The Bare Truth: Stars of Burlesque From the '40s and '50s (Schiffer Pictorial Essay)

On page 44 of this photo collection is a picture of “LiLi La Mont: The Academy Award Winner.” LiLi is modestly dressed in shorts, fishnet panty hose (called tights at that time), high heels and a tight sweater that showed her pointed bust to its best possible advantage. I didn’t recognize the name or the face of the dancer. Curious I went to Google to see if this was a true description of LiLi or just a stage name for the dancer shown. As expected, I couldn’t locate anything about an actress of that name who had won an Academy Award. I concluded “The Academy Award Winner” was just a smart, catchy stage name. While Little Egypt’s belly dance may have begun a new trend in Burlesque in America at the 1893 Chicago Exhibition, in 1933 “when the ‘A Century of Progress’ exhibit opened at the Chicago World’s Fair, it was Sally Rand and her fan dance who fittingly revolutionized burlesque in America at the Century of Progress. The tease in striptease had made its official debut, and tease them she did, suggestively and seductively undressing was never more artfully done, and all behind constantly moving fans through which the audience believed they could see something ordinarily forbidden. Such was the power of illusion.” “The allure of sex, made by advertising Burlesque dancers on the theater’s marquee was used only to pull the audience into theater, the comics were what most people loved once they were there. Comics were classified by their various types…Comics were the glue that held Burlesque together. They could be counted on to fill any time period (stretch) when a crisis or unexpected event occurred back stage.” The list of famous male comics is much more impressive than the often unknown or forgotten stripers and dancers. The readers will be amazed. “History has taught us what one era considers filthy another considers barely suggestive.” Not until the mid-1990s did burlesque disappear and was replaced by real nudity and prostitution. And more bare skin and cleavage could be found at almost any beach or swimming pool. Some of the most interesting sections of this book were the author’s tale of how he happens to own all the photographs included in this volume. The story of how his teenage grandson and his grandson’s mother reacted to first seeing these “Naughty Photos” was great and very unexpected. The story of how young women in the chorus line were not interested in having sex with members of their audience (stage-door Johnnys) and why is fascinating. "Many of the chorus line women were in their teens or early twenties...If one is to believe the noted comedienne Fanny Brice, who personally knew many of the girls, having performed with them, 'out of eighteen girls in the chorus, sixteen were virgins.'" All the short sections of text are filled with Interesting details about the art of burlesque. The text is brief, but very informative. The photographs of these actual burlesque dancers from the 1940s and 1950’s are carefully posed portraits of the dancers. Many of the dancers like Lili St Cyr have several portraits included in the book. The dancers would change their costumes and hairdos or wigs and appear like some other beautiful woman. It is difficult to date any of the photos. The hairdos are back in style and the short fur wraps over the dancer’s shoulders are one of the few tipoffs to the dates of the photographs. They are not currently in great demand or seen on the streets. Naturally, nothing obscene can be observed in the photos. It’s simply pictures of 100 or so strikingly beautiful women. This is a good, easy on the eyes, read. The author has or will be doing other books showing burlesque in other eras.

Very nice pictorial book of the history of burlesque dancers. Not much to read. But lots of beautiful photos.

You wouldn't know the pictures weren't taken last week. Nice.

great book -- informative -- NOT sleazy

I am into bellydance and since burlesque came from bellydance, I am interested in it too. The book has a very little written information, but the pictures are fantastic. Classy, and not at all rude or disgusting.

Beautiful photography. Many familiar names.