I was introduced to Tura Satana via her work in Russ Meyer's Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, a cult film from 1965. I found that film after watching Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, another crackpot movie of Meyer's, which remains one of my favorite older films because it's stupid, colorful, and bizarre.
I like Tura because she possessed a unique beauty, was outspoken, and wild. She played Varla in FPKK, a violent and confident gangleader/go-go dancer. She wasn't a great actress, but if you have any familiarity with Meyer's films, you know acting was never a priority.
Tura was tall, voluptuous, and fabulous. Her Japanese, Cheyenne Indian, and Scots-Irish blood gave her an individualized, fiesty beauty. She worked as a burlesque performer throughout her early life and in later years developed quite a fan following based on her work in FPKK. A fun fact is that she and Elvis Presley dated, but Tura turned his marriage proposal down and kept the ring.
Tura passed away from heart failure on February 4, 2011.
Labels: actress, Faster Pussycat Kill Kill, Russ Meyer, Tura Satana
