.
Her movie career included a bit part in It Happened One Night
It Happened One Night
It Happened One Night is a 1934 American romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy directed by Frank Capra, in which a pampered socialite tries to get out from under her father's thumb, and falls in love with a roguish reporter . The plot was based on the story Night Bus by Samuel...
(1934) and roles in Outlaw Women (1952), Glen or Glenda (1953), Body Beautiful (1953), The Blue Gardenia (1953), Count the Hours
Count the Hours
-Cast:*Macdonald Carey as Doug Madison* Teresa Wright as Ellen Braden*John Craven as George Braden*Jack Elam as Max Vern*Edgar Barrier as D.A Jim Gillespie...
(1953), Mesa of Lost Women
Mesa of Lost Women
Mesa of Lost Women is a 1953 black-and-white science fiction film. It is available on DVD, with a theatrical trailer. Wade Williams describes it on the DVD case as a "must-see for fans of the bizarre and unexplainable"...
(1953), College Capers (1954), Jail Bait (1954), The Raid (1954), This Is My Love (1954), The Opposite Sex
The Opposite Sex
The Opposite Sex is a 1956 musical film.It is a remake of the 1939 classic comedy The Women. Both films are based on Claire Boothe Luce's original play...
(1956), The Ironbound Vampire (1997), and Dimensions in Fear (1998).
Television performer and songwriter
Fuller had already had earlier experience on television in Queen for a DayQueen for a Day
Queen for a Day is an American radio and television game show that helped to usher in American listeners' and viewers' fascination with big-prize giveaway shows. Queen for a Day originated on the Mutual Radio Network on April 30, 1945 in New York City before moving to Los Angeles a few months...
and The Dinah Shore Show
The Dinah Shore Show
The Dinah Shore Show is an American variety show which was broadcast by NBC from November 1951 to January 1956, sponsored by General Motors' Chevrolet division...
. As Fuller remembered, she was the one "putting bread on the table." Another quote from her: "I had a size four and a half foot, so I modeled the slippers in an artist's short smock."
She lost her job on The Dinah Shore Show when, as she said, "We were shooting all night, and into the next day, and time just got away from me, and I didn't realize that I was supposed to be on the set working as Dinah's double on her show, Chevy Theatre. I completely messed up my job, I was what they called a no show."
Fuller's ability as a songwriter manifested itself through the intervention of her friend, producer Hal Wallis
Hal B. Wallis
Hal B. Wallis was an American film producer.-Career:Harold Brent Wallis was born in Chicago in 1898. His family moved in 1922 to Los Angeles, California, where he found work as part of the publicity department at Warner Bros...
; Fuller had wanted to get an acting role in the Elvis Presley movie Blue Hawaii
Blue Hawaii
Blue Hawaii is a 1961 musical film set in the state of Hawaii and starring Elvis Presley. The screenplay by Hal Kanter was nominated by the Writers Guild of America in 1962 in the category of Best Written American Musical. The movie opened at no...
, which Wallis was producing, but instead he put her in touch with Hill & Range
Hill & Range
Hill & Range is a music publishing company which was particularly responsible for much of the country music produced in the 1950s and 1960s, and had control over the material recorded by Elvis Presley over that period....
, the publisher that provided Presley with songs. Fuller went into a collaborative partnership with composer Ben Weisman
Ben Weisman
Ben Weisman was an eccentric American composer significant for having written more songs recorded by Elvis Presley than any other songwriter in history. The "Mad Professor" as Weisman was nicknamed by Elvis, worked with the King from 1956 to 1971...
and co-wrote one song, "Rock-A-Hula Baby
Rock-A-Hula Baby
"Rock-A-Hula Baby" is a song performed by Elvis Presley for the 1961 movie Blue Hawaii. Written by Ben Weisman, Fred Wise, Dolores Fuller, it is a genre mix of Hawaiian folk and rock n' roll. It was Dolores' first published song, and she would eventually co-write a dozen songs for Elvis Presley...
", for the film. It was a beginning that eventually led to Elvis Presley recording a dozen of her songs, including "I Got Lucky" and "Spinout". Fuller also had her music recorded by Nat 'King' Cole, Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
, and other leading talents of the time.
Private life
Grey quotes Fuller as saying of the period before her success, "He (Ed Wood) begged me to marry him. I loved him in a way, but I couldn't handle the transvestism. I'm a very normal person. It's hard for me to deviate! I wanted a man that was all man. After we broke up, he would stand outside my home in Burbank and cry. "Let me in, I love you!" What good would I have done if I had married him? We would have starved together. I bettered myself. I had to uplift myself." She has also been quoted as saying that "His dressing up didn’t bother me — we all have our little queer habits" and giving Wood's drinking as the reason for their breakup.Dolores Fuller's autobiography, A Fuller Life: Hollywood, Ed Wood and Me, co-authored by Winnipeg writer Stone Wallace and her husband Philip Chamberlin, was published in 2008.
Trivia
Fuller was portrayed by Sarah Jessica ParkerSarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker is an American film, television, and theater actress and producer.She is best known for her leading role as Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City , for which she won four Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Emmy Awards...
in Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
's 1994 Wood biopic Ed Wood, a portrayal of which she disapproved due to the image of her smoking in the film. Fuller says she never smoked. She also complained that she was only portrayed as "sort of as an actress" and did not feel she was given credit for her other accomplishments and contributions towards Wood's career. However, she stated that she liked the film overall, praising Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
's performance in the title role.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1934 | It Happened One Night It Happened One Night It Happened One Night is a 1934 American romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy directed by Frank Capra, in which a pampered socialite tries to get out from under her father's thumb, and falls in love with a roguish reporter . The plot was based on the story Night Bus by Samuel... |
Minor role | Uncredited |
| 1952 | Outlaw Women | One of Uncle Barney's Girls | Uncredited Alternative title: Boot Hill Mamas |
| 1953 | Glen or Glenda | Barbara | |
| Girls in the Night | Beauty Contestant for Miss Third Avenue | Alternative title: Life After Dark | |
| The Blue Gardenia | Woman at bar | Uncredited | |
| Count the Hours | Reporter | Uncredited Alternative title: Every Minute Counts |
|
| Mesa of Lost Women Mesa of Lost Women Mesa of Lost Women is a 1953 black-and-white science fiction film. It is available on DVD, with a theatrical trailer. Wade Williams describes it on the DVD case as a "must-see for fans of the bizarre and unexplainable"... |
Blonde "Watcher in the Woods" | Alternative title: Lost Women | |
| The Body Beautiful | June | Credited as Sherry Caine | |
| The Moonlighter | Miss Buckwalter | Uncredited | |
| 1954 | Jail Bait | Marilyn Gregor | Alternative title: Hidden Face |
| Playgirl | Girl | Uncredited | |
| The Raid The Raid The Raid is a Technicolor 1954 American film set during the American Civil War. It stars Van Heflin, Anne Bancroft, Richard Boone and Lee Marvin. In 1864 a group of Confederate prisoners held in a Union prison stockade at Plattsburg, New York, not many miles from the Canadian border, escape. They... |
|||
| This Is My Love | |||
| 1955 | Bride of the Monster Bride of the Monster Bride of the Monster is a 1955 sci-fi horror film starring Bela Lugosi, along with Tor Johnson, Tony McCoy and Loretta King Hadler. It was produced, directed and co-written by Edward D. Wood, Jr.... |
Margie | cameo Cameo appearance A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television... Alternative title: Bride of the Atom |
| 1956 | The Opposite Sex The Opposite Sex The Opposite Sex is a 1956 musical film.It is a remake of the 1939 classic comedy The Women. Both films are based on Claire Boothe Luce's original play... |
Bit Role | Uncredited |
| 1997 | The Ironbound Vampire | Theresa Powell | Direct-to-video release |
| 1998 | Dimensions in Fear | TV Station Owner | Alternative titles: City in Terror Dimension in Fear |
| 2000 | The Corpse Grinders 2 | Patricia Grant | Direct-to-video release |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1955 | The Great Gildersleeve | Miss Carroll | 1 episode |
| It's a Great Life | Girl | ||
| 1956 | Adventures of Superman Adventures of Superman (TV series) Adventures of Superman is an American television series based on comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The show is the first television series to feature Superman and began filming in 1951 in California... |
Lorraine | |
Discography
Songs recorded by Elvis Presley with lyrics by Dolores Fuller:- "Barefoot Ballad" (from the film Kissin' CousinsKissin' CousinsKissin' Cousins is a 1964 musical film comedy starring Elvis Presley in two roles, one as an American soldier, the other a hillbilly. The screenplay was nominated in the category of best written American musical by the Writers Guild of America...
, 1964) - "Beyond the Bend" (from the film It Happened at the World's FairIt Happened at the World's FairIt Happened at the World's Fair is a 1963 musical film starring Elvis Presley as a cropdusting pilot.The motion picture was filmed in Seattle, Washington, site of the Century 21 Exposition, the 1962 World's Fair. The governor of Washington at the time, Albert Rosellini, suggested the setting to...
, 1963) - "Big Love, Big Heartache" (from the film RoustaboutRoustaboutA roustabout is a labourer typically performing temporary, unskilled work. The term has traditionally been used to refer to traveling-circus workers, natural gas, or oil rig workers....
, 1964) - "Cindy, Cindy" (Love Letters from ElvisLove Letters from ElvisLove Letters from Elvis is a 1971 studio album by Elvis Presley.The album was made up mostly of leftovers from Elvis' marathon June 1970 recording sessions in Nashville. Most of the other 35 songs recorded during those sessions had been used in Elvis' 1970 albums That's the Way It Is and Elvis...
, 1971 studio album) - "Do the ClamDo the Clam"Do the Clam" is a pop song, written by Dolores Fuller, Sid Wayne, and Ben Weisman. It was recorded by Elvis Presley for his 1965 feature film, Girl Happy. In some parts of the world, it was released as a single, reaching no.21 on Billboard in the United States. It was very successful in Australia,...
" (from the film Girl HappyGirl HappyGirl Happy is a 1965 American musical romantic comedy in the beach party film and spring break style, starring Elvis Presley.This was the last mega-successful Elvis Presley film at the box office, finishing at #25 on the Variety year-end top-grossing films of 1965 chart and making $3 million,...
, 1965) - "Have A Happy" (from the film Change of HabitChange of HabitChange of Habit is a 1969 musical drama film starring Elvis Presley and Mary Tyler Moore. It was Presley's 31st and final film acting role; his remaining two film appearances were concert documentaries. It was also Moore's fourth and final film under her brief Universal Pictures contract; she...
, 1969) - "I Got Lucky" (from the film Kid GalahadKid GalahadKid Galahad is a 1962 musical film starring Elvis Presley as a boxer. The film was released by United Artists. The film opened at #9 at the box office when released in the United States in August 1962...
, 1962) - "I'll Take Love" (from the film Easy Come, Easy Go, 1967)
- "Rock-a-Hula, Baby" (from the film Blue HawaiiBlue HawaiiBlue Hawaii is a 1961 musical film set in the state of Hawaii and starring Elvis Presley. The screenplay by Hal Kanter was nominated by the Writers Guild of America in 1962 in the category of Best Written American Musical. The movie opened at no...
, 1961) - "Spinout" (from the film SpinoutSpinoutSpinout is a 1966 musical film and comedy starring Elvis Presley as the lead singer of a band and part-time race car driver. The movie was #57 on the year end list of the top-grossing films of 1966.-Plot:...
, 1966) - "Steppin' Out of Line" (unused track from the Blue Hawaii sessions, first released on 1962 album Pot LuckPot Luck (album)Pot Luck with Elvis is the fifteenth album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2523, in June 1962. Recording sessions took place on March 22, 1961, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, and on June 25 and October 15, 1961, and March 18 and March 19, 1962, at RCA Studio B...
) - "You Can't Say No In Acapulco" (from the film Fun in AcapulcoFun in AcapulcoFun in Acapulco is a 1963 American musical comedy film starring Elvis Presley and Ursula Andress. While some exterior scenes were shot in Acapulco, Mexico, Elvis's scenes were shot in Hollywood. He never went to Acapulco. The movie featured the Top 10 Billboard hit "Bossa Nova Baby". The film...
, 1963)
According to Allmusic, other songs co-written by her include I'll Touch a Star by Terry Stafford
Terry Stafford
Terry LaVerne Stafford was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his 1964 U.S. Top 10 hit, "Suspicion", and the 1973 country music hit, "Amarillo by Morning".-Biography:...
, Lost Summer Love by Shelley Fabares
Shelley Fabares
Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares is an American actress and singer. Fabares is known for her roles as Donna Reed's oldest child, Mary Stone, on The Donna Reed Show , and as Craig T. Nelson's love interest and eventual wife, Christine Armstrong Fox, on the sitcom Coach. She also was Elvis...
and Someone to Tell It To by Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
.