Angelique Pettyjohn was
never a big star, but she certain had all
the qualities that Hollywood craves. She
was gorgeous, blonde, and big busted
unfortunately it was those very
attributes that made casting directors
blind to her innate flair as an actress
and comedienne. Sadly, this talented
woman was seen and labeled a sex
bomb
and not much more.
She was born on March 10th 1943 in Los Angeles and studied dance and
acting as a girl. The stunning young
woman was soon discovered and put before
the cameras. She photographed
beautifully. In 1965 she began getting
some notice, primarily for her role as
Agent Charlie Watkins (a master of
disguise -- supposedly a man undercover
as a woman) in several Get
Smart episodes. Additional
roles came in the Batman
TV series, the 1967 Elvis Presley movie
Clambake (as
Gloria), Felony Squad,
The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.,
Mr. Terrific,
and Where Were You When The
Lights Went Out (1968).
During this time
Angeliques biggest career impact
came with her role as Shahna in the 1966
Star Trek
episode The Gamesters of
Triskelion. In this very
popular episode Kirk, Uhura, and Chekhov
are captured on a planet where they are
forced to perform for an alien crowd in
gladiator-like arena games. Angelique (as
Shahna) is assigned to help train Captain
Kirk and (of course) falls in love with
him. The popularity of the episode helped
Angelique sustain her fame later in life
-- she would frequently appear at
autograph and Star Trek conventions in
her Shahna regalia where the outgoing
actress was always a big hit with fans.
In 1967 the actress suffered
a major disappointment when she narrowly
missed being cast as Nova in The
Planet of the Apes.
However, the following year Ms. Pettyjohn
made a couple low budget gems that helped
insure her to cult status. First off she
had the lead role as Sheila Willard in
the Philippines filmed scare flick The
Mad Doctor of Blood Island
(which also goes under the titles Tomb
of the Living Dead, Blood
Doctor, and Grave
Desires). The cheesy movie
(so bad it was even featured on
Elviras, Mistress of the Dark,
theatre macabre) starred the late Beach
Party alumni John Ashley as Dr. Lorca, a
man who in his quest to find a cure for
leukemia (a good thing) instead creates a
green chlorophyll blooded mutant monster
(a very bad thing). Later in life about
the only positive thing Angelique would
say about the movie was the scenery
is gorgeous in it. The ummm
greenery was gorgeous but was
still no match for Angeliques
beauty which makes the film infinitely
more watchable. The same year she also
filmed the campy motorcycle gang opus
Hells Belles.
They stole my bike and now they are
gonna pay! The flick co-starred
Jocelyn Lane with Angelique as two biker
gals with a serious agenda.
Over the next few years Ms.
Pettyjohn didnt find the stardom
she longed for and appeared in one
mediocre film after another
despite her talent she was never seen as
anything more than a busty bit of ogled
scenery or sight gag. She made The
Curious Female (1970),
Up Your Teddy Bear
(1970) -- with Victor Buono, Wally Cox,
and Julie Newmar!, Heaven
With a Gun (1969), Tell
Me You Love Me Junie Moon
(1970), G.I. Executioner
(1972) directed by Blood
Sucking Freaks director
Joel M. Reed, Bordello
(1974), and of course the obligatory
episode of Love American
Style in 1969.
Her career was going
nowhere. In 1982 a seasoned and mature
(at 39) but still beautiful Angelique
turned to the adult film industry in
frustration where she appeared in several
hardcore XXX films (Stalag
69, Titillation,
and Body Talk)
under the pseudonyms Heaven St. John,
Angel St. John, and Angelique. The
experience was not a good one for her.
Years later she would claim the films had
been the result of a poor self-image
combined with drug and alcohol problems.
Soon after her career took
another turn. Casting directors may not
have been eager to see her but the
fans sure were! The convention route
proved a very good one for Angelique who,
in conjunction with these appearances,
experienced a decided renaissance in the
mid-80s. Exploitation flick guru Fred
Olen Ray asked her to appear as Lisa in
Biohazard(1984),
which she gladly accepted. In addition
she had a small role in the cult hit
Repo Man
(Repo Wife #2), as well as ones in Weekend
Pass, Goodbye
Cruel World (where she is
billed as Dancing Nun!!),Takin
It Off (billed as
yuk-yuk/get-it Anita Little), and as
Whiplash in Jim Wynorskis The
Lost Empire (1983). In
1988 she had a good role (or at least a
sizeable one) as Dora Belair in Mike
Jittlovs sci-fi fantasy The
Wizard of Speed and Time
(and provided costumes of her own design
as well!!) Her final film appearance
(where she was billed as Ashley St. John)
was in the deliciously titled 1990 film
Sorority Girls and the
Creature from Hell.
In 1989
Angelique Pettyjohn accepted an offer to
dance as a showgirl/stripper in a Las
Vegas review. She was very upbeat about
the gig. A born entertainer, she adored
performing in front of a live audience.
Still gorgeous at 46, Angelique could
easily give the younger girls a run for
their money when it came to sex appeal.
Sadly, this zestful and loving woman died
of cervical cancer at age 48 on
Valentines Day in 1992. |