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Dolores Fuller | |
|---|---|
.png) Fuller inJail Bait (1954) | |
| Born | Dolores Agnes Eble March 10, 1923 |
| Died | May 9, 2011(2011-05-09) (aged 88) |
| Resting place | Palm Memorial Park, Las Vegas, NV |
| Other names | Sherry Caine |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1934, 1952–2000 |
| Spouse(s) | ; 2 children |
Dolores Agnes Fuller (néeEble, laterChamberlin; March 10, 1923 – May 9, 2011[2]) was an American actress and songwriter known as the one-time girlfriend of the low-budget film directorEd Wood. She played the protagonist's girlfriend inGlen or Glenda, co-starred in Wood'sJail Bait, and had a minor role in hisBride of the Monster. After she broke up with Wood in 1955, she relocated to New York and had a very successful career there as a songwriter.Elvis Presley recorded a number of her songs written for his films.
Her first screen appearance was at the age of 10, when she appeared briefly inFrank Capra'sIt Happened One Night. According to Fuller,[3] the female lead inBride of the Monster was written for her but Wood gave it toLoretta King instead.
In August 1954, Fuller was cast in Wood'sThe Vampire's Tomb, intended to starBela Lugosi.Frank Yaconelli was named as her co-star and 'comic killer'. The film was never made. She ended up making an appearance inBride of the Monster (1956), also with Lugosi.[4] Fuller hosted a benefit for Lugosi which preceded the showing ofBride of the Atom (early working title ofBride of the Monster) on May 11, 1955. A cocktail party was held at the Gardens Restaurant at 4311 Magnolia Avenue inBurbank, California.Vampira attended and was escorted byPaul Marco. A single screening of the film was presented at the Hollywood Paramount.[5]
According to Fuller, as quoted in Wood biographyNightmare 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 calledBehind Locked Doors (which he did not go on to direct); it has also been stated that they met in a restaurant.[6]
She became his girlfriend shortly thereafter and began acting in his films. Her movie career included a bit part inIt Happened One Night (1934) and roles inOutlaw 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), and many years later appearances inThe Ironbound Vampire (1997) andDimensions in Fear (1998).
Fuller had already had earlier experience on television inQueen for a Day andThe Dinah Shore Show.
She also appeared on an episode ofIt's a Great Life as "the blonde in the mink coat."
Fuller's ability as a songwriter manifested itself through the intervention of her friend, producerHal Wallis; Fuller had wanted to get an acting role in the Elvis Presley movieBlue Hawaii, which Wallis was producing, but instead he put her in touch withHill & Range, the publisher that provided Presley with songs. Fuller went into a collaborative partnership with composerBen Weisman and co-wrote one song, "Rock-A-Hula Baby", for the film. Over time, this led to Presley recording a dozen of her songs, including "I Got Lucky" and "Spinout", primarily for his film soundtracks, though he also recorded "Cindy, Cindy" for his 1971 albumLove Letters From Elvis. Fuller's music was also recorded byNat 'King' Cole,Peggy Lee, and other leading talents of the time.[7] Toward the end of her life, Dolores helped edit and score a short western filmEd Wood had begun, but never completed, in the 1940s calledCrossroads of Laredo[8]
Dolores married Donald Fuller in 1941, with whom she had two children. At the time she metEd Wood, she was in the process of divorcing her husband (they finally divorced in 1955). She and Wood shared an apartment together for several years. Wood biographer Rudolph 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.[9]
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.[6]
Dolores remarried in 1988 at age 65, to Philip Chamberlin, and they remained married until her death in 2011. Fuller's autobiography,A Fuller Life: Hollywood, Ed Wood and Me, co-authored by Stone Wallace and Philip Chamberlin, was published in 2008.[6]
Fuller was portrayed bySarah Jessica Parker inTim Burton's 1994 Wood biographical filmEd Wood, a portrayal of which she disapproved due to the fact that she was depicted smoking in the film, while Fuller said she herself was a lifelong non-smoker.[10] 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.[11] However, she stated that she liked the film overall, praisingJohnny Depp's performance in the title role.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | It Happened One Night | 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 | 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 | |||
| This Is My Love | |||
| 1955 | Bride of the Monster | Margie | cameo Alternative title:Bride of the Atom |
| 1956 | The Opposite Sex | 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 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | The Great Gildersleeve | Miss Carroll | 1 episode |
| It's a Great Life | Girl | ||
| 1956 | Adventures of Superman | Lorraine |
Songs recorded by Elvis Presley with lyrics by Dolores Fuller:
According toAllMusic, other songs co-written by her include "I'll Touch a Star" byTerry Stafford, "Lost Summer Love" byShelley Fabares and "Someone to Tell It To" byNat King Cole.[12]
