A Fond Farewell to the Radiant, Beguiling Valerie Perrine

 

A bittersweet adieu to the lovely, endearing Valerie Perrine, who passed on March 23^rd. Born in 1943, Perrine rose to prominence in 1970’s cinema after serving a lengthy apprenticeship as one of Las Vegas’ most alluring showgirls starting in the late 1960s, before a move to L.A. led to her memorable film debut as Montana Wildhack in 1972’s Slaughterhouse-Five. After this eye-catching role, Perrine would again score in an erotic vein via her highly publicized nude scene in the 1973 PBS production of Steambath. Her career highlight followed in 1974 with beautiful, moving work as Honey in Bob Fosse’s Lenny, wherein the vulnerable Perrine gracefully provided the heart of the film as Lenny Bruce’s wife, resulting in a Best Actress win at Cannes, Supporting Actress Awards from the New York Film Critics and the National Board of Review, as well as Best Actress nominations from the Golden Globes and Academy Awards.

Perrine would never again reach these critical heights, but she proved to be an Eve Teschmacher for the ages in the 1978 blockbuster Superman, perfectly mixing comic brio, sex appeal and, ultimately, a touching fragility. Perrine briefly reprised this standout role in the 1980 sequel, the same year she did her career no favors by starring in Can’t Stop the Music. Watching this entertainingly off-the-rails musical fiasco today, the innate friendly charisma Perrine effortlessly exudes onscreen is still readily apparent, making one wish for additional top roles in her filmography, while being thankful for what is there, such as work in other hits (1979’s The Electric Horseman and one of the more memorable comic bits in The Cannonball Run) and a lead role opposite Jack Nicholson in 1982’s The Border, before playing out her career with lesser big screen efforts and guest appearances on television. The author was able to catch Perrine about a decade ago at an interview/screening, wherein the star’s engaging, positive energy had not faded a jot as she won the audience over relating stories from her fascinating life and career. Rest in Peace to a beautiful, free-spirited presence in movies, Valerie Perrine.