Marty Katz with Producers Sheri Hellard and Leslie Zemeckis
A History of Burlesque
By: Gracee Arthur
I hate to admit it, having just had a birthday, but as an avid movie fan, I do remember the last days of Burlesque. Last Saturday, I ventured over to the Laemmle 5 in West Hollywood to catch my friend producer Sheri Hellard’s new documentary, “Behind the Burly Q,” produced with Leslie Zemeckis who also directed the project. The team did years of research through out the country locating and interviewing the veterans of the lost art of entertainment which died out by the early 1960’s. The film’s executive producer was Robert Zemeckis of “Back to the Future” and Romancing the Stone” among other great hits.
Burlesque was made popular during the Great Depression because it offered fun, risqué entertainment for only a dime! The shows featured
not just girls with pasties but also terrific comedians like Abbot and Costello, singers
Me and Sheri Hellard (right)
and straight men like Robert Alda (father of Alan Alda who is interviewed in the film) as well as acrobats and musicians. But the true stars of this documentary are the terrific survivors of the art form, the still beautiful spirits who danced and titillated the audience with their glittery glamorous costumes and subtle, sensual disrobing on stage. In 1937 when New York Mayor La Guardia banned Burlesque, Minskey moved the fun to New Jersey!
The most moving and illuminating moments in the film are the stories shared by the dancers now in their 70’s and older (some passed away prior to release of the film) and the terrific clips of the dancers on the Burlesque stage. The backstage gossip, poignant personal stories, joy and sadness in the memories are so vivid you will feel like you were there. Visit the web site behindtheburlyq for some terrific clips and background on the burlesque artists and the filmmakers. I highly recommend this film which is still screening at the Laemelle 5 in West Hollywood Laemelle.
EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.
