Review

During the six-day CineVegas Film Festival, over 70 films were shown at the Brenden Theatre inside Las Vegas' luxurious Palms Resort for the public and media. CineVegas celebrated its 11th annual event and tradition of bringing out new, interesting films in different genres.

One of the most memorable documentaries I viewed was "Beautiful Darling," featuring the late actor Candy Darling, a young man who lived out his dreams to be a star, but he did it as a woman.

The actor, born James Lawrence Flattery in Long Island, N.Y., who died at 29 of a stomach tumor caused by hormone-altering pills he was taking to appear more feminine, ironically had no plans to change his physical body surgically, fearing that it would change him too much at too great a risk.

The documentary unveils the pain and social challenges experienced by members of the transgender community around New York in the 60s and 70s. In Darling's short life, he was regarded as a transgender pioneer of that sexual groundbreaking era.

Darling achieved fame, in great part, due to the association with celebrities Andy Warhol, pop artist and short film producer, and famed playwright Tennessee Williams, who introduced Darling in a starring role in "Small Craft Warning." Delighted with the performance, Williams grew to befriend the captivating blonde-haired actor. And the avante garde Darling became the feminine star who lived out her dreams through appearing in films with Warhol.

Darling never chose to portray himself as a male in his life or on camera. "Beautiful Darling" is an excellent film showing in depth the complications of being a transgender in a predominantly straight society. Its subject was a man who felt he was a woman trapped inside a male body. The film's writer and director, James Rasin, said he would like to make this into a theatrical release, and he has started to search for the actor who would play the lead role.

The detailed documentary was insightful, compelling and moving. I was engrossed by the depictions of what many men and women went through, especially the actual footage of arrests made simply because of their transgender lifestyle and the way they dressed. Darling was survived by a longtime friend, Jeremiah Newton, who narrated portions of the documentary, taking viewers on a journey through sites and memories of Darling's life, including a heartrending visit to the gravesite.

What was hurtful and sad, according to Darling's friend, is that Darling's mother never accepted the transgender lifestyle, nor did she want her husband to know.

The archived footage of Darling's interviews and other news events are from the Warhol Museum. Much of the footage was very grainy but still had excellent content for the topic at hand.

The subject of Candy Darling's all too-short life is worthy of a feature movie.  And "Beautiful Darling" is worth a slight search to see, as well as the vintage films she starred in - "Flesh" (1968) and "Women in Revolt" (1971) - for which she received her highest acclaim; both films were directed by Paul Morrissey and produced by Andy Warhol.

Julie Newmar appears in the NR biopic.