1 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:05,680 Speaker 1: Good people of Hollywood Land, I'd like to welcome you 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:08,719 Speaker 1: to another trip back into our archive of insane stories 3 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:12,319 Speaker 1: from the intersection of Hollywood and true crime. This week 4 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:15,240 Speaker 1: we're bringing you our episode on the director the Pope 5 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: of Trash himself, John Waters. And how timely because John 6 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,120 Speaker 1: Waters just released his list of his favorite movies of 7 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: this year twenty twenty five, a list topped by the 8 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: latest ari astro film Eddington, and of which John Waters wrote, 9 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:31,639 Speaker 1: I quote, if you don't like this movie, I hate you. 10 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: Also relevant to this time of year, the holidays Christmas time, 11 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 1: John Waters curated a compilation some years back called at 12 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: John Waters Christmas. If you are looking for some Christmas music, 13 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: way off the beaten path and down some trashy path 14 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 1: where the tinsel is actually stale pieces of popcorn, barely 15 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: threaded together like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Some by 16 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: Tiny Tim. This is your jam, and I hope this 17 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: episode on the great John Waters is also your jam. 18 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: Give to listen and then join us later this week 19 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: on Wednesday, as we discussed this episode and so. 20 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 2: Much more in the Wrap Party, Hollywood Land is a 21 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 2: production of Double Elvis. This is a story about John Waters, 22 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 2: a man whose films were so nasty, so subversive that 23 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 2: author William Burrows called him the Pope of trash. John 24 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 2: Waters was arrested for indecent exposure while making his first movie. 25 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 2: His breakthrough film features a scene where the Lee character 26 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 2: literally eats well, we'll get to that later. After starting 27 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 2: with X rated art films, John Waters would eventually score 28 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 2: cult hits with movies such as Hairspray and Crybaby Smuggling 29 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 2: is Outside Our Ideals into family friendly thanks to a 30 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 2: close circle of collaborators and scorching soundtracks stuffed with R 31 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 2: and B in early rock and roll great films. Unlike 32 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 2: that clip I played for you at the top of 33 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 2: the show that wasn't from a great film. That was 34 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 2: a fair use sample from the Library of Congress of 35 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 2: the Victor Grand Concert Band playing the Baltimore Centennial March 36 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 2: in nineteen oh four. I played you that clip because 37 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 2: I can't afford the rights to a clip from Carmen 38 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 2: Jones by Otto Preminger. Why would I play you that 39 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 2: specific slice of CinemaScope cheese? Could I afford it? Because 40 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:43,079 Speaker 2: that was the number one movie in America. On November eighth, 41 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 2: nineteen fifty four, and that was the day that a 42 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 2: fourteen year old Carolyn Wazaluski was murdered in Baltimore, an 43 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 2: event that would indirectly set John Waters on his path 44 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 2: to become the ultimate outsider filmmaker. On this episode, car chases, 45 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 2: FBI raids, an unsolved murder, and the Pope of Trash 46 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 2: John Waters. I'm Jake Brennan, and this is Hollywood Land, 47 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 2: the ninth day of November nineteen fifty four. The early 48 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 2: morning air was frigid as the train chugged south toward 49 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 2: its final stop in Baltimore. The trained engineer shivered and 50 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 2: pulled his coat tight against his body. In the dim light, 51 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 2: he could see patches of frosts clinging to the grass 52 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 2: as the train whipped down the tracks. When the train 53 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 2: left Harrisburg, it was pitch black, but now the sun 54 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 2: was starting to peek over the horizon. Soon the frost 55 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 2: would melt and the engineer would ease the freight train 56 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:21,720 Speaker 2: into the station, and this graveyard shift would finally be over. 57 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 2: He was dreaming about a hot cup of coffee with 58 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:29,359 Speaker 2: fried eggs and toast. There was a diner just a 59 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,280 Speaker 2: few blocks from the railyard. He would be there soon. 60 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 2: For now, he needed to stay focused on the track 61 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 2: ahead of him. Before he could relax, he still needed 62 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 2: to guide the train through the busy railyard and bring 63 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,280 Speaker 2: it safely to its destination. He had to stay alert 64 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 2: for other trains crisscrossing the tracks, for maintenance workers hopping 65 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 2: between train cars, and lately, he had to watch out 66 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 2: for groups of teenagers who, for some unknown reason, had 67 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:59,480 Speaker 2: started using the rail yard as a place to meet up, 68 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:03,599 Speaker 2: get drunk, and feel each other up. More than once 69 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 2: he turned a corner in the darkness and the train's 70 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 2: headlights would catch a pack of teens scattering in all directions. 71 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 2: The boys with their baggy jeans, black leather jackets, and 72 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:16,719 Speaker 2: big pompadour hair slipped back until it looked like a 73 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:21,159 Speaker 2: duck's ass, and the girls with their tight pants, tease hair, 74 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:24,720 Speaker 2: and bright red lipstick, dressed to look like they were 75 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:30,040 Speaker 2: twenty five even though they were only fifteen. Greasers, hoodlums, 76 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:35,040 Speaker 2: juvenile delinquents, or, as they were called in Baltimore, drapes 77 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 2: and drape bets, the kind of boys who stole cars 78 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 2: for kicks, who drag race, souped up hot rods at night, 79 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 2: the kind of girls who snuck out while their parents slept, 80 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 2: who listened to rock and roll, and who went all 81 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 2: the way. Personally, the engineer couldn't give a shit how 82 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 2: these kids wanted to dress or what they got up 83 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 2: to in the wee hours of the night. After all, 84 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 2: he was hardly an angel himself when he was their age. 85 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:02,599 Speaker 2: He just wished they would find a different spot to 86 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 2: get into trouble. The last thing he needed was to 87 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 2: end up with some teenager's skull crushed under the wheels 88 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 2: of the train, so he watched the track carefully as 89 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:16,640 Speaker 2: the train rounded a bend. Sure enough, off in the distance, 90 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 2: he could see a figure near to the track, probably 91 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 2: some dead, drunk drape or drap bet. He pulled the 92 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:27,280 Speaker 2: cord and the train whistle pierced the quiet air, but 93 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 2: the figure didn't move. He pulled the cord again and again. 94 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,160 Speaker 2: The sound of the whistle echoed across the railiard, but 95 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 2: still nothing. Grumbling, he pulled the train to a stop. 96 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 2: Gravel crunched under his feet as he hopped down and 97 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,919 Speaker 2: walked towards the figure lying on the tracks. Now he 98 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 2: could see that it was a girl. She was face down. 99 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:53,480 Speaker 2: Her wavy blonde hair was fanned out on the tracks 100 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,840 Speaker 2: in front of her. She wasn't moving, and now he 101 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:00,040 Speaker 2: could see that her pants and shoes were missing. His 102 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 2: stomach was ans as he walked closer, his heart pounded 103 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 2: in his chest. Finally, he reached down and rolled her over, 104 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 2: and that's when his worst suspicions were confirmed. Her face 105 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 2: was bruised and beaten. The front of her shirt was 106 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 2: caked with blood as bright red as the lipstick still 107 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 2: fresh on her lips, and the same lipstick had been 108 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 2: used to scraw some message on her inner thigh. The 109 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 2: engineer screamed for help and then sprinted for the train depot, 110 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:33,679 Speaker 2: but it was too late. Carolyn was Saluski was already dead, 111 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 2: murdered at just fourteen years old. Thirty five years later, 112 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 2: Carolyn's murder was still unsolved and her face was still 113 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 2: burned into John Waters's memory as he sat in a 114 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 2: trailer on the set of his movie cry Baby. A 115 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 2: Baltimore native, John had been eight when Carolyn was killed. 116 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 2: He remembered the breathless news coverage, the media frenzy about 117 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 2: the new good draped teenagers, about the evils of rock 118 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 2: and roll and souped up hot rods. How about the 119 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 2: gruesome fate that awaited girls who snuck out of the 120 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 2: house at night. If the idea was to scare kids 121 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 2: away from this new subculture bubbling up through Baltimore, it'd 122 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 2: had the opposite effect on a young John Waters. The 123 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 2: images of rebellious outside our teams and black leather jackets 124 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 2: and a perpetual sneer excited him. It enticed him, It 125 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 2: inflamed him, and he began to look for it everywhere. 126 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 2: There was the older kid across the street, the black 127 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 2: Ford hot rod with flames painted along the side. There 128 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 2: was the boy with the black leather jacket and white 129 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 2: T shirts standing next to the jukebox at the Bowling Alley, 130 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:43,680 Speaker 2: looking like a young James Dean while they played the 131 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:47,559 Speaker 2: same Little Richard song over and over. And then there 132 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 2: was Elvis as in upper middle class square. John Waters 133 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 2: knew he could never really be a drape, but watching 134 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:59,160 Speaker 2: Elvis shake his hips till that's all right it ignited 135 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:03,319 Speaker 2: a revelation. That night, when he sat in bed thinking 136 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 2: about Elvis Presley twisting his pelvis, John knew he was 137 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 2: an outsider too. He didn't have the words for it yet, 138 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:15,599 Speaker 2: but John already knew that he was gay. As the 139 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:18,960 Speaker 2: nineteen fifties drifted into the sixties, the drapes went out 140 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,800 Speaker 2: of fashion, but John Waters held on to his affinity 141 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 2: for outsiders. As a teenager, he befriended a small band 142 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 2: of beat Nick's hippies and artists. One of those friends 143 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 2: eventually introduced him to a chubby, effeminine boy with the 144 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 2: name Glenn Millsted. Glenn went to beauty school and worked 145 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 2: as a hairstylist, but he was best known for hosting 146 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:42,560 Speaker 2: parties while dressing in drag as his idol, Elizabeth Taylor. 147 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 2: John and Glenn quickly became close, and although Glenn didn't 148 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 2: always dress in drag, his bold and for the time 149 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:55,680 Speaker 2: shocking style inspired John Waters to start writing small screenplays 150 00:09:55,720 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 2: that Glenn could star him, and soon their small gang 151 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 2: of counterculture friends were writing and producing short movies at 152 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 2: John's childhood home in the Baltimore suburbs, a place he 153 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 2: eventually dubbed Dreamland Studios. John began giving nicknames to the 154 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 2: members of his circle as well. His friend Nancy Stole 155 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 2: became Mink Stole for the film Roman Candles, and he 156 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 2: gave Glenn, the name and tagline he would use for 157 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 2: the rest of his life, Divine the most Beautiful woman 158 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 2: in the World. Almost now decades later, John felt compelled 159 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 2: to return back to the moment that first sparked his 160 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 2: interest in outsiders for his movie Crybaby, which was strongly 161 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 2: inspired by Baltimore's anti drape frenzy following Carolyn Wazaluski's murder. 162 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 2: As he sat in his trailer, John marveled at the 163 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:49,679 Speaker 2: resources he'd assembled for this project. For the first time, 164 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:52,199 Speaker 2: he had a big budget to work with. He had 165 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:54,959 Speaker 2: a dream cast filled with some of his favorite oddballs 166 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 2: and outsiders. He had incredibly talented actors like William H. 167 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 2: Macy ol Bergen. He had an honest to god heart 168 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:05,320 Speaker 2: throb and a young Johnny Depp who is eager to 169 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:08,800 Speaker 2: slash and burn his teen idol image. He had everyone 170 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:13,160 Speaker 2: from Iggy Pop to the infamous heiress turned kidnapping victim 171 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:18,480 Speaker 2: possible bank robber Patty Hurst. But he also had a problem, 172 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:21,960 Speaker 2: although he didn't know it yet, because someone else had 173 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 2: just arrived on set, two FBI agents, and they were 174 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 2: on the scene to deliver a message to threaten to 175 00:11:30,120 --> 00:12:01,560 Speaker 2: stop John Waters' movie Dead in its tracks. It was 176 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 2: early on the morning of November third, nineteen sixty eight. 177 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 2: Everything was quiet except the sound of a church bell, 178 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 2: which told softly in the distance, calling the morley upright 179 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 2: to Sunday morning services on the campus of Johns Hopkins 180 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 2: University in Baltimore. Few students heeded the call. Most were 181 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 2: still in bed, sleeping off their Saturday nights. The coast 182 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 2: was completely clear as a young man in a bathrobe 183 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:28,240 Speaker 2: stepped out of the woods and up to the side 184 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 2: of the road that wound its way through the campus. 185 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 2: Thirty yards up the road, John Waters stood behind a camera. 186 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 2: He looked through the viewfinder and adjusted the camera lens 187 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 2: one final time. John knew they would have to be quick. 188 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 2: They'd likely only get one chance at this shot before 189 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 2: they would have to make a run for it. Further 190 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:50,360 Speaker 2: up the road, Devine was sitting behind the wheel of 191 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:53,840 Speaker 2: a bright red nineteen fifty nine Cadillac El Dorado convertible, 192 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 2: wearing full drag makeup with a giant blonde wig, dressed 193 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 2: in a sparkling gold lemet outfit. Not exactly inconspicuous, of course, 194 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,400 Speaker 2: the outfit paled in comparison to what Mark Isherwood was 195 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:09,959 Speaker 2: wearing When John Waters called action, the twenty year old 196 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 2: actors slipped out of his bathroom and stepped out into 197 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 2: the road completely naked. The sunlight glinted off his bare 198 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 2: ass as he struck a hitchhiker's pose. Devine punched the 199 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 2: gas on the el Dorado pulled up in front of 200 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:25,200 Speaker 2: Mark and hit the brakes. Mark hopped in and they 201 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 2: drove off a few feet before John called cut. The 202 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 2: scene was for John's first feature length movie, Mondo Trasho. 203 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 2: At just twenty two years old, John, using money borrowed 204 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:39,559 Speaker 2: from his father, had already released a handful of short 205 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:43,040 Speaker 2: films that captured attention around Baltimore, and they even earned 206 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 2: enough money for John to pay back his father's loans, 207 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 2: and now he was attempting something more ambitious. John huddled 208 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 2: with a handful of his cast and crew, including regulars 209 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:56,840 Speaker 2: from his circle such as Mary Vivian Pierce, Pat Morin, 210 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 2: and Make Stole, and they decided that the shot was 211 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 2: satisfactory it was time to high tail it away from 212 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 2: johns Hopkins before anyone started asking questions. Unfortunately for John 213 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:10,679 Speaker 2: and the rest of his team, two graduate students heading 214 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 2: to church had spotted Mark walking naked across the road, 215 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 2: and they immediately called campus security. And while the crew 216 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 2: was frantically packing up equipment and getting ready to flee, 217 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 2: a security guard approached. He saw Mark, who is by 218 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 2: now wearing a robe again, and made a bee line 219 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 2: straight for him, and before anyone could react, the guard 220 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 2: grabbed Mark by the arm and screamed that they were 221 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 2: all going to jail for making a porno, and then 222 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 2: all hell broke loose. Mark twisted free from the guard 223 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 2: and took off, spinning towards the Cadillac, where Divine still 224 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 2: sat in the driver's seat. Mark dove and the passenger 225 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 2: seat and Divine hit the gas. The attire squealed as 226 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 2: a convertible peeled out and went speeding away. Meanwhile, John 227 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 2: grabbed a camera and ran in the opposite direction. Along 228 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 2: with the rest of his crew. He hopped into the 229 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 2: back of the sedan while mink Stole slid into the 230 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 2: driver's seat and jammed the key into the ignition. Now 231 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 2: the officer had to make a choice which car to follow. 232 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 2: He figured that a bright red Cadillac convertible driven by 233 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:14,720 Speaker 2: a drag queen and a gold lamet outfit with a 234 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 2: naked man in the passenger seat wouldn't be hard to 235 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:19,640 Speaker 2: track down, so we sprinted after John and the rest 236 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 2: of the actors. Mink Stole threw the car in reverse 237 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 2: and frantically turned the steering rail. She sped past the 238 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,680 Speaker 2: officer and flew down the road away from Johns Hopkins. 239 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 2: A close call. They had escaped, or so they thought. 240 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 2: It turned out that the security officer managed to scribble 241 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 2: the license plate number just as the car sped out 242 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:42,200 Speaker 2: of you. A few hours later, the police showed up 243 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 2: at John's Dreamland studio house and arrested everyone for indecent exposure. 244 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 2: From jail, John used his one phone call to ring 245 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:57,600 Speaker 2: up the ACLU. Soon, a radical Baltimore lawyer was dispatched 246 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:00,440 Speaker 2: to take up the cause. When he was least the 247 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 2: next day on bail, John was furious. He knew his 248 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 2: parents would be mortified, which was doubly bad because John's 249 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 2: dad had loaned him the two thousand dollars it cost 250 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 2: to produce the film. A few months later, in February 251 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:18,400 Speaker 2: of nineteen sixty nine, John had nearly completed the movie 252 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 2: when his obscenity case went to trial. His lawyer argued 253 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 2: passionately for the protection of the arts, and John screened 254 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:27,360 Speaker 2: to cut of the film for the judge to prove 255 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 2: he was making an art house movie and not a porno. 256 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 2: Although the judge found the movie tasteless, he found the 257 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 2: arguments compelling. He was so amused by John's antics that 258 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 2: he wrote his decision in a poem that ran in 259 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:43,440 Speaker 2: full in that Evening's Baltimore's Son. It ended with the 260 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:48,880 Speaker 2: following lines, and so go thou and sin no more disrobe, 261 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 2: if need be, but behind the door, and if again 262 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:55,320 Speaker 2: you heed the call of art. Rest assured the judge 263 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 2: will do his part. If John was embarrassed about the 264 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 2: arrest in November, by the time the movie premiered in March, 265 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:07,119 Speaker 2: he recognized the publicity value of an obscenity trial, and 266 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:11,159 Speaker 2: the premiere screening sold over a thousand tickets, and the 267 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,600 Speaker 2: film was picked up by a small film distribution company. 268 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 2: In Variety ran a positive review along with the story 269 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 2: about the arrests. The film's success meant John could pay 270 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:25,400 Speaker 2: back his father's loan quickly. Unfortunately, though the attention brought 271 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 2: to the film proved to be its downfall. The movie, 272 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:35,000 Speaker 2: which contained almost no dialogue, was soundtracked by a selection 273 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 2: of John's favorite dua early R and B and rock 274 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:42,159 Speaker 2: and roll records sourced from his own record collection, and 275 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:44,120 Speaker 2: while making an indie film for what he thought would 276 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:47,240 Speaker 2: be an audience of friends and fans in the Baltimore area, 277 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 2: it never occurred to him to try to license the music, 278 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 2: and once the film began to get national attention, music 279 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:57,320 Speaker 2: publishers quickly picked up on the unlicensed usage, and they sued. 280 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 2: Even to this day, that dispute has kept the film 281 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:06,439 Speaker 2: almost completely out of circulation. It was a painful lesson, 282 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 2: but John would learn from it, and although Mondo Trashow 283 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:12,800 Speaker 2: was pulled from the theaters, the attention from the arrests 284 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 2: and the screenings raised his profile among edgy R film fans. 285 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:20,680 Speaker 2: John will push the envelope even further with his next 286 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:24,280 Speaker 2: three pictures, a series of transgressive films he called his 287 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:29,679 Speaker 2: trash Trilogy. These included John's most infamous work, nineteen seventy 288 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:33,440 Speaker 2: two's Pink Flamingos, which starred Divine as a woman competing 289 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:37,240 Speaker 2: for the title of filthiest person alive. In addition to 290 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 2: jokes about masturbation, incest, and sodomy, it included an infamous 291 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:46,159 Speaker 2: scene of Divine eating literal dog shit and no, it 292 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 2: was not a prop and that all happened in the 293 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 2: finale of the film. The film was banned in Switzerland, 294 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 2: and the film was banned in Australia. It was also 295 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 2: banned in Canada, but it pulled big crowds for midnight 296 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 2: screenings in New York and was eventually picked up by 297 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:06,400 Speaker 2: New Line Cinema. Like Mondo Trash Show, the soundtrack once 298 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,600 Speaker 2: again featured a rocking group of songs by Little Richard 299 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:13,840 Speaker 2: Link Ray, Bill Haley and his Comments Moore. This time 300 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 2: though all of it was licensed legally. By the early 301 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:23,200 Speaker 2: nineteen eighties, none other than the provocateur and beat writer 302 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 2: William Burrows had labeled John Waters the Pope of trash. 303 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,879 Speaker 2: John was the country's foremost outsider filmmaker, with a reputation 304 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:34,080 Speaker 2: for creating some of the most boundary pushing scenes ever 305 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:37,879 Speaker 2: committed to celluloid. And that's when John Waters decided to 306 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:40,879 Speaker 2: do the most shocking thing imaginable. He would make a 307 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 2: family friendly picture for nineteen eighty eights Hairspray. John Waters 308 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 2: once again revisited his Baltimore roots. The screenplay centered around 309 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:52,440 Speaker 2: a fictional version of the real life Buddy Dean Show, 310 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:55,879 Speaker 2: an American bandstand style program that aired in Baltimore in 311 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 2: the nineteen fifties and sixties. The show featured black and 312 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 2: white musical artists, but only white dancers, until protesters eventually 313 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 2: succeeded in integrating the show briefly before it was canceled. 314 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 2: While all of John's previous films had been rated X, 315 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 2: Hairspray was rated PG. Expectations were low when it was 316 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 2: released in February of nineteen eighty eight, but critics raved 317 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:23,680 Speaker 2: over newcomer Ricky Lake, who starred as Tracy Turnblad, and Divine, 318 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:26,680 Speaker 2: who played her mother, Edna. The film pulled in over 319 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 2: eight million dollars at the box office. John's profile was 320 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:35,000 Speaker 2: bigger than ever, and Divine seemed destined for stardom. He 321 00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 2: booked a recurring role on televisions Married with Children. Film 322 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:42,320 Speaker 2: offers began pouring in, and then things came to a 323 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 2: screeching halt. On the night of March seventh, nineteen eighty eight, 324 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:49,800 Speaker 2: Divine was in Los Angeles preparing the film Married with 325 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:54,639 Speaker 2: Children when he died suddenly of a heart attack. The 326 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:58,639 Speaker 2: momentum for hairspray dried up immediately. No one wanted to 327 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:01,879 Speaker 2: laugh at a dead actor on the screen, and John 328 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:06,879 Speaker 2: was heartbroken. His friend, his muse, the star of nearly 329 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 2: all of his films, was gone. His next project would 330 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:14,399 Speaker 2: be as big as yet, and now he would have 331 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:22,639 Speaker 2: to tackle it alone. We'll be right back after this. 332 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 2: We're we're where. Rain poured down, hammering the metal roof 333 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:38,240 Speaker 2: of the trailer. Inside. The sound was deafening, but Tracy 334 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 2: Lawrens hardly even noticed it. Inside, she was staring at 335 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:45,679 Speaker 2: a piece of paper in her hands. Fear crept up 336 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 2: inside of her as she tried over and over to 337 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:51,119 Speaker 2: read the letter. Her hands were shaking so much that 338 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:54,720 Speaker 2: she finally gave up and put the paper down. She 339 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 2: got the gist of it anyway. It was a subpoena 340 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:02,359 Speaker 2: forcing her to testify in a criminal trial she wanted 341 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:06,080 Speaker 2: nothing to do with. She looked up across the trailer 342 00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:09,400 Speaker 2: at the two mustachioed FBI agents staring silently at her, 343 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:13,639 Speaker 2: and she asked a million dollar question, So are you 344 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 2: going to arrest me? Tracy Lords was fifty days into 345 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,480 Speaker 2: a fifty eight day shoot of her first major motion 346 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 2: picture when the FBI came calling on the set of 347 00:22:24,359 --> 00:22:28,000 Speaker 2: cry Baby in nineteen eighty nine. She along with Ricky 348 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:31,080 Speaker 2: Lake and fellow newcomer Kim maguire, were playing a gang 349 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:34,359 Speaker 2: of drap bets alongside Johnny Depp's leading role as Wade 350 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:39,080 Speaker 2: cry Baby Walker. The cast, which included John's regular circle, 351 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 2: plus ringers such as the veteran actresses Susan Terrell, Polly Bergen, 352 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:46,400 Speaker 2: a newly sober Iggy Pop and non actors like Patty Hurst, 353 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 2: get along extremely well. But the conditions have been hard. 354 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,560 Speaker 2: It rained almost every day, and trailers got stuck in 355 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:57,240 Speaker 2: the mud, and cameras and lights malfunctioned. A massive song 356 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:01,199 Speaker 2: and dance numbers had to be postponed and reshot. Some 357 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 2: of the actors started to grumble about the conditions, but 358 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:07,879 Speaker 2: not Tracy. Tracy knew what a real growing shoot was like. 359 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:11,280 Speaker 2: At just twenty two, she was still new to acting, 360 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:13,880 Speaker 2: but she had spent more than her share of time 361 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:18,440 Speaker 2: in front of the camera. Seven years earlier, at just fifteen, 362 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:22,439 Speaker 2: she left an abusive home life in California and quickly 363 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:25,920 Speaker 2: found herself sucked into the porn industry. With the help 364 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:28,440 Speaker 2: of a fake ID, she was soon starring in films 365 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 2: with titles like Those Young Girls, Beverly Hills, Copulator, and 366 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:36,960 Speaker 2: Tracy Takes Tokyo. She appeared in Penthouse magazine with a 367 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 2: caption calling her the Princess of Porn. On the outside, 368 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 2: she seemed like a tough, savvy player in the industry. 369 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:47,160 Speaker 2: She ran her own production company and was soon making 370 00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 2: one thousand dollars a day. Inside, though, she was still 371 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:56,640 Speaker 2: a traumatized teenager who needed drugs and alcohol to number herself. Finally, 372 00:23:57,280 --> 00:24:00,440 Speaker 2: just days after her eighteenth birthday, an anonymous tip to 373 00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:02,800 Speaker 2: police revealed that she had starred in dozens of films 374 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:06,200 Speaker 2: while she was underage. Her movies were pulled from shells. 375 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:09,919 Speaker 2: Controversy raged in court and in the media, where she 376 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,600 Speaker 2: was alternately painted as a victim and as a schemer 377 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:16,879 Speaker 2: who lied to producers, police, and to the press. Now, 378 00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 2: after months of therapy and months of training with fame 379 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:23,760 Speaker 2: method acting coach Lee Strasburg, Tracy was eager to turn 380 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:25,960 Speaker 2: the page on her past and focus on a career 381 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,560 Speaker 2: as a legit screen actress. But it seemed like no 382 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 2: one else was willing to let her move on, including 383 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:39,200 Speaker 2: the FBI. Outside of Tracy's trailer, word was spreading fast 384 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:43,200 Speaker 2: around the set. John Waters huddled with his longtime collaborators 385 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 2: Pat Moore and Mink Stole and Mary Pearce as they 386 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:47,639 Speaker 2: tried to figure out what to do if Tracy was 387 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:51,639 Speaker 2: taken off the set in handcuffs. After a few tense 388 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 2: moments of waiting, Lorraine finally stopped, and John was relieved 389 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:58,560 Speaker 2: to see the FBI agents leave the trailer without Tracy. 390 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:02,960 Speaker 2: Minutes later, she stepped outside with tears in her eyes 391 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:08,440 Speaker 2: as she walked up to John and started apologizing. John 392 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 2: didn't exactly think of himself as a father figure. He 393 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:14,000 Speaker 2: knew Tracy was a tough kid he couldn't help, but 394 00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:17,120 Speaker 2: compare it to Carolyn Wazaluski, the fourteen year old whose 395 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:20,359 Speaker 2: murder had indirectly set John on this path as a filmmaker. 396 00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 2: They were both young, blonde and raised in a troubled home, 397 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 2: but unlike Carolyn, Tracy had survived hell and now she 398 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 2: was coming out of it on the other side. John 399 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:34,720 Speaker 2: would be damned if he would let anyone interfere with that, 400 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:40,040 Speaker 2: even the FEDS. As Tracy broke down sobbing, he summoned 401 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:42,480 Speaker 2: his best paternal instincts and patted her on the back. 402 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:44,679 Speaker 2: While Ricky Lake, Johnny Depp, and the rest of the 403 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:48,760 Speaker 2: young actors tried to cheer her up. Nothing worked. Tracy 404 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:52,280 Speaker 2: kept crying as she apologized to everyone, p ruining the 405 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:55,240 Speaker 2: day's shoot. She admitted she was worried she could never 406 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 2: leave her past behind. As the rest of the cast 407 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:01,760 Speaker 2: and crew circled around them, John finally found a way 408 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:04,800 Speaker 2: to break the tension. He looked down at Tracy and 409 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:07,680 Speaker 2: wiped a tear from her face, twisted up his signature 410 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:11,680 Speaker 2: pencil thin mustache and a mischievous grin. Honey, do you 411 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,000 Speaker 2: think you're the only one in this crowd who's been arrested? 412 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:17,640 Speaker 2: He told her about his arrest for indecent exposure While 413 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 2: making Mondo Trasho. John looked around at the cast and crew, 414 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 2: and he asked if anybody else had been arrested. Mike 415 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:28,199 Speaker 2: Stole raised her hand the same charge, she said with 416 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:32,640 Speaker 2: a smile. Johnny Depp raised his hand assault bar fight 417 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:36,600 Speaker 2: and Vancouver Grand Theft Auto called out one of the 418 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:39,920 Speaker 2: camera men, Piggy Pop mentioned a drug buster with David 419 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:43,159 Speaker 2: Bowie that had everyone laughing. The next John raised an 420 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:48,639 Speaker 2: eyebrow while looking directly at Patty Hurst. Patricia, what about you? 421 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:53,720 Speaker 2: You ever been arrested? Everyone went silent. Patty Hurst's face 422 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:58,680 Speaker 2: turned bright red. She just nodded her head yes. Soon 423 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 2: nearly every member of the cast and crew was sharing 424 00:27:02,119 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 2: some story about an arrest or an incident with the police, 425 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:09,000 Speaker 2: and the message was clear. No matter what the outside 426 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 2: world thought of Tracy Lord's in this group of odd 427 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:16,480 Speaker 2: balls and outlaws, she wasn't unusual and they weren't going 428 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:18,879 Speaker 2: to judge her for her past. They were going to 429 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 2: embrace her for it. Finally, Tracy quick crying, She dried 430 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:27,400 Speaker 2: her tears and told John she was ready to continue shooting. 431 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 2: A few days later, the film wrapped and the cast 432 00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:35,080 Speaker 2: emerged more tight knit than ever. John later described the 433 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,960 Speaker 2: group as the dinner party at the celebrity mental institution 434 00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:42,240 Speaker 2: of his dreams, and with an eight million dollar budget, 435 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:45,240 Speaker 2: it was an expensive party and a far cry from 436 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:48,160 Speaker 2: the two thousand dollars he used to make Mondo Trash Show. 437 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:52,160 Speaker 2: But after editing, John couldn't believe how great the film looked. 438 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:56,959 Speaker 2: And then there was the music. In addition to more 439 00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:00,920 Speaker 2: deep cuts from John's record collection, this time soundtrack included 440 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 2: original songs written for the movie by legendary rock and 441 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:07,280 Speaker 2: roll songwriter Doc Pomus, and modern day roots rock icons 442 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:11,159 Speaker 2: including Dave album from the Blasters in JD South the 443 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:15,280 Speaker 2: songs rocked. John was convinced the movie was going to 444 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:17,879 Speaker 2: be a hit, and he figured even the soundtrack might 445 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:21,400 Speaker 2: be a big seller. A few months later, they did 446 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 2: their first test screening for Crybaby at Universal Studios in 447 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:29,359 Speaker 2: LA and the crowd reacted beautifully. People roared with laughter 448 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:32,600 Speaker 2: at the jokes, and they applauded after the big musical numbers. 449 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 2: The teenage girls screamed for Johnny Depp like he was 450 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:40,240 Speaker 2: Elvis every time he appeared on screen. The studio green 451 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:43,160 Speaker 2: lit a huge marketing budget, complete with billboards on Sunset 452 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:46,080 Speaker 2: Syrup and in Times Square, and the film was set 453 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 2: to appear at over one thousand theaters nationwide. Momentum was building. 454 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:56,000 Speaker 2: Unfortunately for John Waters, that momentum was about to hit 455 00:28:56,520 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 2: a brick wall. John Waters sat in the offices of 456 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:21,440 Speaker 2: Universal Pictures. He couldn't believe his eyes. In front of 457 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:25,000 Speaker 2: him was a printed report from the opening weekend grosses 458 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 2: for Crybaby. It was official. The film was a flop. 459 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:35,719 Speaker 2: Like most of his films, reviews were mixed. Some Critics 460 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:40,120 Speaker 2: loved the zany energy and big musical numbers. Some wondered 461 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 2: if it was time for him to get out of 462 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:45,520 Speaker 2: Baltimore and focus on something new, but the movie received 463 00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 2: a standing ovation at the Canned Film Festival, and the 464 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:54,479 Speaker 2: studio invested in a huge marketing push. However, despite opening 465 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 2: in over a thousand theaters across America, the film only 466 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:01,240 Speaker 2: pulled in three million dollars in its opening weekend. It 467 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:04,360 Speaker 2: did solid business in the big cities, but any hope 468 00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 2: of a crossover hit in Middle America was quickly squashed. 469 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 2: The teen girls who were screaming for Johnny Depp at 470 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:14,400 Speaker 2: the test screening in Los Angeles soon began to feel 471 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 2: like they were the target of the joke. Kids who 472 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 2: had never seen an Elvis movie in their lives didn't 473 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:23,000 Speaker 2: understand the satire. Fans of john Waters more extreme art 474 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 2: house work stayed away too. In the second week's grosses 475 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:29,160 Speaker 2: were even worse than the opening weekend, and by the summer, 476 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:31,640 Speaker 2: the film limped out of theaters without turning a profit. 477 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:37,040 Speaker 2: John followed up with another big studio picture, nineteen ninety 478 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:40,600 Speaker 2: four's Serial Mom, but even with Kathleen Turner in the 479 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:43,760 Speaker 2: lead role, it still failed to make money. For all 480 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:48,760 Speaker 2: intents and purposes, John Waters's big budget movie days were over. 481 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:52,480 Speaker 2: Rather than quit, he shrugged off the failure and returned 482 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:56,600 Speaker 2: to his roots. He shot smaller indie films. He made 483 00:30:56,640 --> 00:31:00,160 Speaker 2: another over the top movie, The NC seventeen, rated a 484 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:03,200 Speaker 2: dirty shame in two thousand and four, and he never 485 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:06,360 Speaker 2: stopped shooting in his hometown of Baltimore. They never stopped 486 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 2: working with early collaborators like Mary Vivian Pearce, make Stole, 487 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 2: and Pat Moran, who have appeared in every single one 488 00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:16,560 Speaker 2: of his films. All the while, his highest profile movies 489 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:20,080 Speaker 2: like Hairspray and cry Baby continued to bubble under the surface, 490 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:23,640 Speaker 2: attracting legions of fans who felt connected to the offbeat 491 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:27,480 Speaker 2: humor and the outsider characters that make John Waters' work 492 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:32,320 Speaker 2: so compelling. Hairspray was adapted into a hip Broadway musical, 493 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:34,840 Speaker 2: which sparked a remake of the film in two thousand 494 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 2: and seven, and the remake became a bigger hit than 495 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:40,360 Speaker 2: the original. When it was released, it had the highest 496 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:43,960 Speaker 2: grossing opening weekend of all time for a movie musical. 497 00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 2: Cry Baby soon followed Hairspray onto the Great White way, 498 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:51,720 Speaker 2: and although similar to the original films, it wasn't nearly 499 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:57,680 Speaker 2: as big. But John waters movies were not smashed successes. 500 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:02,680 Speaker 2: His influence simply can't be measured in box office grosses. 501 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 2: Even his biggest movies are cult hits, which John Waters 502 00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 2: himself will tell you is just a fancy way of 503 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:13,080 Speaker 2: saying critically beloved commercial flops. But if he never sold 504 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:17,720 Speaker 2: a lot of tickets, John Waters also never sold out. 505 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 2: He never changed his art to please other people, whether 506 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:23,720 Speaker 2: it was the shock in Awe, the shitting stunt of 507 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:26,840 Speaker 2: Pink Flamingo, or the subtle social critique he slipped into 508 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:31,080 Speaker 2: mainstream America and films like Hairspray and Crybaby. His movies 509 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:33,680 Speaker 2: gave a sense of belonging to those who had none. 510 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:37,560 Speaker 2: They helped an abused team leave her porn star past behind. 511 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:40,880 Speaker 2: They helped the chubby, effeminatee boy become the most beautiful 512 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 2: woman in the world almost and through his movies, musicals, books, 513 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:49,480 Speaker 2: and more, John Waters continues to give the world so 514 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 2: much joy and humor and so much absurdity, always backed 515 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:57,440 Speaker 2: with an incredible soundtrack. Then this may be the only 516 00:32:57,520 --> 00:32:59,680 Speaker 2: silver lining to come out of that cold November night. 517 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:02,840 Speaker 2: In Ball to More back in nineteen fifty four. But 518 00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:06,040 Speaker 2: none of that can do any good for Carolyn Wazaluski. 519 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:10,480 Speaker 2: Seventy years later, her murder remains unsolved, and every day 520 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:13,520 Speaker 2: that goes by, the chances it will be solved grow dimmer. 521 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:17,480 Speaker 2: Her life was snuffed out at just fourteen years old 522 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:22,360 Speaker 2: by horrific violence. It's a tale of senseless tragedy that 523 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:27,760 Speaker 2: ought to be in pictures. I'm Jake Brennan and this 524 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:45,080 Speaker 2: is hollywood Land. Hollywood Land was created by Years Truly 525 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 2: and is produced in partnership with Double Elvis. Follow like, 526 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:51,680 Speaker 2: rate and review hollywood Land wherever you get your podcasts, 527 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 2: and get in touch with us on social media at 528 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:56,760 Speaker 2: double Elvis. If you like hollywood Land, check out my 529 00:33:56,800 --> 00:33:59,600 Speaker 2: other show, the award winning Disgraceland, which looks at the 530 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 2: world of music through the lens of true crime. Just 531 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:11,120 Speaker 2: search for Disgraceland or wherever you get your podcasts. That's 532 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:11,560 Speaker 2: a lab