European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 7, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine Raquel Welch underwent a surprising trans formation below for her t tatting role in a to drama about a woman who has a degenerative illness Ana asks to be allowed to Hie. Forsaking Glamour for drama on dying by Leslie Bennetts new York times Aggard and wasted by disease she slumps like a rag doll paralysed. The Ira Cheatoms thai enables hero breathe has deprived her of the ability to talk she can communicate Only by blinking her eyelids of witching her head once an attractive woman with a full mental and physical Lite she is now a drooling dependent sustained by machines her existence reduced to Only one wish that she be allowed to die. Such a plight is hardly he kind of Roia one 355003 Les with Raquel Welch whose Beauty contest body began her career whose Glamour has sustained her reputation and who has recently released an exercise video that shows her at the age of 47. Still in spectacular shape. For yeas Rhos people did t imagine Welch could act she seemed to be one of those celebrities who Are famous Nixe for looking terrific than of doing very much More than two dozen films most of them forgettable did Little to dispel the sex Symbol Mage. Then came woman of he Yea the Broadway musical in which Welch replaced Lauren Bacall inthe Leadroe and showed that she could act sing and dance in a television Moie last month in Ihbe United steles called flight to die Welch look on a Mora Dill cult Rolo she played Emily Bauer a Middle aged psychologist and the Mother of two children whose Lite is devas laced by amyl trophic lateral sclerosis the progressive degenerative illness known As Lou Gehrig s disease. Flip of to die which was broadcast by Abc. Is being regarded by some As Welch s breakthrough role one thai could do for her what the burning bed a television drama about an abused wife who murders her husband did for Farrah Fewcell prove once and Lor All thai she is an actress of enough Doplh to do Justice to a painful complicated Issue. Welch is impatient with such pronouncements they All want to say that this is a big career move she said but when i look Back every single time i be done anything it s always supposed to be a big career move to Tell you the truth i m not that inner sled in changing my image i like id live up to it so i Don t disappoint people. M i m hired to come out and look gorgeous. I try to do that. We re All stuck with the impressions we came in the door with in show business but t Don t think that s such a bad thing it s part of your identity it makes you  not that she in t pleased to have tackled As meaty a role As Emily Bauer. Welch prepared or it by visiting clinics talking with Pali cats suffering from Lou Gohng s disease and poring Ovi r Iris Towk on which hip Nivon was based 7hrs far and to Mora by Andrew h Malcolm assistant National news editor of the i v Koryc times which  in blk i Here in finl by times books Welch s Homework apparently  off. During the shooting of the movie s  Onnrie. Some Crow members had to leave i to set acc also they Woie sobbing audibly the assignment also required Welch la Largo almost an makeup of lease Tor thy Only scones makeup was used Laler Only to convey the gruesome degeneration Hal Emily Bauer endured although ins role is i in apr departure. Welch portrays id assignment More As the Rchull of Serin Dipiny than of a grand career plan i was t making a con scion in search Tor something like  she said but i had always known i had is whole part of my being and my professional ability that j no or dad a Chance to use fully and thus satisfied thai the script s Forl Hughl position Aboul a controversial Issue particularly appealed to Hor. She said Sinco she believed Emily Bauer was Enlil cd to her demand to die and that she herself would have maae the Samp Choice in that situation television wants to Donl with Tough issues Bui what it usually does is skill around them and no Lake a position Welch said. You have to show the whole spectrum of considerations that go into something like this personal religious emotional Legal metaphysical financial and so on but then you have to go sul on a limb and say something even if it might not to everyone s  Welch saw this script As affirming Emily Bauer s right to die. Death in t the worst thing that can happen to you she said. It s Lack of Faith Lack of  Welch who has Long held Strong views on such questions grows impassioned on to subject i have always bean a a launch supporter of individual rights and the Freedom of  she said ii seems to me Hal recently Iacre s born Moru and More infringement on rights like a woman s right to have or not to have a child the right of consenting adults to do what they wan i to behind closed doors and the right to die if you want to  Welch said she considered these Nnaji enable rights that Are at the very Core of what we in supposed to represent As  " we re All so different As different As our fingerprints one  and i think in s important that we somehow accommodate those differences rather than trying to clone ourselves Asil the same thing is right or wrong for everyone although har Porto Mance in flight to die has already Elic led an Avalanche of cause oriented scripts. Welch does not expect Illo transform her career in any lasting Way. In addition to the new exercise tape she is about to release a pop Rock dance single and continues to perform her  concert show in night clubs she has been Mamou Lor toy cars to her third husband. Andre Weinfeld. A film writer and producer in aft wench seems quite satisfied with her life what s so terrible she said with Aspelly Why do i have to prove anything1? i m pretty and funny i m a Light comedienne i have certain things i would like to do. But they re not so much pools As experiments discoveries adventures 1m interested in variety and change of Pace " it there was Over a Down Side of being   she added "