Wonderland Burlesque's Let's All Go To The Movies Burlesque Style - Part 9 of 10

Wonderland Burlesque's

Let's All Go To The Movies

Burlesque Style - Part 9 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 nineth 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.  

--- ---

Tijuana After Midnite

(1954)

"Daring! Saucy! Revealing!"

(Another in a long line of films directed by Phil Tucker featuring various strippers of the era  doing their acts in Los Angeles in front of a stationary camera with comedians doing stolen material between dances. No plot, no story line - strictly intended for the back-alley grind-house theatres of larger US cities.)

"South of the border!"

(This revue was directed by Phil Tucker and stars Rita Ravel, Misty Ayers, Mitzi Doenee, Snuffy Smith and Deenah Prince.)

Rita Ravel

(Rita Ravel was known on the circuit as 'The Latin Temptress', 'The Hot Tamale' and 'The Mexican Spitfire'.)

Rita Ravel

(Born Rebecca Penalver, of Mexican parents, Ravel became a well-know burlesque dancer and pin-up model of the 1950's. She had an 'in' - her father was employed as a show promoter. She'd originally trained to be a traditional Mexican folk dancer and reportedly appeared as one in a few mainstream films released in Mexico. When developing her burlesque acts, Rita would incorporate themes from her traditional Latin heritage to create dances she would refer to as a "fantasy on Mexican numbers". Initially Rita danced in clubs in Mexico and Puerto Rico, before touring with the USO for three years and then becoming a feature dancer in the US.)

 

--- ---

Merry Maids Of The Gay Way

(1954)

AKA: A Nite At The Follies

(A tantalizing burlesque revue featuring bodacious dancers and saucy comedians.)

Sherry Winters

(Sherry Winters was known on the circuit as 'The Yum Yum Girl'.)

Sherry Winters

Sherry Winters

Sherry Winters - The Yum Yum Girl

from the film Peek-A-Boo

--- ---

Playgirl After Dark

(1960)

AKA: Too Hot To Handle

"The sizzler you read about in Playboy magazine."

"It strips the secrets from the intimate key clubs."

(In London's Soho district, a French reporter uncovers a steamy story about one of the area's secret strip joints and finds himself becoming entwined in the lives of the club's owner and it's headlining act.)

(This British neo-noir crime thriller was directed by Terence Young and stars Jayne Mansfield, Leo Genn and Carl Boehm with Christopher Lee in a supporting role.)

(By the time this film came out, Mansfield's career had peaked. With her box-office appeal on the wane, 20th Century Fox began to loan her out to other studios.)

  

(Billed as "an exposé of sexy, sordid Soho, England's greatest shame", Mansfield's risqué see-through clothing and racy musical numbers caused the US release to be delayed.)

(Released in January of 1961, the sexiest stills from the film were featured in a photo spread in Playboy magazine.)

(At one point, filming was suspended at the order of Actors' Equity, due to a lack of funds. Seems one of the producers, who was responsible  £100,000 of the budget, fell ill and failed to pony up the dough.)

--- ---

Paris Topless

(1966)

(This revue was directed by Gerald Perry and stars Tempest Storm and Joel Holt.)

Tempest Storm

--- ---

Her Wedding Night

(1952)

"A tuneful revue featuring America's First Lady Of Strip in gorgeous color!"

(America's most glamorous girl in her exciting portrayal of every maiden's secret dream!)

"Ladies: you have heard about her! you have wondered about her!"

"Her most daring creation!"

"First Lady of Strip-Tease in glorious color"

(This revue was directed by Lilian Hunt and stars Lili St. Cyr, Loretta Miller and Leon DeVoe.)

Lili St. Cyr

--- ---

And that's all for now.

Tune in next time...

Same place, same channel.

--- ---

Scenes from Playboy After Dark