Helena Kallianiotes
Encyclopedia
Helena Kallianiotes is an American film actress. In 1973 was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for her role as Jackie Burdette in Kansas City Bomber
.
restaurant in North Hollywood, California
. This engagement led to her first film appearance as an uncredited belly dancer in the 1968 film Head
, directed by Bob Rafelson
and starring the The Monkees
. Kallianiotes was later cast in another Rafelson film Five Easy Pieces
, starring Jack Nicholson
and Karen Black
, in which she played Palm Apodaca, a neurotic, foul-mouthed "butch" lesbian hitch-hiker, traveling with her "fem" companion, played by Toni Basil
. In 1972, Kalllianiotes appeared in her most celebrated role as the ultra-aggressive roller derby
skater Jackie Burdette, in The Kansas City Bomber, for which she received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for the 1973 Golden Globe Awards. Other film roles include Mata Hari
in Shanks
(1974), Elaine Reavis in The Drowning Pool (1975), Anita in Stay Hungry
(1976), and the Visionary Woman in The Passover Plot
(1976).
Helena Kallianiotes is featured on the cover of Art Garfunkel
's LP Breakaway
.
Kansas City Bomber
Kansas City Bomber is a 1972 American drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Jerrold Freedman and starring Raquel Welch.- Plot summary :The film is an inside look at the world of co-ed Roller Derby, then a popular league sport....
.
Career overview
During the late 1960s, Helena Kallianiotes was the resident belly dancer at The Intersection, a GreekCuisine of Greece
Greek cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine, sharing characteristics with the cuisines of Italy, the Balkans, Turkey, and the Levant. Contemporary Greek cookery makes wide use of olive oil, vegetables and herbs, grains and bread, wine, fish, and various meats, including poultry, rabbit and pork. Also...
restaurant in North Hollywood, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. This engagement led to her first film appearance as an uncredited belly dancer in the 1968 film Head
Head (film)
Head is a 1968 psychedelic comedy-adventure major motion picture, starring TV group The Monkees , and distributed by Columbia Pictures...
, directed by Bob Rafelson
Bob Rafelson
Robert "Bob" Rafelson is an Emmy Award winning American film director, writer and producer. He was an early member of the New Hollywood movement in the 1970s and is most famous for directing and co-writing the film Five Easy Pieces, starring Jack Nicholson, as well as being one of the creators of...
and starring the The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
. Kallianiotes was later cast in another Rafelson film Five Easy Pieces
Five Easy Pieces
Five Easy Pieces is a 1970 American drama film written by Carole Eastman and Bob Rafelson, and directed by Rafelson. The film stars Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, and Susan Anspach. The cast also includes Billy 'Green' Bush, Fannie Flagg, Ralph Waite, Sally Struthers, Lois Smith, Toni Basil, and...
, starring Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
and Karen Black
Karen Black
Karen Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
, in which she played Palm Apodaca, a neurotic, foul-mouthed "butch" lesbian hitch-hiker, traveling with her "fem" companion, played by Toni Basil
Toni Basil
Antonia Christina Basilotta , better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, filmmaker, film director, choreographer, and dancer, best known for her multi-million-selling worldwide #1 hit "Mickey" from 1982.-Early life:Basil was born Antonia Christina...
. In 1972, Kalllianiotes appeared in her most celebrated role as the ultra-aggressive roller derby
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
skater Jackie Burdette, in The Kansas City Bomber, for which she received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for the 1973 Golden Globe Awards. Other film roles include Mata Hari
Mata Hari
Mata Hari was the stage name of Margaretha Geertruida "M'greet" Zelle , a Dutch exotic dancer, courtesan, and accused spy who was executed by firing squad in France under charges of espionage for Germany during World War I.-Early life:Margaretha Geertruida Zelle was born in Leeuwarden, Friesland,...
in Shanks
Shanks (film)
Shanks is a 1974 American horror film about a puppeteer able to manipulate dead bodies like puppets. Mime Marcel Marceau, in his first major film role, plays the titular Malcolm Shanks. It was the last film directed by producer-director William Castle....
(1974), Elaine Reavis in The Drowning Pool (1975), Anita in Stay Hungry
Stay Hungry
Stay Hungry is the third album by American heavy metal band Twisted Sister. Released on May 10, 1984, the album features the band's two biggest hits, "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock" and the power ballad "The Price." According to RIAA certification, Stay Hungry gained Multi-Platinum...
(1976), and the Visionary Woman in The Passover Plot
The Passover Plot
The Passover Plot is the name of a controversial, best-selling 1965 book, by British Biblical scholar Hugh J. Schonfield who has also published a translation of the New Testament informed with a Jewish perspective....
(1976).
Helena Kallianiotes is featured on the cover of Art Garfunkel
Art Garfunkel
Arthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...
's LP Breakaway
Breakaway (Art Garfunkel album)
Breakaway is the second solo album by Art Garfunkel. It was released in 1975 on Columbia Records. It was produced by Richard Perry who has produced albums for other artists such as Carly Simon. It includes three Top 40 singles: "I Only Have Eyes For You" , "Break Away" and the Simon And...
.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Head Head (film) Head is a 1968 psychedelic comedy-adventure major motion picture, starring TV group The Monkees , and distributed by Columbia Pictures... |
Belly Dancer | Uncredited |
|
| 1970 | Five Easy Pieces Five Easy Pieces Five Easy Pieces is a 1970 American drama film written by Carole Eastman and Bob Rafelson, and directed by Rafelson. The film stars Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, and Susan Anspach. The cast also includes Billy 'Green' Bush, Fannie Flagg, Ralph Waite, Sally Struthers, Lois Smith, Toni Basil, and... |
Palm Apodaca | Was featured in the famous "chicken salad sandwich" scene with Jack Nicholson, Karen Black and Toni Basil. | |
| The Baby Maker The Baby Maker The Baby Maker is a film directed and co-written by James Bridges and released by Twentieth Century Fox.-Plot:Barbara Hershey portrays a flower child who is hired to have the baby of a middle-class couple .... |
Wanda | |||
| 1972 | Kansas City Bomber Kansas City Bomber Kansas City Bomber is a 1972 American drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Jerrold Freedman and starring Raquel Welch.- Plot summary :The film is an inside look at the world of co-ed Roller Derby, then a popular league sport.... |
Jackie Burdette | Nominated for 1973 Golden Globe Award for "Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role." | |
| 1974 | Shanks Shanks (film) Shanks is a 1974 American horror film about a puppeteer able to manipulate dead bodies like puppets. Mime Marcel Marceau, in his first major film role, plays the titular Malcolm Shanks. It was the last film directed by producer-director William Castle.... |
Mata Hari | ||
| 1975 | The Drowning Pool The Drowning Pool The Drowning Pool is a 1950 mystery novel written by Ross Macdonald, his second book in the series revolving around the cases of private detective Lew Archer.-Plot summary:Archer is hired by a woman to investigate a slanderous letter she received... |
Elaine Reavis | ||
| 1976 | Stay Hungry Stay Hungry Stay Hungry is the third album by American heavy metal band Twisted Sister. Released on May 10, 1984, the album features the band's two biggest hits, "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock" and the power ballad "The Price." According to RIAA certification, Stay Hungry gained Multi-Platinum... |
Anita | ||
| The Passover Plot | Visionary Woman | |||
| 1983 | Eureka | Frieda | ||
| 1990 | Catchfire | Grace Carelli |