Behind the Burly Q

April 22, 2013
Filmmaker Zemeckis offers a narrative version of her 2010 documentary film of the same name in this comprehensive history of the golden age of burlesque. Drawing from extensive interviews conducted for the film, Zemeckis profiles a host of colorful dancers, from 4’11” Tiny Kline—a former circus performer turned burlesque star turned Disneyland’s first Tinker Bell—to Sherry Britton, who was named an honorary Brigadier for entertaining troops during WWII and who went on to get a law degree from Fordham University. The author also describes some of the most famous acts, including Kitty West emerging from a giant oyster shell and Gypsy Rose Lee’s “reverse strip,” in which she dressed other women in the clothes she removed. Some stories are nearly too tragic to bear, like that of Faith Bacon, who had her routine stolen from her, survived two freak accidents, became addicted to barbiturates, and finally killed herself. Rounding out Zemeckis’s oral history are profiles of those connected to the burlesque circuit—like comedians Abbott and Costello—and examinations of the legal and social furors and fevers kicked off by the “Burly Q.” This rich history, rife with vibrant quotes and first-hand insights from burlesque’s biggest dancers, is indispensable for fans of the ribald pastime. 80 b&w photos. Agent: Danny Passman, Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown.

April 15, 2013
The salty reminiscences of participants in the classic age of burlesque enliven this companion volume to a documentary film directed by the author. Zemeckis assembled an impressive number of surviving performers from roughly the 1930s through the late '50s to recount their experiences toiling in this often misunderstood cul-de-sac in American performing arts. An evolution of vaudeville, burlesque added striptease to the program in an effort to lure audiences back from the movies by giving them something unavailable on the silver screen. Such luminaries as Blaze Starr, Tempest Storm and Dixie Evans dish on backstage rivalries, the depredations of the road, the stigma of stripping and all other aspects of burlesque life, providing an engaging behind-the-scenes analysis of an art form most people have heard of but few understand. In fact, the performers themselves contribute contradictory perspectives, describing the shows variously as bawdy but innocent escapism for cash-strapped regular folks or exploitative flesh parades with audiences full of men furtively masturbating behind newspapers. However, the interviewees share a common spirit of toughness and rueful good humor, which jibes with their status as, in the main, poverty-stricken young women who could earn more disrobing than waiting tables. A defiant pride in burlesque's second-rate status in the entertainment firmament--the performers may not have had the goods to make it in "legitimate" venues like the movies or Broadway, but they left the audiences happy--also unites the subjects, who take poignant pride in their brief moments of relative fame. The narrative moves briskly and will engross anyone interested in midcentury Americana. There is much colorful ground-level showbiz detail and descriptions of what it was like to work circuses, carnivals and the rotating theatrical circuit known as "The Wheel," and the anecdotes are never less than good fun. An affectionate and historically valuable document of an intriguing, little-served corner of American entertainment.

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July 1, 2013

Filmmaker Zemeckis, who directed and produced a documentary of the same name and subject as this book, focuses on burlesque's heyday during the 1920s through 1950s. She introduces readers to a wild and varied cast of characters, many of whom she interviewed herself, such as Lili St. Cyr, Zorita, and the legendary Gypsy Rose Lee, who was immortalized in the Broadway musical Gypsy. However, the author also reveals a more vulnerable side to these larger-than-life figures, discussing unstable childhoods and marital woes. Zemeckis also devotes chapters to comedians and other vaudeville acts associated with burlesque (Abbott and Costello were among the many performers who got their start in burlesque), the "candy butchers" who hawked their wares before shows and during intermission, and theater owners such as the Minskys. Despite occasional stilted writing, the book stresses quotations and anecdotes from the performers involved, giving it an intimate, insider's feel. VERDICT Though the author touches on burlesque as a sociocultural phenomenon, briefly discussing reasons for its popularity and its demise, this title steers clear of heavy analysis. While the academic reader may come away wanting more, Zemeckis offers a rich, colorful narrative that provides a vivid sense of the era.--Mahnaz Dar, Library Journal

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