Darlings, There Are Just Some Things An Actor Should Not Put On Their Resume!!!!!!!!!

                         We all know the great film debuts--Ingrid Bergman in "Intermezzo," Jennifer Jones in "The Song Of Berandette," Timothy Hutton in "Ordinary People", to name a few.  But there ae some credits actors should just not list.  Kevin Bacon, I am told, denies he is in the original 1980 "Friday The 13th," even though anyone who watches it will unmistakably recognize him as Jack!!!!!!!   Not to mention he is at the center of the most grotesque murder sequence filmed for its time. Now, that is something to be proud of!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                          The young lady, pictured above, is Beverly D'Angelo, who made her screen debut as Sandra in the 1977 horror film, "The Sentinel."

                            This had one of the most high profile casts for a horror film--Beverly, Cristina Raines, Chris Sarandon, Ava Gardner, Burgess Meredith, Josse Ferrer, and John Carradine.  And we CANNOT forget Sylvia Miles. But more on her later.

                              Cristina Raines plays a high profile, but neurotic (is there any other kind, darlings????) fashion model, named Alison Parker, who lucks out with an apartment at the furthest end of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Upstairs, at the center window, sits an old priest (John Carradine) staring at the water.  Patty Lane may have only seen the sights a girl can see from Brooklyn Heights, but Alison just is not with it.  She has a history of two suicide attempts in her life--one when she caught her father (who must have been played by someone Central Casting plucked from a nursing home!!!!!!!) having sex in bed with two fat, naked  lesbians (also from Central Casting!!!!!!!!!) .  This scene reallly freaked me out when I saw it--how disgusting to see an old codger like this having sex!!!!!!!!!!  Though, 35 years later, I have to give him credit for staying power!!!!!!!!!!!  As for his partners---ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                But this is only the beginning.  As it turns out, everyone has it in for Alison.  The building turns out to be owned by a secret society of ex-communicated Catholic priests, and is populated with the ghosts--which only Alison sees--of dead people who were executed for crimes.  Two of the most fascinating are Sylvia Miles as Gerde Engstrom, and her lesbian partner, Sandra, played by Berverly D'Angelo. These two are affectionately known as the Downstairs Lesbians, and when Alison visits them, they show her hospitality---and more.  While Gerda goes to the kitchen for drinks, Sandra proceeds to masturbate in front of Alison in a sequence that is so disturbingly graphic, for all that she keeps her clothes on, I cannot imagine this being shot today. Or, if it was, the film would merit an X rating.  In 1977, "The Sentinel" got an R!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  Remember all the controvesy twenty years ago, when Jennifer Jason Leigh, as Hedy, did it under the covers in "Single White Female???"  This is nothing, compared to the scene with Beverly!!!!!!!!!!   I am telling you, nothing for THIS innocent child to see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     The movie came in for more controversy, when it was discovered that director Michael Winner used real handicapped and disfigured freaks (probably for Daddy, too!!!!!) to enact all the Demons of Hell that pursue Alsion from the gate....where she ends up, at the film's close, dressed as a blind nun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Honey, what a  hoot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And how about Ava Gardner as Miss Logan--the most dangerous recruitment agent in history????????????

                                        One wonders how Beverly feels about this role today. Imagine, going to a party, and saying, "I made my screen debut, as Sandra, the Masturbating Lesbian in 'The Sentinel'"???????   Quite a conversation stopper, if you ask me!!!!!!!!!! And what are they doing in ballet leotards????????   What I want to know is, who did these dancers kill????????  Or maybe they ate children, like the Trench Sisters in "Rosemary's Baby."  I sure would love to hear these two do a rip roaring version of "At The Ballet!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                        If I were Beverly, I would keep this to myself!!!!!!!!!  But, thanks to technology, how can she????????????????  I think she gets the award for the Most Embarassing Movie Debut, Ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          This is why I turn down so many movie roles!!!!!!!!!  I have my standards, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!