Episode 402 - Lupe Velez Part 3

Rachel Fisher (0:00)

Hello, welcome to Hollywood Crime Scene. This is Rachel Fisher.

Desi Jedeikin (0:03)

This is Desi Jedeikin.

Rachel Fisher (0:04)

Desi? We are back with part three of Lupe Velez.

This is the final installment in this series.

Desi Jedeikin (0:12)

Finally, we're here.

Rachel Fisher (0:13)

We're here. As last time, my main source for this episode is the book Strictly Dynamite, The Sensational Life of Lupe Velez by Eve Golden. I also read some newspaper articles from the past.

Should we get started? There's a lot to get to. Okay. Where did we leave off last time?

Desi Jedeikin (0:38)

I don't know.

Rachel Fisher (0:38)

I'm looking.

I wrote it down. Well, where we last left off, Lupe's tumultuous relationship to Johnny Weissmuller is being regularly covered in the press. They love it. She's getting more press for her relationship than her movies.

Desi Jedeikin (0:56)

Right.

Rachel Fisher (0:56)

Also, there are speculations that he's hitting her.

Desi Jedeikin (1:00)

Yes.

Rachel Fisher (1:01)

In 1937, the LA Times announced that Lupe and Johnny were separating again. They were also always, there was always news about them separating or planning to divorce.

Desi Jedeikin (1:14)

Yeah.

Rachel Fisher (1:14)

And then they would just get back together.

Desi Jedeikin (1:16)

Real on and off.

Rachel Fisher (1:17)

Real on and off again. They, of course, would get back together a week later.

Desi Jedeikin (1:22)

Yeah.

Rachel Fisher (1:23)

Meanwhile, the films that Lupe is being cast in, aren't very good. We talked about this last week.

They didn't really know where to put her.

Desi Jedeikin (1:31)

Yes.

Rachel Fisher (1:33)

That same year, she was cast in a Mexican film called La Zandunga. The film shot in Mexico City. Despite the fact that five years earlier, Lupe's film, The Broken Wing, had upset Mexico City's government with its unflattering portrayal of Mexico, this time Lupe was greeted by thousands of adoring fans when she returned to her home country.

Now, this film did really well in Mexico, and it also did well amongst Spanish-speaking audiences in the States.

Desi Jedeikin (2:02)

Okay.

Rachel Fisher (2:04)

In 1938, Lupe was cast in Cole Porter's new show, You Never Know.

Desi Jedeikin (2:10)

You never know.

Rachel Fisher (2:12)

I've never heard of this one before. I got to tell you, it was not a very popular show.

Desi Jedeikin (2:18)

I mean, if we haven't heard of it, probably.

Rachel Fisher (2:22)

And that kind of sucks because you're thinking, oh my God, I'm cast in a Cole Porter show.

Desi Jedeikin (2:28)

You're like, oh, not the one he wrote when he was real drunk. And this is the one.

Rachel Fisher (2:33)

Lupe starred alongside Clifton Webb and Libby Holman.

This show would premiere on Broadway on September 21st, 1938 at the Winter Garden Theater. Du du du du du du du du du du du du du du.

Desi Jedeikin (2:49)

Cats. That's been around for a while.

Rachel Fisher (2:52)

I was gagged when I saw that.

Desi Jedeikin (2:54)

The Winter Garden Theater, I honestly would not have thought.

Rachel Fisher (2:57)

I just feel like the Winter Garden Theater in my mind, it just materialized in the 1980s when Cats came out.

Desi Jedeikin (3:04)

Yeah, I agree.

Rachel Fisher (3:06)

Even though I know logically that's not the case. And I only know-

Desi Jedeikin (3:09)

That's really what put it on the map.

Rachel Fisher (3:11)

I didn't even grow up in New York. I only know about the Winter Garden Theater and those commercials from you and Brendan.

Desi Jedeikin (3:18)

Well, that's because we had to see them 800 times a day growing up. And they're burned in our brains with other local commercials in New York. Yeah. It's kind of crazy, the local commercials.

Rachel Fisher (3:31)

You guys had elite local commercials.

Desi Jedeikin (3:34)

Yeah, they're pretty good. You know why? Because I think the Cats stuff got parodied on SNL at some point.

Because it was like someone was hypnotized. I feel like John Lovitz was like a hypnotist character. And so people were like, Cats, or they were reviewing his show, but it was like a parody of the Cats commercial. I can't remember exactly what it was.

Rachel Fisher (4:00)

I'm going to need to find that.

Desi Jedeikin (4:01)

But yeah, anyway.

Rachel Fisher (4:04)

During rehearsals for this play, the press anticipated a blow up between the stars, Lupe Velez and Libby Holman. She also had a reputation for being fiery.

Desi Jedeikin (4:16)

I think she murdered someone.

Rachel Fisher (4:17)

Well, she was accused of murdering the cigarette air. Now, I think we need to do an episode on her.