Wonderland Burlesque's Let's All Go To The Movies Burlesque Style - Part 3 of 10

Wonderland Burlesque's

Let's All Go To The Movies

Burlesque Style - Part 3 of 10

In recent years, there has been a huge upsurge of interest in burlesque, creating a whole new generation of performers which have added sparkling new dashes of diversity and imagination to the brew.

This is the third post of a ten-part series where Hollywood shows us how it burlesques! 

Keeping 1987 as our cut-off point, we'll take a look at a few of the artifacts capturing the classic era of this art form.

So, tits up, ladies. Get your feather fans and tasseled pasties out. Let's all go to the movies and take another trip down mammary lane.  

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The French Peep Show

(1949)

"Femmes from Paris. In blazing natural color."

"Queens of quiver."

"Cheek blusing scenes. Eye-appealing beauties. Complete with blackouts.)

"Wolf bait."

(A young and buxom exotic dancer dreams of earning enough money to ensure her future, while taking care of her precious assets - her breasts.)

(This burlesque feature was directed by the infamous Russ Meyer and stars Tempest Storm, Peter A. DeCenzi, and Lilly LaMont.)

Lilly LaMont

(Lilly LaMont was known as 'The Alaskan Heatwave', but her career was cut short when the Mayor of New York banned burlesque and closed all the clubs.)

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Scanty Panites

(1961)

"Curvaceous cuties... comic cut-ups!"

"A daring peek behind the scenes at what goes on (and comes off) where gorgeous girl s wear..."

"Now hear this... 48! Yes48!) 24! 34!"

(A collection of  suggestive comedy routines by burlesque house comics intermingled with striptease performances, erotic dance number.)

Virginia Bell

(This burlesque feature was directed by Jay Hornick and stars Virginia Bell, Irving Benson, and Johnny Crawford.)

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Bell, Bare and Beautiful

(1963)

"From the runways to the sunrays..."

"Or... can a burlesque queen find happiness in a nudist camp?"

"The picture for the man who thinks he has seen everything."

"Bring the ladies - make 'em take notes!"

"See the limbo as never before."

"In all her natural glory and just the way you like her!"

"Captivating in Tell-Tale color!"

(A young millionaire finds the girl of his literal dreams at a local burlesque house, but soon finds his desires thwarted by the woman's gangster boyfriend. In order to win the gal over, the would-be Romeo tracks her down and joins a nudist colony she likes to frequent.)

"How did they ever get (48-24-36) in that little bitty film can?"

"You won't believe your eyes!"

"Virginia Bell in the picture that puts you in the viewer's seat!"

"Studded with stunning suntanned starlets."

"21 great chicks make 20 wonderful pix"

(This romantic comedy was directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis and stars Virginia Bell, Thomas Wood, David Friedman, William Kerwin, Joy Hodges and Sunny Dare.  Made at the request of Bell's real-life husband, Eli Jackson and produced by sexploitation kings Herschell Gordon Lewis and David Friedman.)

Virginia Bell

(As part of her burlesque routines, Bell would frequently attach small bells to her pasties and shake her knockers in time with the music. However, her last name is actually that of her first husband, Charles Merle Bell.)

Sunny Dare

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Gypsy

(1962)

(An ambitious stage mother does all she can to see her youngest daughter succeed on Broadway by means of vaudeville. However, her plans go awry when the girl marries, abandoning her mother's dreams. The mother then turns her hopes and attention to her eldest daughter, turning her into a headliner at Minsky's Burlesque, hardly what the mother initially had in mind.)

(Adapted from the popular stage show by Arthur Laurents, this musical was produced and directed by Mervyn LeRoy with a  screenplay by Leonard Spigelgass features the lyrics of Stephen Sondheim and music by Jule Styne. The Broadway musical was adapted from the 1957 autobiography Gypsy: A Memoir by Gypsy Rose Lee.)

(Hoping to do a straight dramatic version of the story based directly on the memoir by Gypsy Rose Lee, Rosalind Russell and her husband Frederick Brisson were disappointed to learn that the book was tied to the rights to the play. And although Russell had starred in musicals on stage (Wonderful Town) and film (1955's Girl Rush), she recognized that the musical score was beyond her capabilities. However, they decided to proceed and Spigelgass, with whom Russell and Brisson had worked with in the past (A Majority Of One) was brought on board as screenwriter.)

Natalie Wood

(Russell's gravelly singing voice was artfully blended with that of contralto Lisa Kirk. Kirk's ability to mimic Russell's voice is showcased in the finale, Rose's Turn. In turn, it was decided that Natalie Wood could do her own singing. Her number, Little Lamb, was recorded 'live' on the set. Also recorded live were  Mr. Goldstone, I Love You and the reprise of Small World, both sung by Russell.)  

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Mundo Depravados

(1967)

AKA: World Of The Depraved

"A sexperiment in murder. Murderously funny. A sinerama of sex and fear."

"Wild, wanton, exotic, stark naked terror, uninhibited passions."

(Someone is killing young women at a local health club and a pair of comedic police detectives are on the case.)

Joanne 'Bunny' Ware

(This comedy was directed by Herb Jeffries and stars Tempest Storm, Ron von Klausen and Bunny Ware.)

Tempest Storm

(Tempest Storm dated Elvis Presley and had an affair with President John F. Kennedy.)

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And that's all for now.

Tune in next time...

Same place, same channel.

You Gotta Have A Gimmick

from the musical motion picture Gypsy