This Easter Sunday marks the third anniversary of Helen Lawson‘s death. She planted her own tree and she made it grow! I think we were all saddened by the shoddy treatment Hollywood gave her when she was portrayed by Susan Hayward in Valley of the Dolls. Hayward had apparently been told to soft-pedal the fiery dynamics of this much bigger star and so phoned in a pale, restrained performance. A disgrace, really. But then Hollywood never forgave Helen for dislocating Joey Heatherton‘s neck during the staircase-slapping scene in How Very Veda, the Ross Hunter remake of Mildred Pierce.

I met Lawson backstage during the Philly try-outs for the doomed specialty production of Hair where the entire cast would be — as stated in the production notes – "over 30." It was too radical for the time, unfortunately. Though anyone who saw Helen’s "Black Boys Are Delicious" will never forget it. (Helen never needed to be miked!) I remember how very generous she was to this young teenage fan and that she signed my Playbill "Love, Love and Love." Her wig smelt of resins and her trademark blue eye-shadow was, of course, applied in startling, Kabuki-style dollops.

She was, as the title of her autobiography proclaimed, "Bigger Than Life." (To read more about The Helen Lawson Years, check out our friends at Data Lounge.)

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