Frank Raiter R.I.P.

We just last night confirmed that actor Frank Raiter, co-star of Christa Helm's LET'S GO FOR BROKE and in Broadway's CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, has been dead since 2006, a year BEFORE I started investigating Christa's life and murder. This explains why he never responded to the several snail mail letters I wrote him between 2007 and 2016. R.I.P. 

Kathy Imrie in Black Stars-1974

Here's an early 1974 article about LET'S GO FOR BROKE co-star Kathy Imrie which not only features some early publicity for the picture but also a couple of stills of Kathy with Christa. Of particular interest is that based on the way magazine dating works, this magazine would have been on the stands while the film was still in production!

 

Jackie Mayro 2020

 

Last week, I was finally able to speak with Jacqueline Mayro, the retired Broadway actress who appears in a small but pivotal role in LET'S GO FOR BROKE. She told me that while she couldn't remember how she met Stuart Duncan, she and Lennie Barrin were partners in ODDITIES, essentially a casting agency for unusual performers. It was as such that she got involved with LET'S GO FOR BROKE, not as an actress. At least not originally. After no one could agree on who should play the part of the kidnapped feminist author in the movie, Stuart suggested she take the role herself...and she did. 

Ron Walsh and Alex Sheafe

A couple of trade ads here offer the info that Ron Walsh, before he replaced Alex Stevens as credited director, was Production Manager. Interesting to note that LADY J was here listed as a "big release" and yet remained completely unreleased. 

Also of note above is that the cast list includes Alex Sheafe. He went on to a long career in TV soaps starting the year LET'S GO FOR BROKE was made but he does not appear to be in the final cut. His name appears nowhere in the film's final credits.

Cold Case

Just found out that both of the detectives who had worked so long on the Christa Helm murder case have now retired and no new investigators are currently assigned to the Cold Case. 

Hollywoodland Unsolved with Ansley Gordon

Found a new, recent, Christa Podcast. Rather than just lifting it as others have, this one actually credits my blog research as well as my original online article with John O'Dowd and both the CBS and Oxygen documentaries. I even get namechecked in the podcast itself. Repeats some of the mistakes we made, though. Still, a good summation.

https://soundcloud.com/user-185163798/the-murder-of-christa-helm

The Unholy

I just found out that Christa's murder is referenced very briefly in bestselling author Heather Graham's 2012 novel, THE UNHOLY. Here's the passage.