Behind The Burly Q

First Run Features

R1 DVD

Until they were overtaken by nudity in film and home videotape, the Burlesque shows were a major form of entertainment for American audiences. Say “Burlesque” and most people will think of leggy chorus lines and nude main acts, but this was far from the truth. They drew a lot from music hall entertainment and the program would include singing, dancing, magic acts, comedy routines and even acrobats. Many shows were run at theatres in the main cities but the shows would also go on tour.

They usually began with an extended opening sequence of song and dance and briefly clad chorus line girls to soften up the audience for the acts to follow. A good comedy routine always went over well and many film comedians got their start in Burlesque. Lou Costello was one who succeeded, but there were also those who never made the change, preferring the Burlesque stage to the camera. But it was the girls that the audiences wanted to see. The main striptease acts ranged from tasteful to salacious, but full nudity was frowned on.

The girls came from a wide range of social levels but most had poor or underprivileged backgrounds. Surprisingly perhaps, most of the girls’ parents did not disapprove. The girls were usually closely supervised during the shows. A bit of light flirting with the clientele was OK, but lining up customers for prostitution was out – and so was the girl.

Much of the documentary is built around the memories of the retired stars and their reminiscences. Some remember the times well and are quite well spoken, but there was often a touch of bitchiness about those dancers who would steal an act or copy a costume from another performer. Each dancer was expected to have a different act and a gimmick to bring in the audiences. The pay rate for a good performer was fairly generous for those days.

They travelled together, usually on trains, with the crew, the chorus line girls and all the equipment they needed to put on a show. They would all chip in to pay the wages of a wardrobe lady who would clean and press the costumes, repair them when necessary, and take the clothing from the performers as they disrobed on stage. Most girls had two trunks to travel with – one for their personal items, one for their costumes.

Burlesque thrived during and just after World War II when it was one of the few forms of entertainment available for returned servicemen. It was gradually replaced by the new naughty films that were coming in from Europe and by the Peepshow reels that were more widely available. A Burlesque show on tour still drew great audiences but there wasn’t much new talent coming in. The shows just faded away.

The DVD has many hundreds of clips and stills of the performers and the shows, as well as interviews with the performers. The extras are well worth looking at with extended interviews, costumes and a timeline.

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