Our Shelley Duvall Efforts

Long long ago, before cable networks were synonymous with original content,
actress Shelley Duvall approached the Showtime network with a proposal for a
unique television series. Encouraged by her friend Robin Williams, she presented her ingenious concept for a series of live-action interpretations of classic
fairy tales, written with humor and wit and styled after the masterworks of classic artists. The suits, eager to pioneer exciting proprietary programming, were sold,
thus Faerie Tale Theatre was born. Shelley produced the series, assembling an
impressive roster of her friends, comprised of legendary actors, models, and
rock stars, all willing to take part in a unconventional project with a shoestring
budget, while having fun.

One of my first memories is of reciting the iconic introduction Shelley chirped
before each installment of the show. I would roam the house, accosting each
family member to cheerfully announce, “Hello, I’m Shelley Duvall. Welcome to
Faerie Tale Theatre.” I, of course, wasn’t Shelley, but as a gay six-year-old,
fascinated by her unconventional costumes, wigs, and shoulder pads, I probably
wanted to be. She personified the show as a kindly and intriguing ambassador,
conveying the fantastic stories via prehistoric VHS tapes from a long-forgotten
land—the video rental store. To this weird kid in small-town Texas, anxiously
awaiting each of her magical broadcasts, Shelley felt like a friend.

About twenty years later, the show was thrust back into my consciousness after
reading of its forthcoming DVD release. I was inspired to revisit the episodes and was amazed at the treasure trove of sophisticated talent, music, and art direction that undoubtedly inspired my decision to pursue a career in visual art.

Despite my obsession with the show, as a child, I couldn’t possibly have
appreciated the irony of Dynasty’s Joan Collins as a repulsive witch in Hansel and Gretel, Vincent Price as a magic mirror annoyed with Vanessa Redgrave’s
narcissism, or the unlikely appearance of Mick Jagger as a Chinese emperor. I had no frame of reference with which to enjoy the very participation of Liza Minelli,
Ben Vereen, Anjelica Houston, Klaus Kinski, Frank Zappa, or Carole King. I also
couldn’t have recognized the significance of Monty Python’s Eric Idle, Francis Ford Coppola, or a young Tim Burton lending their directorial flair to the series.

Realizing the understated appreciation for a show that has only improved with
age, I decided to try to organize a reunion for everyone who had been involved
with creating Faerie Tale Theatre. I spoke with many of the original cast, crew, and producers. Everyone was excited about the prospect, but Shelley proved
impossible to locate. An old friend of hers contacted me shortly after I had
initiated the efforts. He told me he had lost touch with her and was concerned
about what he had heard regarding her well-being. I wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, but when Shelley's mom Bobbie called to tell me Shelley wouldn't want to be a part of a reunion, I gave up on the idea.

A few years later a troubling television appearance aired. Like so many others, I
wanted to help Shelley, but had no idea how. Eventually, I decided to just get my
contact information to her. I simply offered to stop by for a visit if she could use a
friend. She called immediately and left several messages inviting me over. I drove down the dirt road to her isolated house. We talked and laughed late into the
night. She was older and had endured a string of unfortunate circumstances, but
her wit, humor, and warmth are still intact. Her memory is, like they say, a steel
trap. She’s full of hilarious anecdotes and incredible memories from her exciting
life and impressive career. She dated half of Simon and Garfunkel and a Beatle.
She’s also produced several award-winning shows, and has with modern film’s
most noteworthy directors: Woody Allen, Terry Gilliam, Steven Soderbergh, Guy Madden, and Stanley Kubrick, to name a few. She turned remarkable
performances in films like Popeye and The Shining, and received the best actress
award at Cannes for her masterfully ad-libbed role in Robert Altman’s
Three Women--she has plenty to talk about.

 I sat by her car as she looked down from the driver's seat. Her eyes twinkled
as she recounted the night The Shining premiered on network
television: while walking home to watch the broadcast, a carload of boys drove by waving and yelling, “Hey, Shelley! REDRUM! REDRUM!” She laughed and laughed.
She loves telling that story. 

For several years she and I have met regularly for lunch. I always come with a load of fan mail, artworks, and various tokens of admiration collected on her behalf.
I've also been collecting her personal items and memorabilia that pop up online to return to her. Her Los Angeles storage unit contents were auctioned away years
ago, leaving her with no memorabilia from her career.

She’s understandably wary of social media and technology, so I have gladly
become her de facto conduit to the outside world. I reach out to old
friends so they can reconnect; I don’t want her to miss out on anything, and I don’t want that exploitative and appalling , interview—edited for sensationalist impact—to dishonor public perception of her or overshadow her indelible contributions
to pop culture or our collective consciousness. I think she really is a genius.

I’ve procured the FaerieTaleTheatre.com URL and I’ve been working with a
programmer to set up an online Faerie Tale Theatre compendium featuring a plethora of content contributed by fans, cast, crew, producers, and Shelley herself. I've designed most of it and it should be coming online in the next couple of months.

Your support will help fund my travel back to visit Shelley in Texas (once it's safe),
resume our regular seafood lunches, help fund the website and the procuring of
career memorabilia & her personal effects as they appear online, as well as
general assistance. Recently, I was able to procure some of the original costumes
from Faerie Tale Theatre for her. I was also lucky to be able to bring her an iPad
that I loaded with most of her film and television performances. It was an amazing and surreal experience to watch her performances with her. She hadn't seen them in decades.

I've created two coloring books and four art prints with Shelley. They're available on Etsy. Shelley’s given her blessing and creative input for the projects, and signs a number of them. As it becomes safe to visit her, we'll release more signed editions.

Feel free to contact me if you'd like information on how to get a letter to her. I'll be happy to help make that happen (I get to see her light up when she receives
them)! 

Your assistance, support, and all of the kind messages are greatly appreciated.

Thanks to a devoted following, a string of re-releases, the inclusion of her work on streaming services, a new generation of fans, and recent articles illustrating the
complexity of her genius & the significance of her work, Shelley and her entire
legacy will continue to live on-- happily ever after.

Thanks for being a part of that! 

Warm regards,

Ryan Obermeyer