Erica Gavin
Encyclopedia
Erica Gavin, is an American
film actress best known for playing the title role in Russ Meyer
's 1968 film Vixen!
. While waiting in a dentist's office she saw an advertisement in Variety
for girls to audition for the new Russ Meyer movie. She auditioned and won the role which launched her to B movie
stardom.
. She also appeared in Roger Corman
's women-in-prison film Caged Heat
.
, where she works as a stylist and occasionally makes appearances at movie memorabilia conventions. She has said in an interview that she is bisexual
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film actress best known for playing the title role in Russ Meyer
Russ Meyer
Russell Albion "Russ" Meyer was a U.S. motion picture director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, actor and photographer....
's 1968 film Vixen!
Vixen!
Vixen! is a 1968 satiric softcore sexploitation film directed by American motion picture director Russ Meyer. It was the first film to be given an X rating for its sex scenes, and was a breakthrough success for Meyer...
Early years
At age 19, Erica Gavin worked as a topless dancer in Hollywood alongside two other future Russ Meyer stars, Haji and Tura SatanaTura Satana
Tura Satana was an American actress and former exotic dancer. She was best known for her role as "Varla" in Russ Meyer's 1965 cult film, Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!.-Early life:...
. While waiting in a dentist's office she saw an advertisement in Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
for girls to audition for the new Russ Meyer movie. She auditioned and won the role which launched her to B movie
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
stardom.
Career
Following Vixen, Erica Gavin appeared in one more Russ Meyer film - Beyond the Valley of the DollsBeyond the Valley of the Dolls
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is a 1970 American schlock melodrama film starring Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers, Marcia McBroom, John LaZar, Michael Blodgett and David Gurian...
. She also appeared in Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
's women-in-prison film Caged Heat
Caged Heat
Caged Heat is an exploitation film from 1974 of the "women-in-prison" film genre. Caged Heat was written and directed by Jonathan Demme for the New World Pictures company, headed by Roger Corman...
.
Personal life
Erica Gavin currently resides in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, where she works as a stylist and occasionally makes appearances at movie memorabilia conventions. She has said in an interview that she is bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
.
Filmography
- Initiation (1968), Jan
- Vixen!Vixen!Vixen! is a 1968 satiric softcore sexploitation film directed by American motion picture director Russ Meyer. It was the first film to be given an X rating for its sex scenes, and was a breakthrough success for Meyer...
(1968), Vixen Palmer - Beyond the Valley of the DollsBeyond the Valley of the DollsBeyond the Valley of the Dolls is a 1970 American schlock melodrama film starring Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers, Marcia McBroom, John LaZar, Michael Blodgett and David Gurian...
(1970), Roxanne - Erika's Hot Summer (1971), Erika
- Godmonster of Indian Flats (1973), Girl at bar
- Caged HeatCaged HeatCaged Heat is an exploitation film from 1974 of the "women-in-prison" film genre. Caged Heat was written and directed by Jonathan Demme for the New World Pictures company, headed by Roger Corman...
(1974), Jacqueline Wilson - 3 Stories About Evil3 Stories About Evil3 Stories About Evil is a 2008 short, experimental narrative film directed by Michael Frost and photographed by Andrew K. Sachs. It was written by Walter Reuben and stars Mink Stole, Erica Gavin, Joe Dallesandro, and Billy Drago.-Premise:...
(2008), Mrs. Harris