Roman Candles

Starring Maelcum Soul, Bob Skidmore, Mona Montgomery, Divine, Mink Stole, Mary Vivian Pearce, David Lochary

Roman Candles is John Waters' earliest short film. In homage to Andy Warhol's Chelsea Girls, it uses three projectors simultaneously, and features what would become the Dreamlanders, a cast and crew who helped create John's films up until the 80s, and in some cases, even today. Also similar to Warhol's factory superstars, these characters were given unusual names, like Divine and Mink Stole.

The movie features Maelcum Soul in drag-queen-nun habit, a priest drinking a beer, a woman being attacked with an electric fan, a drag riding a motorcycle, and Divine playing hide and seek - all to a tune by the Shangri-Las (played off a tape recorder in the room). Art for art's sake?

The film stock, just like Hag in a Black Leather Jacket, was stolen for the production by Dreamlander Mona Montgomery and John. It was the first film produced under the name Dreamland Studios, established in 1966 by Waters.

It is not available on home video, but is seen as part of the travelling photography exhibit, Change of Life by John Waters.

1966, three 8mm reels shown simultaneously, color, 40 minutes