Comfort and Joi. By Joesph Dougherty. iUniverse Books. Reviewed by Brian Kirst
Joi Lansing, who appeared in numerous television shows and movies from the late 1940’s until the early 1970’s, was a glamourous, full figured workinghorse actor who made her appearances (whether in supporting roles in major films or as merely an extra player) count. She committed to each performance beat with a pizzaz and attention to detail that should have made her a household name but never quite did.
Indeed, Lansing (who died of breast cancer at the age of 43) did make appearances in such high profile projects as Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil and a few lackluster comedies with Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. None of these projects connected in a major way during her lifetime, though, and by the late 1960’s she was appearing in the cult films (Queen of Outer Space, Hillbillies in a Haunted House, Bigfoot) that have highly sealed her reputation with genre fans.
Thankfully, author Joesph Dougherty examines all of Lansing’s major credits with poignancy and sharp observation in Comfort and Joi. Spending a weekend at his friends’ home, Doughtery rambles through the underappreciated bombshell’s credits and in the process brings home how personal movies can become for the individual viewer. Each of Lansing’s projects (from her extra work in Easter Parade and Singing in the Rain to her appearance in the hokey sci-fi epic The Atomic Submarine) evokes specific, often emotional memories in Doughtery so this becomes both biography and memoir. This heartfelt connection makes one appreciate the talents of Lansing even more so and mourn her loss at an all too early age.
While Dougherty does essentially pooh pooh many of the low budget films that make Joi Lansing of interest to this site, he importantly gives this dedicated blonde bombshell her full, cultural due, making Comfort and Joi a must read for both mainstream and genre loving film fans.
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