Remembering Hollywood veteran Raquel Welch's most iconic roles
Iconic Hollywood actor Raquel Welch passed away on Wednesday after battling a brief illness, reported international media. She was 82. Welch had earned international acclaim for fronting several highly successful American productions and was also considered a sex symbol for most of the 1960s and the 1970s. Let's revisit some of the most notable roles in her half-a-century-long career.
'Fantastic Voyage'
The story goes that producer Saul David's wife first spotted Welch at a beauty contest, which is how the 1966 science action-adventure film Fantastic Voyage happened for her. Directed by Richard Fleischer and written by Harry Kleiner, it revolved around "a medical team miniaturized and injected into the body of an injured diplomat." Welch's role as a doctor/technical assistant brought her critical acclaim.
'One Million Years B.C.'
One Million Years B.C. came out in the same year as Fantastic Voyage and serves as an example of the popularity Welch enjoyed at an early stage of her career. The Don Chaffey movie is best remembered for her two-piece skin deer bikini, understandably considered a significantly bold move back in the day. Hollywood media had then dubbed it as "mankind's first bikini."
'The Three Musketeers'
The Three Musketeers is significant in Welch's oeuvre since it won her the Golden Globe in the Best Actress for a Comedy or Musical Motion Picture category. It was based on the namesake classic novel penned by Alexandre Dumas. The Richard Lester directorial was also nominated for five BAFTAs! Oliver Reed, Michael York, Faye Dunaway, Simon Ward, and Richard Chamberlain co-starred in the film.
'Right to Die'
Another Welch project you must check out is Right to Die, a 1987 NBC drama television film. It was helmed by Paul Wendkos and penned by Phil Penningroth. The film earned widespread critical acclaim and also won Welch a Golden Globe Award nomination. Welch had once said that Right to Die was "one of the three films that [she] was most proud of."
