[4] Like the novel, the picture follows the exploits of Myra Breckinridge, a transgender woman who has undergone a sex change operation.

Claiming to be her own widow, she manipulates her uncle into giving her a position at his acting school, where she attempts to usurp Hollywood's social order by introducing femdom into the curriculum.

The picture was controversial for its sexual explicitness (including acts like female-on-male rape), but it, unlike the novel, received little to no critical praise and has been cited as one of the worst films ever made.

Although she is ostensibly assigned an etiquette class, Myra instead philosophizes about the semiotics of the Golden Age of Hollywood while also introducing concepts of femdom into the curriculum.

One night, on the pretext of arranging for him to undergo a physical exam, Myra ties Rusty to a table and rapes him with a strap on.

Myra's pursuit of Rusty and Mary Ann is paralleled with the life of Leticia van Allen, a female casting agent who habitually seduces the young men who come to her for auditions.

Buck continues his investigation, ultimately uncovering evidence that Myron never died and that no death certificate exists for him.

Myron awakens in the hospital from the beginning of the film, where it's indicated he has been admitted for a car accident, not gender affirmation; his nurse is Mary Ann.

Film rights were sold for a reported $750,000 - $900,000 including a percentage of the profits and a fee covering Gore Vidal writing the screenplay.

Producer Jim Cresson said "we thought he would play it too safe" and the studio ended up giving the job of directing to Sarne.

[17] Filming was laden with controversy due to Michael Sarne being granted complete control over the project.

Sarne quickly went over budget due to his unorthodox techniques, which included spending up to seven hours at a time by himself, "thinking", leaving the cast to wait around on set for him to return so that filming could commence.

There were also reports of conflicts between Raquel Welch and Mae West, who came out of a 27-year retirement to play Leticia Van Allen.

[19][20] Farrah Fawcett said that they projected their dislike towards each other onto her and stopped talking to her and that she would cry in her dressing room, afraid to come out.

"[9] Myra Breckinridge was one of two films with an X rating to be released by 20th Century Fox in 1970 (the other being Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, which became a satirical camp classic).

A crowd of roughly 2,000 people formed around the barriers of the red carpet to catch a glimpse of Raquel Welch and Mae West, who arrived separately.

The crowd became riotous, which led to injuries and arrests, as people smashed windows and clashed with police.

The critic added that the film was "so tasteless, it represents some sort of nadir in the history of American cinema".

[26] Gene Siskel gave the film half of one star out of four, writing, "Screenwriters David Giler and Michael Sarne have mangled Gore Vidal's sexy and clever novel, Myra Breckinridge, in adapting it for the screen.

"[27] Herb Kelly wrote in The Miami News: "I now nominate Myra Breckinridge as the worst movie ever made ... nothing can touch it for tastelessness and boredom".