Johnny Kitties Special Edition: Cry-Baby Revisited

Hi everyone,

Surprise! This drawing took me weeks to finish, I think, because I feel like I captured everything I wanted to capture about John Waters' 1990 classic Cry-Baby in my first tribute drawing in 2011. Can you believe it's been almost 10 years?

I've always felt uneasy about including the Confederate flag stage curtain in that original drawing, even though it is accurate to and fits well in the film. The Black Lives Matter movement and recent events only amplified my concern. Yet, that Cry-Baby artwork was drawn with nothing but love, so I will keep it in my Johnny Kitties collection. 

But here's another piece to celebrate Cry-Baby that I think I might love just as much: It's Cry-Baby in the daytime. The nice thing about revisiting this movie to create a new illustration so many years later is that enough Kitties have joined our family to play all the characters. 

Welcome to Turkey Point! 

This scene is early in the movie, just after Cry-Baby talked to Allison for the first time and then serenaded her while driving on the wrong side of the road after school. Now at home, with Allison still on his mind, Cry-Baby and his gang greet Grandma Ramona and Uncle Belvedere. I knew this movie was going to be great when I saw that Director John Waters got Iggy Pop to take a bath outside in a bucket. 

In this illustration, Gordon plays Johnny's character, as always, and Lily, again as Allison (Amy Locane), invades Cry-Baby's thoughts. The Mother Kitty and B.J. also reprise their roles as Ramona and Belvedere (Susan Tyrrell and Iggy Pop). The rest of the Kitties mix it up: This time around, Comet and Ashes play Milton and Hatchet-Face (Darren E. Burrows and Kim McGuire). Mini portrays Cry-Baby's sister Pepper (Ricki Lake), with Stephen and Mew as her little kids (Jonathan Benya and Jessica Raskin). Emily shows her stuff as Wanda (Traci Lords), and Walter plays it cool as Dupree (Robert Tyree). 

But maybe the real star of this drawing is the skeleton head, just in time for Halloween. The Kitties stayed away from that role. 

The only thing missing from this drawing is a snippet of Cry-Baby's fantastic soundtrack. I couldn't fit the lyrics, but I did have "(My Heart Goes) Piddily Patter, Patter" by Nappy Brown in my head the entire time I was coloring: "My heart goes Piddily Patter, Patter/ Piddily Patter, Patter/ Every time I look at you/ Don't I know what's the matter, matter?/ What's the matter, but I think it's cause I love you." That Cry-Baby soundtrack still rocks, '50s style! 

What's Next? 

New Johnny Kitties illustrations, celebrating Johnny's two latest films – The Professor and Waiting for the Barbarians – are swirling in my head and on the horizon. Until next time, I hope you enjoy this flashback.

Carsick

Hi everyone,

I bought John Waters's latest book, Carsick, this summer while he was book touring and stopped in D.C. for a conversation with Washington Post reviewer Louis Bayard at the Sixth and I Synagogue. He wore fire engine red pants and a black jacket. (Sometimes, he's worth seeing just for his fashion sense.)

Carsick recounts his adventure hitchhiking from his home in Baltimore, Maryland, to his timeshare apartment in San Francisco, California. Before telling readers what really happened on his trip, he offers two novellas that imagine the best- and worst-case scenarios. Each chapter is new ride. Only John Waters, a 63-year-old cult film director, writer, actor, and performer – who can easily afford faster, safer ways to travel – would consider making this trip in real life. The rest of us conventional types wondered Louis Bayard's very first question: What were you thinking, hitchhiking on your own these days? Noting that his "criminal friends" were the ones who were most against his idea and that made him nervous, he responds, "It's dangerous. But so is driving, and so is staying home. That's very dangerous. Nothing will ever happen to you again in your life!"

John Waters always says interesting things like this, statements that make me think and see things differently. I've been a fan since seeing Hairspray in the '80s and, of course, since he cast Johnny Depp in 1990's Cry-Baby, happy to help steer his film career in the right direction. (You can find my Johnny Kitties tribute to that movie here.) I met him once before at a book signing for his previous (fantastic) book, Role Models. When I met him this time, I told him how much I liked that book and that I was excited to read this one. He thanked me twice for both compliments. He's nice too! Can I consider us friends now?

Carsick is an entertaining, funny, quick read. The novellas offer a glimpse into John Waters's warped, wonderful imagination and introduce readers to all those people the rest of us are afraid to approach. (I always learn new things from John Waters, who in his nonjudgmental way of life, flirts with the fringe of society.) In the best-case scenario, he receives $5 million to finance his next film, experiences magic from outer space, runs into a long-lost friend, meets one of his movie-star idols, and falls in love by the time he reaches San Francisco. On his worst rides, he encounters a drunk driver, torturers, kidnappers, overzealous fans, and death. The pleasant surprise of the real rides is that everyone who picks him up is content and kind.

I finished this book feeling good about the world and the people in it, though I agree with John Waters's personal assistant, who acknowledges how his recognizable face helped move him across the country. Upon his arrival in San Francisco, she said, "if it were my unknown ass, I'd still be [hitchhiking] in West Virginia waiting for a ride." So, you may decide against trying this kind of road trip yourself and, instead, read this book to imagine what would happen if you ever dared it. With John Waters as your guide (complete with a 30-song playlist provided on the last page), I think you're safe.

Buckle up,


P.S. For more of my book reviews, click the new Keep Reading tab below the banner on my blog. This page will be updated as new book reviews are posted.

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #5--Cry-Baby (1990)

[What is Johnny Kitties? See Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp for all the details.] 

"You big ol' cry-baby..." Johnny Depp as Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker.

"The reason this movie plays on television all over the world is because of the great star Johnny is and what a great actor he is. I'm very thankful that we got to work together--late in my career and early in his. It seemed like the right thing to do at the right time." 

Director John Waters

Most people know film director John Waters from his most popular movie, Hairspray, which went on to great success on Broadway and spawned a popular remake in 2008. Because of Hairspray's success, every studio wanted to make his next movie, Cry-Baby. "There was a bidding war!" he said. "It's never happened before or since."

The Cry-Baby Gang

A teen musical that spoofs Elvis Presley movies and the 1950s stance on juvenile delinquency, Cry-Baby follows the lives of teenagers from Baltimore society's two social groups--the Squares (the law-abiding goody two-shoes type) and the Drapes (the greaser, delinquent type). In the film, Drape gang leader Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker (Johnny Depp) falls for Square princess Allison (Amy Locane), and they struggle to cross cultural lines and bring their two worlds together.

Throughout his career, John Waters has earned the nicknames "The Pope of Trash" and "The Prince of Puke." His movies are an acquired taste, often shocking, and sometimes hard to take. But you've got to  admire a guy who is so outside of the box, casts actors from all walks of life, and never quits in getting his movies made or bringing his views to light. "I was a big admirer of John's films," Johnny said. "He was so outside the system and such a great radical of a filmmaker." 

His movies were out there! After we saw Hairspray, my sister and I sought out some of John Waters's earlier films. I don't remember their plots so much as I do their strangeness. In these movies, things were unpolished and unHollywood. I saw people I didn't know existed--people from the outskirts of society--and I wasn't sure if I wanted to know them. I remember feeling simultaneously unsettled and intrigued.

Many fans consider Cry-Baby pretty tame compared to the director's earlier works, but I always felt Cry-Baby was  an unmistakable John Waters movie. Where else are you going meet a family in which the grandmother and uncle are in a steamy, committed relationship bringing up a gang of juvenile delinquents with hearts of gold? And, don't forget the detailed lessons on French kissing this movie offers!

What I find most interesting about Cry-Baby is how much is based on real life. Growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, John Waters knew Drapes and Squares and filmed in locations that accurately portrayed 1950s Baltimore. The story was inspired by a newspaper article from that time about the murder of a 14-year-old girl. He overheard people dismiss the sensational story: "This is what happens when you're a Drapette." John Waters says he was not a Drape would have loved to be one.

A Fresh Start

For Johnny, this film was the beginning of a new life. Having escaped the constraints and unwanted attention of 21 Jump Street, Cry-Baby gave him a chance to wipe the slate clean: "It was a chance to really make fun of the image that had been shoved down America's throats by the company that I worked for," he said. "Cry-Baby for me was the first time out of the gate where I was able to say, 'All right, this is what I want to do. This is the direction I want to go in.' It was the first one."

John Waters found and chose Johnny as his leading man from the racks of teen magazines that Johnny so hated. (Ironic, no?) He said that of all the stars he's worked with in his career, Johnny was the one who fit into his group the fastest and easiest--from Day 1. Johnny confirmed this notion, "For the first time in quite a while, I felt free when I went there to Baltimore. I really felt like I had been accepted into that family."

To me, Cry-Baby reflects that joy and spirit. Sure, it's extreme and over-the-top, but at its heart is a simple, universal love story. And--above all--it's fun and funny!

Stranded in Ohio

I didn't get to see Cry-Baby in the theaters when it was first released. I don't think my parents yet realized that my unwavering devotion to that guy from 21 Jump Street was not going away. (Or, maybe they were just hoping it would.) There was no convincing them to drive me 45 miles to the only little theater in the area showing his movie. Instead, I sighed at the Cry-Baby TV commercials and waited for its video release. (Don't worry--I did  finally get to see this movie on the big screen a few years ago.)

Now, I have and highly recommend the director's cut DVD. For some reason, there are several versions of this movie out there, including the one from the theaters and one that was edited for TV. Don't watch the latter; John Waters hates it. Instead, watch the director's cut, which includes a fantastic dance scene missing from the theatrical release. Uncle Belvedere (Iggy Pop) has some serious moves!

 Watching Cry-Baby for Johnny Kitties, I was surprised by how many scenes I loved that didn't include Johnny! The family atmosphere on the set he described is probably what made the cast work so perfectly. Aside from Johnny and the eclectic cast, my favorite ingredient in Cry-Baby is its '50s rockabilly soundtrack. John Waters has good taste in that area. Several songs from the this movie are on my ipod. "Cry-Baby is my favorite musical," John Waters said recently. "With Johnny Depp in his prime--You can't get better than that!"

The Kitties are with the Drapes

This illustration depicts a mixture of two scenes, includes many of the memorable cast members, and--I hope--captures spirit of the film. I never thought I'd do a kitty drawing featuring a confederate flag, but John Waters--who felt the same way about including one in his movie--defends its use because it was historically accurate. "That was Baltimore in the '50s," he said. "It was the South."

For the Drapes, The Jukebox Jamboree is an annual musical celebration. If you watch the movie, you'll find all these dancers in the crowd. I loved that while they all danced in different styles, their bodies were glued together--as only Drapes would know how. Slow dancing here to the great song "I'm So Young" by the Students, the Mother Kitty is featured as grandmother Ramona Rickets (Susan Tyrell) dancing with B.J.'s Uncle Belvedere (Iggy Pop). The other kitties were happy to play extras on the dance floor. You'll find Comet paired with Ashes, Norman swaying with his girl, Simon with a twin partner, and Mini as Cry-Baby's little niece dancing with her brother.

Meanwhile, Cry-Baby--having rescued Allison (played by Lily) from the Squares' own annual talent show--arrives and introduces her to his world. The Cry-Baby girls come to greet her. They include Wade's pregnant sister Pepper (Ricki Lake), Hatchetface (Kim McGuire), and Wanda (Traci Lords). "Dig it, Babes," Wanda greets Allison. "You need a new look!" They offer to give Allison a Bad Girl Beauty Makeover. Here, she goes for it and Cry-Baby is all about it. Ah, young, true love. It'll be smooth sailing from here, right? See the movie and find out!

Next month, see Johnny in one of his favorite roles as Edward Scissorhands. It marks the start of a beautiful friendship....

(Aside from my drawing, all images ©Universal Studios.)