We were about to begin a new chapter in our lives at the club. For financial reasons, Roxy and I incorporated and named the company Darcelle XV Productions. Our first major endeavor was to transform the Mardi Gras celebration. This event marked the transition of Demas Tavern—now Darcelle XV Showplace—from a simple tavern serving beer and wine into a full-fledged drag venue. It all began with Tina Sandell (Jerry Farris) and me (Walter W. Cole/Darcelle), and soon, Roxy (Roc Neuhardt) joined in, performing drag for the lesbian community. Some people don’t believe me when I say this, but we were. In fact, in the book The Gay Insider USA by John Francis Hunter (1972), page 544, it states:
“Now we will stop at Demas to see the new décor and catch a glimpse of the drag show. The reason this packed place looks like the Isle of Lesbos is that our sisters have taken over tonight.”
We loved Mardi Gras, but we thought, Let’s find another way to celebrate our anniversary at the club—something special. Sure, it was fun to throw a party and see if people showed up in costume, but what if we held an event that ensured they would? But what kind of event?
One evening, while looking through the La Rouge program, I came across the phrase La Femme—French for “The Woman.” I said, That’s it! We’re going to call it La Femme Magnifique! And that’s also where I got the La Femme logo.
True, we had the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court, which each year crowned an Emperor and Empress, but this was going to be different. This was to find the most qualified glamorous female impersonator that was out there. And, those ‘girls’ were going to be judged by local dignitaries and celebrities like Mayor Vera Katz, amongst others…
To keep part of Mardi Gras alive, and since Mame (David Hamilton) loved going down there, we gave away tickets to Mardi Gras as the prize. I mean, the first time we did it, we had 100 people waiting outside who couldn’t get in. We’ve done it at various locations – Erickson’s Saloon, Melody Ballroom, Red Lion (hotel) Jantzen Beach, Montgomery Park, and now the Oregon Convention Center.
Every place we went before the Convention Center we had to bring in our stage, sound, and light system; it was work – thank God we found the Convention Center. I physically made the sets in my backyard. I’ve done all seasons, someone had to do it. Oh, one year at the Red Lion, the stage wasn’t tall enough, so my light guy went over to Home Depot, got some lumber, we used it, and then we returned it the next day, and we got our money back.
Throughout the years, contestants have come from all over the world, but one criterion, THE criteria, you have to be male – and not in any stage of transition, we do ask the contestants to open their shirts. You can tell if they are on hormone treatments or the like, but their breasts. At one point, I think it was on Le Femme’s 30th pageant, I got on stage and said, “This is it, we’re not doing it anymore.” I didn’t say why. Why? I was doing everything – the ticket sales, advertising, screening, getting contestants, ticket selling – the whole nine yards. For a while, we had Faux Frontal – that was the counterpart to Le Femme – this was for women who dressed up as men. It didn’t last very long – no one wanted to compete. I guess it lasted for about three years – people just weren’t excited about it – they wanted the drag look – the glamour.
“…female impersonation is an art form, and should be looked upon as such.” LaVern Cummings [LaVerne Cummings was a stage performer as a female impersonator who performed for decades at the legendary Finnochio’s nightclub in San Francisco.]
Each La Femme program includes the history of its origins, written by the one and only Paula Neilsen.
The Creation of a Legend by Paula Neilsen
In 1982, Darcelle XV, a Portland, Oregon, cabaret, launched a beauty pageant for female impersonators. An outlet was needed for up-and-coming drag entertainers in the Pacific Northwest. In 1981, the National Fountain even dubbed Portland “Drag City.” In this atmosphere, La Femme Magnifique was born—and it didn’t take long for the idea to spread beyond the region.
During the early years, five Pacific Northwest cities hosted La Femme contests. As time passed, more cities joined, including Denver, Honolulu, and Los Angeles. Winners from these cities traveled to Portland over Labor Day weekend to compete for the international title of La Femme Magnifique, which crowned the most glamorous female impersonator in the universe.
The first-ever La Femme Magnifique titleholder was Portland’s own Lorelei Lee, hailed by the press as “a haunting expression of Marilyn Monroe.
The rules for entering La Femme were simple. Contestants were introduced to one key concept during orientation—GLAMOUR. Talent was also a prerequisite for those aspiring to join the La Femme Hall of Fame. The pageant, traditionally held at Montgomery Park’s Atrium, moved in 1999 to the luxurious DoubleTree Hotel ballroom at Jantzen Beach, which overlooks the Columbia River.
Contestants are judged in four categories:
Formal Wear
Theme Look
Talent
Showgirl Look
Participants are reminded that merely passing as a woman isn’t enough. Glamour, show business flair, the ability to strut confidently in high heels while donning Las Vegas-style showgirl headgear—and making it look effortless—along with an undeniable stage presence that captivates the audience—these are what it takes to be crowned La Femme Magnifique.
Since 1982, the La Femme Magnifique beauty pageant has become legendary, growing more popular each year and expanding to new cities. Could your city be next?
Our first La Femme Magnifique event even received media coverage, though I would have preferred a more positive review. Here’s an excerpt:
“The mirrored tiles are peeling; the drapes are faded and torn. Even the spray-on glitter on the flowerpots on stage is wearing thin. The boys – I mean the girls – who strut their stuff at Darcelle’s don’t have to worry about being out-dazzled by the décor.”
Lest it be thought that the business of being a drag queen is a peculiarly contemporary and urban phenomenon, I should perhaps mention that the passion usually had two distinct roots: a small town and mummy’s closet. Consider Sunday evening’s contestants. Harley Dee hails from Silverton, Michelle Craig from Coos Bay, and Kelly Grant from Grants Pass. These are not the sort of towns where quiche looms large on local menus.
The contest was judged by a trio of (real) women well-versed in the art of playing dress-ups. Kathy Smith and Cheryl Hansen of KGW-TV, and Junia Stephens of KPTV turned out to be good sports. Channel 8’s three-times-a-day-before-meals news anchor, for example, was introduced as looking “as radiant as Liz Taylor…but not quite as well developed.” Hansen was called “butch” for showing up with a cast on a broken ankle – the latest testament to oft-quoted ferocity on the racquetball court.
In the final analysis, the choice of judges and crowd was unanimous. The crown went to Lorelel Lee, a young man who wowed the house with his positively eerie performance as Marilyn Monroe.
The Press Takes Notice
The Oregonian, Friday, September 23, 1983, Metro/Northwest Jonathan Nicholas column:
DRAG RACE: Sunday at 8 p.m. Darcelle XV il shudder beneath an onslaught of sequins and sin as the regional finals of La Femme Magnifique beauty pageant come to town. If you find the Miss America contest as boring as I do, then you could be ready to watch these ‘femmes Magnifique’ take a walk on the wild side.
