“To filmmaker Richard Myers, Republic serial star Frances Gifford possessed ‘a sense of beauty and strength...a mysterious androgyny, deeply sexual, but not in the least unfeminine.' Gifford's star rose when she signed a contract with MGM in the mid-forties but fell abruptly with a disfiguring car accident in 1948. The destruction of Myers' hometown movie theater symbolized the loss of his childhood dream-place, and inspired his search for the obscure object of his adolescent desires. In a style both uniquely personal and broadly American, Myers interweaves such disparate threads as Gifford's verbal recollections of her ordeal, his mother's reminiscences of moviegoing, his own autobiographical images, pure fantasies (frying pancakes in a swimming pool), and actors Mary and Jake Leed in a modern-day context as Nyoka the Jungle Girl and her companion Stanton. The result is a gentle, dreamy homage to the glory days of weekend serials. With his usual dexterity, Myers has utilized the canon of experimental film techniques to create a personal film of whimsy and zest.” Sally Syberg
Cultural myths and personal memories have been combined in many of Richard Myers' acclaimed films, which have been presented at PFA. These include 37-73, Akran, Deathstyles, and Floorshow. Myers teaches at Kent State University.