RIP Raquel Welch…
A shocking bit of news to share: the iconic sex kitten Raquel Welch died today after a short illness. She was 82 years olf…
First, where is all began: she was simply one of the most beautiful women to ever grace the silver screen…she was born Jo Raquel Tejada on September 5, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois, the first of three children born to Bolivian Armando Carlos Tejada Urquizo, an aerospace engineer, and his Irish-American wife Josephine Sarah Hall.
She grew up in San Diego, was a TV “weather girl” there, did modeling, married and divorced, and ended up in Hollywood in the mid-6o’s, where she had a variety of small parts before the “Reign Of Raquel” kicked in!
“Introducing Raquel Welch, the amazing star discovery of this, or any year!”
What a way to make your major motion picture debut – with a trailer making that proclamation, – and wearing THIS!
Raquel Takes Over The World!
All it took was one role – and one costume – to turn Raquel into the most popular Pin-Up Model in the world!
The Best Selling Pin-Up Of The 60’s!
This image, of Raquel in an animal skin bikini, was the best-selling pin-up poster of the 60’s, and turned her into an international star – a picture that was taken originally from the set of her first movie, the smash hit “One Million Years B.C.”
One Million Years B.C.
The movie was a massive hit, and she was as big a selling point as the dinosaurs!
Narrator: This is a story of long, long ago; when the world was just beginning.
Check out the trailer that proclaims, “Introducing Raquel Welch, the amazing star discovery of this, or any year!”
What a classic gem! Not only did Raquel strut around in this revealing out, it included such memorable dialogue between Raquel and her co-star like this:
Loana: [pointing to Ahot] Ahot.
Ahot: [pointing to himself] Ahot.
Tumak: Ahot.
Loana: [pointing to Ahot] Ahot.
[pointing to herself]
Loana: Loana.
Yes, this is dialogue from the movie. But it didn’t matter, as it catapulted Raquel to stardom, and she followed up with a wide variety of roles that showcased both her beauty as well as her acting ability…and for awhile, her bikinis!
She had quite a string of hit movies, including the smash hit “Fantastic Voyage” – about Scientists who are shrunk down and go inside the human body!
However, even a really sexy outfit couldn’t save this film:
This was a rare mis-step for Raquel at the time: “Myra Breckinridge” was a controversial film about the lead character, who had a sex change…apprently no one wanted to see Raquel that way!
She didn’t have a good experience on this western either, and it was just a few years later she would end up in a film with Burt Reynolds again:
Fuzz!
This is action comedy from 1972 was a big hit!
Police in Boston search for a mad bomber trying to extort money from the city. The cops in charge of finding this “mad bomber” are Burt Reynolds, Raquel Welch and Tom Skerritt.
Check out the vintage trailer:
According to IMDB, Raquel did not like Reynolds because of unsavory comments he made while they were filming “100 Rifles” together.
So, in this movie Welch insisted that she not have any direct scenes with Reynolds. The closest they get is during the interrogation. Even when in the same room they never have direct eye contact!
Raquel also starred in the 1971 western “Hannie Caulder”, a gritty revenge thriller – she tracks down the men who kill her husband and rape her.
And let’s not forget that time she played a “sexy Nun!”
Yes, she was one of the many sex kittens of that time who made appearances in the “euro-sleaze” classic “Bluebeard”:
Yes, this is the one where Richard Burton kills all of his wives and then freezes them – mostly naked!
Joey Heatherton bared all in this role and you can see more of her work on the film here:
Raquel also appeared with Ringo Starr in one of the strangest black comedies of all time:
“The Magic Christian” stars Peter Sellers as a very rich man who wants to show how money corrupts everyone…it’s hilariously funny and if you want to see more, here is a story I posted about it:
Welch Posed For Playboy In 1979!
It’s one of the questions asked most often: did Raquel do nude photo shoots?
And the answer is “NO!”
She was, however, a master of the “folded arm cover up” as you can see, but she never did a fully nude shoot!
Hugh Hefner later wrote about her Playboy shoot:
“Raquel Welch, one of the last of the classic sex symbols, came from the era when you could be considered the sexiest woman in the world without taking your clothes off.”
This photo above – is is Raquel? It’s very very close to nudity, so I always am leery of certain images online that purport to be her, like this:
And this bikini shot is almost nude as well:
Still, everything written about her says she never did nude photo shoots, so perhaps see-through tops don’t count!
Back to her films, one of Raquel’s biggest hits was also one of the most blatant:
Mother Jugs & Speed!
Raquel starred with Bill Cosby and Harvey Keitel..this goofy comedy had a very simple plotline: A new law says that the first ambulance that arrives at an accident obtains the contract to transport the injured person. The result is ruthless competition between several companies. Raquel showed up to look pretty and live up to the title…
It was a good example of the raucous comedies of the 70’s – she played Jugs and had this to say about “Speed”:
Tony Malatesta: “They don’t call me Speed for nuthin’.”
Jugs: “Well, let’s hope they don’t call you Speed for everything!”
There are many more from that era – but as the 80’s arrives, she moved into more TV work, but has continued to work in the decades since, including in one of the great TV sitcoms of all time!
Raquel Kicks Kramer’s Ass!
Raquel was an under-rated comedic Actress: I loved her cameo on “Seinfeld” when she gets into a “c-c-c-catfight” with Elaine!
RIP to this legendary Icon…
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Let me know your favorite Raquel roles…
Categories: 70's Films, Artsploitation, Camp Cult Classics, Cult Classics, Euro-Sleaze, Exploitation Films, Grindhouse, JRsploitation, Nudity, sex kittens, Talent / Celebrites
JR-Sploitation! 
She gtave us old farts something to dream about (if you know what I mean)….R.I.P. chuq
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I first saw this image in a magazine back in the early 80s that was reportedly her:
https://www.sex.com/pin/20315969-raquel-welch-naked/
Probably just a lookalike or even a fake (if it is it’s a damn good one), but it sure got my blood flowing.
She will be missed.
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Thanks for sharing..there are few pics that hint that nudity, so even if it’s not her a few of the real ones were close!
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My favourite film starring Raquel was ‘Hannie Caulder’, which gave her the chance of a lead role that she carried off so well. Because I was an EMT for so long, I have a soft spot for ‘Mother, Jugs, and Speed’, though the antics of the ambulance crews in that film couldn’t be more different to the real-life job I experienced in London.
I was genuinely shocked to hear that she had died. I had forgotten how much older than me she was. Lovely tribute, John.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, thanks for the comment…a terrific western and a bawdy comedy – if you haven’t seen “The Last Of Sheila” she is terrific in it…really lets you understand what being the “dumb sex kitten” is like because that is her character…
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RIP and many respects.
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Yes, a great loss for movie fans…she left behind a great collection of movies that are available to buy or stream…thanks for the comment!
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I have the blu of One Million Years BC. It’s an old favorite.
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That poster of her in the outfit was the best selling poster of the 60’s!
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This is absolutely depressing news that one of my all time favorite iconic beauties has died. What a woman! Sexy from head to toe! I still fondly recall how beautiful she in the first movie i recall watching her in, “A Swingin’ Summer” and i still on occasion watch that dvd just to see her again. I believe her first sitcom appearances was on “McHale’s Navy” as a nurse seen mostly in her swimsuit. I bet the guys on that cast really enjoyed shooting that episode. Her bikini scenes in “Fathom” was also a total turn-on and can raise a man’s blood pressure real quick. She and Carole Landis became my all time favorite cave women, first with Carol in “One Million BC” and then Raquel in the 60’s remake in “One Million Years BC”. Raquel sizzled every time you seen her. I thought she was too pretty to play a roller derby queen in “Kansas City Bomber”. Her tight fitting clothes playing a sexy barmaid in “Scandal In A Small Town” was an eye opener as well. The news of Raquel’s passing not only surprised me considering how beautiful she always was, be it young or older. You just expect them be young and beautiful forever. Then reality hits you by surprise when you least expect it. Thank God for dvd’s so that those memories of Raquel can stay with us forever. Raquel will definitely never be forgotten.
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