Frank Cavestani

Book: "WARHOL" by Victor Bockris Viking Penguin Inc. New York,NY.1990 1357899108642 Women in Revolt was finally released in 1972. Vincent Canby hailed the film as a madcap soap opera in the New York Times, stating , 'probably no man, not even Norman Mailer, will ever have the last word on women's liberation, but until one does, perhaps the Andy Warhol - Paul Morrissey Women in Revolt will do.' Despite some of the best reviews ever received by a Warhol film, it achieved none of the success of Trash, largely because of a bad distribution deal. The actor Frank Cavestani, who had met Warhol through Wynn Chamberlain and played a small role in the film, was particularly struck by the way Warhol managed the Factory and made the films. "1969 - 1972 was the heaviest drug time in New York and at the Factory. That was when Andy said, 'Oh, really?' to almost everything you said. People would bring up all sorts of foreign actors and tell Andy this is the person who can do this or that and he would say 'Oh, really?' Before you knew it these people would be taking their clothes off and doing some number because he wouldn't respond. Brigid Polk told me one time, 'Andy really likes you a lot but he thinks you should be a homosexual.' I said, 'Oh, really?' I thought he was a wonderful man. I never heard him say a disparaging word and he was always helpful, interested, friendly and generous. You could call him at home on the phone and he would take your call. Paul was the organizer. Completely. There was a constant tension at the Factory, a kind of receiving line where everybody only had so much time to talk to Andy and then you had to move on to let the next person come in." Cavestani played a construction worker in the film. He recalls one episode: We started shooting in the street not far from the Factory, down from Max's. Andy was there. I said, 'What's supposed to happen in the scene? and Andy said, 'Gee, I don't know. Ask Paul.' So I said, 'Paul, what's supposed to happen in the scene?' He said, 'Gee, I don't know. Ask Jackie.' So Jackie and I made up this scene. At one point Jackie, whom I knew quite well, took off my helmet and smashed me in the face. I said, 'Jackie, you son of a bitch!' and started chasing her. She pulled up her dress and ran down the street. By the time I got to the end of the block I realized it was hysterical and I came back and Andy said, 'Oh, that was just wonderful.' Meanwhile, this cop comes over and he says, 'Do you guys have a permit?' I turned around and Andy was scooting up the street with Paul and they took off. We went back to the Factory and did the second scene, where Jackie was, for some reason, supposed to give me an enema though it was completely out of context. I told Wynn Chamberlain about it later and he said, 'Oh, Andy has a whole collection of asses being given enemas. He's not going to put that in the movie at all!' I got paid a few hundred dollars. Andy wrote the check himself in his office. He said, 'How much do you want?' I said, $150.00.' He said, 'I think I'll make it $200.'