Friday, March 6, 2009

Cleaving Angora



Queen of Angora


It isn’t easy—being Queen for a Day
Just ask Dolores Fuller—or Jack Bailey
Get out that “applause meter”—pronto
Queens for a Day—they’re dime a dozen

I ran away from home—for my boyfriend
He was butch & handsome—in construction
But awfully jealous—afraid of losing me
Voluptuous me—always chaperoned

His mother lived—in San Dimas
A Los Angels suburb—I got tickets and
Talked her into—going with me to see
Queen for Day—a fabulous TV show

It was my ultimate—guilty pleasure
To see all the women—tell their tacky
Sob stories—to watch the audience
Vote for the best—hard luck story

Jack Bailey—was the perfect host
Giving down and out—housewives
What they desired—and needed
Like me—and gave me a TV job

I worked my way up—Red Skelton
The Dinah Shore Show—even the
Oscar winning—Mesa of Lost Women
Plus—Beast from 20,000 Fathoms!!!

Me & my girlfriend—Mona McKinnon
Starred in—Plan 9 From Outer Space
And Jailbait—in Mesa of Lost Women
We wore—long metal fingernails…

The maddening—guitar/piano scores
For both Jailbait—and Mesa were free
Soundman Charlie Clemmons—used
Them—they were public domain.

Cat Women of the Moon—scandalous
But not as bad as—Body Beautiful
I had lots of Cleavage—back then
Kept the wardrobe guy—awfully busy.

Fritz Lang’s—The Blue Gardenia
One of my favorites—Anne Baxter
And Richard Conte—Nat King Cole
Future Superman—George Reeves

Fred MacMurray—gave me advice
In the western—The Moonlighter with
Barbara Stanwyck—telling me don’t
Telegraph—too much with my eyes…

Eddie Wood’s—beautiful green eyes
Couldn’t believe—he was a Hollywood
Writer, Producer, Director—all in one
“I’m gonna make you a star!” he said.

Glen or Glenda—his coming-out flick
Bela and I—were both Hungarian
I fixed him goulash—we loved Eddie
No matter what—even in drag!!!

Being transvestite—wasn’t easy
Especially back then—it was lots
More than just—angora sweaters
Overcoming—the McCarthy Era!!!

Bride of the Monster—made bucks
But Sam Arkoff—glommed onto it
American International—got born
Eddie launched—Arkoff’s career

Later when—Eddie’s drinking
Went on the upswing—I got into
Writing Elvis Presley—songs in
The Sixties—as Dee Fuller

I sold—a million copies
My song—“Rock-A-Hula Baby”
On the flip-side of Blue Hawaii’s
“I Can’t Help—Falling in Love.”

During my long—music career
I kept up some—low-key acting
Doing some—lounge shows for
The casinos—in Las Vegas

Eddie died—without finishing
His life work—the dreams he
Carried were—hardly begun
Songs in his heart—unsung…



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