Chelsea Girls

Chelsea Girls
US theatrical release poster
Directed by	Andy Warhol Paul Morrissey
Written by	Ronald Tavel Andy Warhol
Produced by	Andy Warhol
Starring	Nico Brigid Berlin Ondine Gerard Malanga Eric Emerson Mary Woronov Mario Montez Ingrid Superstar International Velvet
Cinematography	Andy Warhol Paul Morrissey (uncredited)
Music by	The Velvet Underground
Distributed by	Filmmakers Distribution Center
Release date	September 15, 1966 (1966-09-15)
Running time	210 minutes (approx.)
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$3,000 (approx.)

Chelsea Girls is a 1966 American experimental underground film directed by Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey. The film was Warhol's first major commercial success after a long line of avant-garde art films (both feature-length and short). It was shot at the Hotel Chelsea and other locations in New York City, and follows the lives of several of the young women living there, and stars many of Warhol's superstars. The film is presented in a split screen, accompanied by alternating soundtracks attached to each scene and an alternation between black-and-white and color photography. The original cut runs at just over three hours long.^[1]

The film was the inspiration for star Nico's 1967 debut album, Chelsea Girl, which featured a ballad-like track titled "Chelsea Girls", which was written about the hotel and its inhabitants. The girl in the poster is Clare Shenstone, at the age of 16, an aspiring artist later influenced by Francis Bacon.^[2] With its creativity and eroticism, the poster captures the sensual essence of the film, and was designed for its London release by graphic artist Alan Aldridge. Warhol was extremely happy with the design, and commented that he "wished the movie was as good as the poster".^[3] The poster was used as the cover art for Felt's 1984 album The Splendour of Fear.