The Secret Life of Hernando Cortez
American short film (1968)
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The Secret Life of Hernando Cortez is a 1968 experimental film by John Chamberlain.[1][2][3] It starred two of Andy Warhol's Factory actors, Ultra Violet and Taylor Mead.[1]
John Chamberlain
Taylor Mead,
John Chamberlain
| The Secret Life of Hernando Cortez | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | John Chamberlain |
| Screenplay by | Edward Leffingwell, John Chamberlain |
| Produced by | Alan Power |
| Starring | Ultra Violet, Taylor Mead, John Chamberlain |
| Cinematography | John Chamberlain, Richard Davis, Carol Williams |
Release date |
|
Running time | 58 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
History
John Chamberlain is primarily known as a sculptor, but starting in 1968 he made two experimental films.[3] The plot of this film is casual, like many counterculture films of the 1960s, and was essentially about "what to do after arriving in Veracruz".[4] The film has been described in writings as "freeform," "sexually explicit," and as "hallucinatory soft porn".[5][6] Chamberlain described an underlying theme of "conquest".[7] Art critic and curator Edward G. Leffingwell helped write the screenplay,[8] and fashion designer Tiger Morse served as the costume designer.[9] It was filmed in color in the Yucatán and has a 58 minutes runtime.[7][10]
The Secret Life of Hernando Cortez was screened in February 1967 at Hunter College, alongside Chamberlain's film Wide Point (1968), also starring Taylor Mead.[11][12] Both films were shown at the 1968 Annual Exhibition, at Whitney Museum of American Art.[13] It was later shown in the context of movie theaters, film festivals and international art exhibitions.[14][15] The Secret Life of Hernando Cortez has a cult following.[16] The film is part of the Chinati Foundation collection.[17] A flyer for the 1967 film screening at Hunter College is part of the collection at the Smithsonian Institution.[11]
Cast
- John Chamberlain, as Blackie Norton[1]
- Taylor Mead, as Hernando Cortez[2]
- Ultra Violet (also known as Isabelle Collin Dufresne), as 'Daughter of Montezuma'[2]