Edith Massey
Encyclopedia
Edith Massey was an American actress and singer. Massey was best known for her appearances in a series of movies by director John Waters
. Due to her work with Waters, she is considered one of the Dreamlanders
, Waters' ensemble
of regular cast and crew members.
. In the early 1970s, she quit her job at Pete's and opened a thrift store called Edith's Shopping Bag, which was located at 726 S. Broadway in the Fells Point area of Baltimore.
(1970), in which she appeared as herself and, in a dream sequence, as the Virgin Mary; Pink Flamingos
(1972), playing Divine's egg-loving mother, Edie; Female Trouble
(1974), as Aunt Ida; Desperate Living
(1977), as the evil Queen Carlotta of Mortville; and in her final role in a Waters film, Polyester
(1981), as Cuddles Kovinsky.
band, Edie and the Eggs
. She also posed for a series of greeting cards. Later, when the Baltimore winters became too much for her to endure, she moved to Venice, California
, where she opened another thrift store with the money she earned from acting in Waters' films. The year she died, Edith starred in the film Mutants in Paradise. She had been cast in Paul Bartel
's Western parody Lust in the Dust
opposite longtime co-star Divine, but died before filming; she was replaced by Nedra Volz
.
Massey died in 1984 due to cancer and complications from diabetes. Her body was cremated, and her ashes were interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
in Los Angeles, where other culturally prominent individuals such as Marilyn Monroe
and Dean Martin
have also been buried.
John Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
. Due to her work with Waters, she is considered one of the Dreamlanders
Dreamlanders
Dreamlanders refers to the cast and crew of regulars whom John Waters has used in his films. The term comes from the name of Waters' production company, Dreamland Productions...
, Waters' ensemble
Ensemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
of regular cast and crew members.
Early life
She worked in several odd jobs through the years and she eventually relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, where she was a barmaid at Pete's Hotel. John Waters met Massey while she was working at Pete's Hotel and offered her a role as herself in the film Multiple ManiacsMultiple Maniacs
Multiple Maniacs is a 1970 comedy film by American cult filmmaker John Waters; his second feature film. The film features several actors who were part of the Dreamland acting troupe for Waters' films, including Divine, Mary Vivian Pearce, David Lochary, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, and Cookie...
. In the early 1970s, she quit her job at Pete's and opened a thrift store called Edith's Shopping Bag, which was located at 726 S. Broadway in the Fells Point area of Baltimore.
Collaboration with John Waters
Massey gained a cult following from her appearances in five films directed by John Waters: Multiple ManiacsMultiple Maniacs
Multiple Maniacs is a 1970 comedy film by American cult filmmaker John Waters; his second feature film. The film features several actors who were part of the Dreamland acting troupe for Waters' films, including Divine, Mary Vivian Pearce, David Lochary, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, and Cookie...
(1970), in which she appeared as herself and, in a dream sequence, as the Virgin Mary; Pink Flamingos
Pink Flamingos
Pink Flamingos is a 1972 transgressive black comedy film written, produced, composed, shot, edited, and directed by John Waters. When the film was initially released, it caused a huge degree of controversy and thus became one of the most notorious cult films ever made. It made an underground star...
(1972), playing Divine's egg-loving mother, Edie; Female Trouble
Female Trouble
Female Trouble is a 1974 dark comedy film co-composed, filmed, co-edited, written, produced, and directed by John Waters starring Divine, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, Michael Potter, Cookie Mueller, and Susan Walsh....
(1974), as Aunt Ida; Desperate Living
Desperate Living
Desperate Living is a 1977 American crime comedy fantasy horror film directed, produced, written, and photographed by Baltimore, Maryland filmmaker John Waters starring Liz Renay, Jean Hill, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, and Mary Vivian Pearce.-Plot:...
(1977), as the evil Queen Carlotta of Mortville; and in her final role in a Waters film, Polyester
Polyester (film)
Polyester is a 1981 comedy film directed, produced, and written by John Waters, and starring Divine, Tab Hunter, Edith Massey, and Mink Stole...
(1981), as Cuddles Kovinsky.
Later career and death
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Massey capitalized on the infamy of Waters' films by touring as the lead singer of a punkPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band, Edie and the Eggs
Edie and the Eggs
Edie and the Eggs were a punk/celebrity-exploitation band featuring Edith Massey, known for acting in several films by John Waters. The band's name referred to Massey's character in Pink Flamingos who had an obsession with eating eggs and romanced an egg delivery man...
. She also posed for a series of greeting cards. Later, when the Baltimore winters became too much for her to endure, she moved to Venice, California
Venice, Los Angeles, California
Venice is a beachfront district on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is known for its canals, beaches and circus-like Ocean Front Walk, a two-and-a-half mile pedestrian-only promenade that features performers, fortune-tellers, artists, and vendors...
, where she opened another thrift store with the money she earned from acting in Waters' films. The year she died, Edith starred in the film Mutants in Paradise. She had been cast in Paul Bartel
Paul Bartel
Paul Bartel was an American actor, writer and director. Bartel was perhaps most known for his 1982 hit black comedy Eating Raoul, which he wrote, starred in and directed.-Life and career:...
's Western parody Lust in the Dust
Lust in the Dust
Lust in the Dust is a 1985 Western comedy film starring Divine, Tab Hunter, Cesar Romero, and Lainie Kazan, and directed by Paul Bartel. It takes its title from a longstanding nickname given to the 1946 Western Duel in the Sun...
opposite longtime co-star Divine, but died before filming; she was replaced by Nedra Volz
Nedra Volz
Nedra Volz was an American film and television actress.-Early life and career:Born Nedra Gordonier in Montrose, Iowa, she began her career in the family tent show, and appeared in vaudeville as a toddler...
.
Massey died in 1984 due to cancer and complications from diabetes. Her body was cremated, and her ashes were interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
The Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery is a cemetery in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles, California. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood....
in Los Angeles, where other culturally prominent individuals such as Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
and Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
have also been buried.
Other media about Edith Massey
- Director Robert Maier made a documentary short about her in 1975 entitled Love Letter to EdieLove Letter to EdieLove Letter to Edie is a 1975 short documentary by Robert Maier. The film is about actress Edith Massey who starred in many of John Waters films such as; Desperate Living, Pink Flamingos, and Female Trouble...
. There is also a director's authorized version re-mastered from his original 16mm color film footage.
- Edith also appeared in John Cougar MellencampJohn MellencampJohn Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
's music video "This Time", as his true love after a string of beautiful floozies. She was also on the album cover of his 1980 album Nothin' Matters and What If It DidNothin' Matters and What If It DidNothin' Matters And What If It Did is John Mellencamp's fifth album, under his pseudonym of John Cougar. It includes the moderate hits "Ain't Even Done With The Night," which reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and "This Time," which reached No. 27....
.
- A sample of Edith Massey's voice as "Aunt Ida" from the film Female TroubleFemale TroubleFemale Trouble is a 1974 dark comedy film co-composed, filmed, co-edited, written, produced, and directed by John Waters starring Divine, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, Michael Potter, Cookie Mueller, and Susan Walsh....
appears in the track "The Days of Swine and Roses", on the album Confessions of a Knife by the band, My Life with the Thrill Kill KultMy Life With the Thrill Kill KultMy Life with the Thrill Kill Kult is an American electronic industrial rock band originally based out of Chicago, Illinois.-History:...
.
- Dialogue from the film Female TroubleFemale TroubleFemale Trouble is a 1974 dark comedy film co-composed, filmed, co-edited, written, produced, and directed by John Waters starring Divine, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, Michael Potter, Cookie Mueller, and Susan Walsh....
between Edith Massey's "Aunt Ida" character and Micheal Potter's "Gator", in which Aunt Ida tries to convince Gator to become a homosexual, was used as the intro to the 1989 song "I Don't Wanna Be a Homosexual" by the band Sloppy SecondsSloppy SecondsSloppy Seconds is a Ramones-influenced punk band from Indianapolis, Indiana that started in the mid-1980s. They gained notoriety in the underground "punk" scene with songs like "Come Back, Traci" , "I Don't Want to be a Homosexual", "Jani is a Nazi", "I Want 'em Dead" and "So Fucked up".The bands...
.
Filmography
- Multiple ManiacsMultiple ManiacsMultiple Maniacs is a 1970 comedy film by American cult filmmaker John Waters; his second feature film. The film features several actors who were part of the Dreamland acting troupe for Waters' films, including Divine, Mary Vivian Pearce, David Lochary, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, and Cookie...
1970) as Bar Proprietor - Pink FlamingosPink FlamingosPink Flamingos is a 1972 transgressive black comedy film written, produced, composed, shot, edited, and directed by John Waters. When the film was initially released, it caused a huge degree of controversy and thus became one of the most notorious cult films ever made. It made an underground star...
(1972) as Edie, "The Egg Lady" - Female TroubleFemale TroubleFemale Trouble is a 1974 dark comedy film co-composed, filmed, co-edited, written, produced, and directed by John Waters starring Divine, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, Michael Potter, Cookie Mueller, and Susan Walsh....
(1974) as Aunt Ida - Desperate LivingDesperate LivingDesperate Living is a 1977 American crime comedy fantasy horror film directed, produced, written, and photographed by Baltimore, Maryland filmmaker John Waters starring Liz Renay, Jean Hill, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, and Mary Vivian Pearce.-Plot:...
(1977) as Queen Carlotta - PolyesterPolyester (film)Polyester is a 1981 comedy film directed, produced, and written by John Waters, and starring Divine, Tab Hunter, Edith Massey, and Mink Stole...
(1981) as Cuddles Kovinsky - Love Letter to EdieLove Letter to EdieLove Letter to Edie is a 1975 short documentary by Robert Maier. The film is about actress Edith Massey who starred in many of John Waters films such as; Desperate Living, Pink Flamingos, and Female Trouble...
(1975) (as herself) - Edith's Shopping BagEdith's Shopping BagEdith's Shopping Bag is an American short documentary about the life of Edith Massey.-Cast:*Edith Massey *John Waters *Mink Stole *Mary Vivian Pearce*Bob Adams *Vincent Peranio *Paul Swift *Danny Mills *Ed Peranio *A.J. Tipping...
(1976) (as herself) - Mutants in Paradise (1984) as Dr. Durchfall
- Divine WatersDivine WatersDivine Waters is a 1985 documentary film starring Divine and John Waters as themselves, along with Waters' father John Waters Sr. and sister Trish Waters.-Plot:...
(1985) (Documentary) (as herself) - In Bad TasteIn Bad TasteIn Bad Taste is the second documentary film from Steve Yeager, who had first made Divine Trash in 1998. The documentary follows the cinematic ideas of American filmmaker John Waters, and includes interviews with Waters and his ensemble cast, known as the Dreamlanders.-Cast:*Steve Yeager*John...
(2000) (Documentary) (as herself) [Archive Footage]