Puzzle of the Downfallen Anne St. Marie

Faye Dunaway’s birthday this week made me think of the shadowy figure she played in 1970 – the real life fashion model Anne St. Marie, who is at the center of the obscure art house flick PUZZLE OF A DOWNFALL CHILD.

There isn’t a lot known about this 1950s fashion icon, who shattered her life with a nervous breakdown but remained married to the famous photographer Tom Palumbo till her death. But I spotted a new article on her that ran in [italic]Town & Country[/italic] last March.

It’s by the photographer’s second wife, who’s created a book collecting Palumbo’s pictures. As she sifted through his huge archives, she had to make peace with the enigmatic woman who inspired her husband for so many years, and featured in so much of his work. IT SOUNDS SO INTERESTING . . . Amost like “Rebecca”!

The movie is based on tapes photographer turned director Jerry Schatzberg made with his former lover St. Marie, discussing her old life. When he had an affair with Dunaway a decade later, he played the tapes for her and they decided it would make a good movie. (They were kind of right, and kind of wrong.)

I wonder where those tapes are today??

I love this gay guy's site, where he does detailed musings on camp classics. He also creates very fine screen caps (usually better than the original promotional stills) to illustrate his essays.

PUZZLE OF A DOWNFALL CHILD obsessed him when he was 13.

The actress who could play the older, unglued Anne St. Marie today would be Carrie-Anne Moss. This pic of Anne looks like her.