Wonderland Burlesque's Let's All Go To The Movies Burlesque Style - Part 7 of 10

Wonderland Burlesque's

Let's All Go To The Movies

Burlesque Style - Part 7 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 seventh 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. Along the way, we'll also stumble on some delicious dish - as in some first rate dirt!

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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Girl On The Run

(1953)

(When a reporter is falsely accused of murder, he hides out as part of a traveling carnival, where his girlfriend, who is on the run with him, takes a job as a member of a chorus line of carnival strippers. A a standard crime melodrama which dips into the noir, exposing the tawdry underbelly of a carnival burlesque show.  it opens and closes with scenes of a hysterically laughing mechanical clown and all its action takes place during one night at a tatty carnival.)

(This ultra-low budget independent production was directed by Arthur J. Beckhard and Joseph Lee and stars Richard Coogan, Rosemary Pettit and Frank Albertson.)

(Features the first big screen appearance of Steve McQueen, who appears as an uncredited extra. He was given a surprising amount of screen time; about four minutes and 20 seconds worth.)  

(Filmed under the title was The Hidden Woman.)

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Strippers Parade

(1956)

This is a very rare poster for a compilation film of early Irving Klaw short films. Featured performers include Betty Page (who is pictured four times on this poster), are Lili St. Cyr, Tempest Storm, Dorian Dennis, Sally Lane and Tequila.

Sally Lane

Tequila

Dorian Dennis

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Kiss Me Baby

(1957)

(It's burlesque night at the Follies Theatre, 337 S. Main Street, Los Angeles, featuring a couple of comics and plenty of striptease action .)

(This revue was directed by Lilian Hunt and stars Taffy O'Neil, Pat Flannery, Leon DeVoe and Lili St. Cyr.)

Taffy O'Neil

(Taffy O'Neil was known on the circuit as 'Miss Heavy Equipment' and 'The Kandy Kid of Burlesque'. Her measurements were "39.5, "24,"36". She would go on to appear as a stripper in the WWII drama The Naked And The Dead which stars Aldo Ray, Ray Massey and Cliff Robertson. It was based on the book by Norman Mailer.)

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Everybody's Girl

(1950)

(A burlesque show, complete with harem dances, bumps & grinds, nudist jokes, skits, and sketches. Lots of musical comedy with cartwheels and handstands galore.)

(This feature was directed by Lillian Hunt and stars burlesque performers Gay Dawn, Mary Andes, and Sylvia 'Sugar' Kane.)

Gay Dawn

(This is an actual burlesque show, filmed in 1950 at the Follies Theater at Third and Main in Los Angeles. It's exactly what you would have seen if you'd been sitting in the theater. There's no audience present and the comedians featured keep the jokes relatively clean. Skits include  one about a man who inhabits a world only he can see, one about an anti-nudist society, a school daze routine, and one called "Does he have the guitar?" with Harry Arne at his baggy-pants best. 'Guitar' has a second meaning (wink, wink) and there are lots of double-entendres.)

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The Stripper

(1963)

(After her boyfriend steals a burlesque show's box office receipts, an insecure, aging dancer gets the boot mid-tour. She reluctantly returns to her hometown, where an old family friend takes her in. Residing in the home, a handsome young son who becomes instantly infatuated with the family's new, glamorous boarder. The dancer flirts with the idea of a relationship with the younger man, but when her boyfriend returns with an offer to dance in a show, in need of money, she accepts. Witnessing the performance, the younger man comes to realize that she is not the woman for him.) 

(Based on the William Inge play, A Loss Of Roses, this drama was the feature film debut of director Franklin J. Schaffner, and stars Joanne Woodward, Carol Lynley, Robert Webber, and Richard Beymer. The owner of the burlesque show is played by burlesque queen Gypsy Rose Lee.)

(William Travilla was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White.)

(The film rights were purchased with two Fox contract stars in mind: Marilyn Monroe and Pat Boone. However, Monroe died in 1962 and Boone refused the role on moral grounds. At one time, Kim Novak was also announced to play title role.)

(Originally to be filmed under the title Celebration, Natalie Wood was announced as part of the cast; an attempt to re-team her with her West Side Story co-star Richard Beymer. She was to play a beefed-up version of the supporting role which eventually was went to Carol Lynley. At that same time, Eleanor Parker was announced for the role which was played by Claire Trevor.)

Early publicity photos publicized this film under the title Woman of Summer.

(Woodward had made her Broadway debut as an understudy in the William Inge play Picnic - which is how she met future husband and co-star Paul Newman. The Inge play this film is based on, A Loss of Roses, was a flop on Broadway, running for only 25 performances. It is best remembered for launching the career of a supporting actor in the cast named Warren Beatty, who was nominated for a Tony for his work on the play.)

 

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A scene from the 1963 motion picture The Stripper

(Why if only I had a nickel for every time a man said the exact same thing to me!)