Actress Raquel Welch has finally spoken out about her notorious feud with MAE WEST - accusing the late screen legend of being scared to work with her.

The two appeared alongside each other in 1970 movie MYRA BRECKINRIDGE, and their feud became legendary in Hollywood.

Welch discusses the rift on the movie's DVD.

She says, "Mae didn't really work until after 5pm. Those were her hours, and it was even stipulated in her contract.

"I only had one scene with her, and she was quite apprehensive about working with me. She hadn't done a movie in a long time, and in all her previous films, she had been the only star and the only woman, and she was not very inclined to share the screen. So there were a few shenanigans."

Their battle came to a head just before their scene together was shot, says Welch, who recalls, "She had my costume removed from the dressing room. When I went to my closet, it wasn't there. I called my producer and told him my dress had disappeared, and he told me it had been confiscated."

West's costume was white, and she objected to Welch wearing a black gown "because black is also a non-colour".

Welch adds, "This poor woman was really scared - and I've got to say some of this now because I'm doing a book."

12/03/2004 02:41