The LGBT community was particularly hard hit by the unexpected passing of musician-actor David Bowie on January 10. The 69-year-old superstar had kept his cancer battle a secret, so his loss was an out-of-left-field sucker punch to many of his fans.
Bowie skyrocketed to fame during the 1970s. He was perhaps the first gender-bending performer to achieve mainstream pop success. He might also have been the first celebrity to publicly come out as bisexual, which he did in a 1976 Playboy magazine interview. Bowie became as well-known for his glam-rock persona as he did for his music. He was forever cemented as a gay icon when he appeared in drag as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
On Saturday, March 12, local impresario Marc Huestis will screen The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), Nicolas Roeg's surreal science fiction drama in which Bowie made his film debut. Candy Clark, fresh off her Oscar-nominated performance in the classic film American Graffiti, co-starred with Bowie. She'll appear at the Castro Theatre to share her very personal memories of Bowie as part of Huestis' tribute to the rock star. The tribute begins at 6:30 p.m.
This gala event will be a return to the Castro for the semi-retired Huestis, who hosted classic film screenings, with stars in attendance, for 20 years. Huestis tells the B.A.R. that he had been thinking about producing smaller events when Bowie's unexpected passing made him realize that he needed to pay homage to his idol. Huestis admits that at first he was hesitant to go through with the idea. Facebook chatter caused him to question his own intentions.
"Almost magically, Candy Clark called me the next day and gave me this fabulous pep talk about the importance of paying tribute to David Bowie," Huestis said. "For that I am forever grateful."
Clark generously spoke to the B.A.R. as she prepared for her trip to San Francisco. "His skin was so luminescent," she recalled of her co-star. "When he's on screen it's difficult to look away, because he's so stunningly gorgeous."
Though she and Bowie never socialized, Clark recalled that she was able to get fairly close to him as filming progressed. "I only knew him in a working situation," she said. "We didn't have many dinners �" he had his entourage, and he went off with them. But we worked together very closely. We always stayed a step ahead, we were always working on the next day's lines."
Clark recalled Bowie as both a hard worker and a voracious reader. "He came with a trunkload of books," she recalled. "He was always friendly and on time. I have no negative memories of him."
Apparently Clark made an impression on Bowie. "A year later, at Christmas, he came to my house in a limo," she said. "He gave me a rhinestone �" he was really sweet. It was good to see him."
She also acknowledged Bowie's contribution to culture, noting his androgynous appearance and his gender-fluid persona. "Back then this could have ruined your career, but he made it his career," she said. "Was he a boy? A girl? He was from another planet �" he was cutting-edge."
These days Clark lives what she calls "a pleasant life. My life is very good," she said. "I have no complaints. I'm going to be in the new Twin Peaks, but I've never been one to wait for the phone to ring. I love acting, but I love other things: gardening, antiquing, reading. I have a free-form life, and that's what I like."
When Candy Clark comes to the Castro, she'll be joined by local icons Veronica Klaus and Tammy Hall, with a special performance by D'Arcy Drollinger's Sextitude Dancers. There will also be a fashion show. Come dressed as your favorite Bowie character. Clark will be available for a meet-and-greet, and The Man Who Fell to Earth will screen on the giant Castro screen.
There will also be an afterparty at the Oasis, separate admission required. It all begins on Sat., March 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., SF.
Tickets ($27.50-$37.50; $47.50 VIP tickets are sold out): ticketfly.com/event/1061837-man-who-fell-earth-san-francisco