Ah, the ‘70s, a time when PC principles did not apply. You can guess what part of the title served as a nickname for Welch’s telephone operator in this dark comedy about a Los Angeles ambulance company. Bill Cosby is the star driver Mother — last name Tucker — who drinks on the job, hassles nuns and is rude to everyone else. Joining this band of misfits is a Vietnam War ambulance driver Harvey Keitel, who earns the name Speed for supposedly selling cocaine to children. Directed by Peter Yates of “Bullitt” fame, it was described by Roger Ebert as “an unhappy cross between “MASH” and “As the World Turns.” But forgettable it was not.
In the 1980s and ’90s, Welch expanded her influence beyond film. She became a successful entrepreneur with beauty lines, fitness videos, and best-selling books. Her presence in popular culture remained strong, appearing on talk shows, magazine covers, and TV specials. She became known not only for her beauty but for her discipline — often crediting wellness and consistency as the secrets to her longevity in the spotlight.
