‘Butterfly’ flew into Boulder City 40 years ago

There’s a theory that love is like a butterfly, if you set it free and it returns then it is true love.

This theory is tested in the appropriately-titled 1981 movie “Butterfly” starring actress Pia Zadora, which was partially filmed right here in Boulder City, according to IMDB.com.

“Butterfly” is based on a 1947 novel by James M. Cain titled “The Butterfly” and its subject matter is risqué and showcases how much someone would sacrifice their own life and reputation for the love of their life. However, the Hollywood production of the book pushed creative license to its max.

The result? A strange plot about a silver mine on the Arizona-Nevada border, a scheme to swindle money, and an unknown incest incident thanks to a mother’s lie about a brothel. And while the plot is far-fetched and a little disturbing, the scenery is very familiar to us locals.

“Butterfly” wasn’t up for any filmography awards in 1981 but its star, Pia Zadora, did beat out Kathleen Turner for Best Newcomer Actress at the 39th Golden Globes Awards. Her husband, Meshulam Riklis, financed the movie and gave her the starring role.

The gossip around Hollywood was Riklis used his financial and political clout to buy her Golden Globe award, which he always disputed. Ironically, Pia Zadora simultaneously won the Worst Actress Award at the Golden Raspberry Awards alongside one of her co-stars, Ed McMahon (yes, the Johnny Carson Ed McMahon), for Worst Actor.

Besides filming scenes from “Butterfly” around Boulder City, Pia Zadora has a long history with Southern Nevada. She headlined at the Riviera in the 1970s, she performed in “Cabaret” at the Smith Center, she has been arrested in Las Vegas, and in 2020 she sold her Red Rock Canyon home for over two million dollars. In fact, this was the second Nevada home Zadora sold within five years. And while her Nevada real estate dealings made headlines, it was her claim that her Beverly Hills home, once owned by Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, was haunted that brought her back into homes with her appearance on “Celebrity Ghost Stories”.

Now, in 2023, Zadora’s Malibu townhome is on the market. Hopefully, this one is spirit-free. And who knows, with so many celebrities moving to Nevada in recent months, perhaps Zadora will once again return to our state with a home purchase right here in Boulder City!

Regardless if you love or hate Zadora’s “Butterfly,” the movie reinforces some lifelong lessons, such as lies always hurt the ones you love and those in love will do anything to protect their partner.