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(2010) Raquel Welch is… well, c’mon, she’s Raquel Welch! Beautiful, funny, enigmatic and smart, she will always be the epitome of the American sex symbol for several generations of men. The lasting image of Raquel for me will always be of her bodice-bursting work in Three Musketeers. I was too young then to know her as Loana in One Million B.C., although the poster of her in a prehistoric, pre-PETA, doeskin bikini did make a certain impression later. RAQUEL WELCH audio excerpt: "I was never interested in that (nude pictures of myself). It's not the kind of thing I was seeking out. Lots of fans send pictures of bikinis that are wet (to be autographed) and I replace them with something else." Today she’s promoting her new book, Raquel: Beyond the Cleavage, which is short on Hollywood at times but long on beauty and health tips and along the way presents a virtual manifesto for the modern, mature woman. I think this story will appeal to two types of women: those of any age who want to be like Raquel, and those who think a woman as sexy and famous as Raquel Welch couldn’t possibly relate to their lives. Because, from what I read in Beyond the Cleavage, I think she does. The 14-year-old boy in me is extremely excited to welcome Raquel Welch to today’s show; the 50-year-old man in me is trying to weigh her willingness at 70 to date younger men and whether it’s worth leaving my wife of 22 years for a shot. I’ll let you know how that stands in 30 minutes. Raquel Welch • • m