Burlesque Past and Present: Josephine Bake

The art of the tease is on everyone's lips; with a rising interest in burlesque, cabaret clubs are in full swing and new acts are cropping up every week. At Playful Promises we just adore a bit of cheek, and would love to introduce you to our favourite burly girls, past and present! Keep your eyes firmly peeled, as each week we feature inspiring performers guaranteed to set pulses racing!

In our rip-roaring burlesque series we just couldn’t miss out one of the true icons of the 20s and 30s. With nicknames such as the “Bronze Venus” and “Black Pearl”, Josephine Baker was the first African American female to star in a major motion picture and become a world-famous entertainer. And if that wasn’t awesome enough, she used her status to kick political ass both during the Civil Rights Movement in the US and World War 2, becoming the first American-born woman to receive the French military honour, the Croix de Guerre.

Freda Josephine McDonald was born on June 3, 1906 in St. Louis, Missouri, she soon became fluent in both English and French. When she was 8 she was sent to work for a white woman who abused her, burning her hands because she put too much soap in the laundry.

Times were evidently tough, as Josephine dropped out of school at 12, turning to life on the streets. She made her living dancing on street corners, and at 15 was recruited for the St. Louis Chorus Vaudeville show. Her budding career sent her to New York, where she began to perform in the chorus of popular Broadway revues.

Josephine took last place in the chorus line, a traditionally comic role, which required the dancer to act as if they had forgotten the routine. Then, in the encore, they would not only perform correctly but with added complexity, outshining the other members. She became so well known for this that she was described as the “highest-paid chorus girl in vaudeville”.

She gained popularity, opening a show at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees on the 2^nd October 1925 in Paris. Her skimpy costume and erotic style of dancing was an instant success, catapulting her into fame. Josephine went on to star at the Folies Bergères, performing the Danse Sauvage in her iconic banana costume.

Her success was perhaps complimented by the explosion of Art Deco and a renewed interest in ethnic art; her African descent of particular interest. Of course, she played up to this, often allowing her pet cheetah, Chiquita, on stage with her. The animal would often escape into the orchestra pit, terrorizing the musicians and adding an element of excitement to the show.

Ernest Hemingway even called her “...the most sensational woman anyone ever saw”.

Josephine married four times, her first to Willie Wells in 1918 when she was just 13. Needless to say, the marriage was very unhappy, and they divorced a short time later. Three years down the line, she suffered another short marriage to Willie Baker. The surname stuck, and she became known as Josephine Baker by audiences worldwide.

It was possible that her marriages didn’t last long because of the numerous lesbian affairs she had. She was known to be bisexual, and it has even been reported that she was involved with Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Despite Josephine’s popularity in France she didn’t receive the same response in the country of her birth; upon a visit to the United States in 1935, her performances received poor opening reviews.

In 1937 she married once again, to a Frenchman, Jean Lion, renouncing her American citizenship without difficulty.

In fact, she loved her adopted country of France so much that when WW2 broke out she volunteered as a spy. She began to work for the French government as an “honourable correspondent”, using her celebrity status to report any gossip she heard at the numerous parties she attended, including those at the Italian embassy.

If that wasn’t impressive enough, she used her cover of a jet-setting entertainer to smuggle secrets around Europe. How? Using invisible ink on her sheet music and pinning notes on the inside of her underwear!

In 1941 she went to the French colonies in North Africa, claiming it was for her health, but she in fact set up based to help with the resistance. She also took the time to entertain troops with her performances.

The War finished, yet the struggle for equality continued with the American Civil Rights Movement. Josephine was no stranger to being treated differently due to the colour of her skin, both positively and negatively.

In 1951 she was refused service by Sherman Billingsley’s Stork Club in Manhattan. Although one of Baker’s sons contests the incident was exaggerated, it is said that the actress Grace Kelly was also in attendance. Seeing the situation, she rushed over to Josephine, taking her by the arm and storming them both out, vowing never to return.

Josephine protested in her own way, adopting 12 multi-ethnic orphans, calling them the “Rainbow Tribe” and refusing to perform for segregated audiences.

So impressive was her spirit, that she was offered leadership of the movement by Coretta Scott King in 1968, following Marin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. After much thought she turned the position down, saying her children were “too young to lose their mother”.

Josephine’s actions were honoured worldwide, with different countries inviting her to perform. She took to the stage in Cuba, Yugoslavia and a 1973 stint at the Carnegie Hall, where she received a standing ovation. 

On 8 April, 1975, Josephine starred in a retrospective revue celebrating her 50 years in show business. The audience was jam-packed full of stars desperate to see the glorious icon, and the critics were raving.

It was four days later when Josephine was found lying peacefully in her bed, surrounded by the glowing newspaper reviews of her performance. She had slipped into a coma after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage, and died at the age of 68.

At her funeral she received full French military honours, and will always be remembered for her beautiful smile and good heart.

Burlesque Past and Present: The glamorous Dolly Sisters

The art of the tease is on everyone's lips; with a rising interest in burlesque, cabaret clubs are in full swing and new acts are cropping up every week. At Playful Promises we just adore a bit of cheek, and would love to introduce you to our favourite burly girls, past and present! Keep your eyes firmly peeled, as each week we feature inspiring performers guaranteed to set pulses racing!

Although one could argue they weren't technically burlesque dancers, I couldn't help writing about The Dolly Sisters! While other performers were taking off their clothing, the Dolly Sisters put theirs on, adorning themselves with the most extravagant finery of the 1920s. Decked out in furs, feathers and haute couture, they perfected the single-sex "tandem" dance act. 

Glittering stars of their time, The Dolly Sisters rose to the top of their game. But at what price? Their critics claimed that their act was nothing special, and the way they treated men was questionable, however their elegance broke through social barriers.

Born in Budapest, twins Janszieka (Jenny) and Roszicka (Rosie) looked so alike that even their mother couldn't tell the difference and they were immediately given pink and blue ribbons to differentiate them. Times were tough and they were eventually brought to America in 1905, at the age of 12. 

They loved to dance, and at the age of 15 began to make money to support their family by dancing in beer halls. Once they were barred for being underage they instead turned to the vaudeville where they danced until 1911. At the age of 19 they were signed with the Ziegfeld Follies. 

The Dolly Sisters were extremely exotic for the time, with their dark skin and alluring eyes. Combining this with their novelty appeal, stunning costumes and impressive choreography, and they were bound to hit the big time. It is said they were named thanks to a theatre producer's wife calling them "The Dollies". 

The sisters certainly knew how to get what they wanted, and they went about it shamelessly. Men flocked to the girls, and the Dollies particularly enjoyed the attention of the rich and lonely. Legend has it they would remove their expensive jewelery when a wealthy man approached, hoping that he would lavish them with more, seeing their necks and wrists devoid of sparkle. 

Throughout their lifetimes they took five husbands between them, but were constantly pursued nevertheless. One such admirer was Diamond Jim Brady, who, as you can imagine, was the flashiest man in New York! At 20 years old the girls received diamond rings and a Rolls-Royce wrapped in ribbons, among dozens of other gifts. 

In 1920 the sisters came to London to star in a Charles Cochrane stage show, performing dances accompanied by a troop of dogs, calling the act "The Dollies and their Collies". 

The London socialites were enamored, and soon Edward The Prince of Wales, the world's most eligible bachelor, was attending their performances. Later at a private party he rushed up to shake their hands, telling them they were wonderful. They danced together, and continued to regularly cross paths throughout Europe, fueling gossip. The Dolly Sisters refused to comment on their friendship, leaving one reporter at a loss; "If the Prince of Wales ever kissed the Dolly Sisters, they're not telling on him!"

Gordon Selfridge, the founder of the famous Oxford Street department store, fell hopelessly in love with Jenny that he squandered a large part of his fortune on her. Despite being almost twice her age, he fawned over her for ten years, giving her anything and everything she desired, including ice cream flown daily from London to Paris. Some say he eventually lost financial control of his business due to the money he lavished on the Dolly. 

The Dollies caught a taste for the cards, and soon became recognizable as the most extravagant gamblers in Europe. They bet recklessly, winning and loosing colossal amounts of money, with poor Selfridge picking up the tab. 

Then, in 1927, reality hit. Rosie nearly died from appendicitis and intestinal poisoning, a sure sign that in their mid-30s it was time for them to retire from showbusiness. The Dolly Sisters was over, but as for the sisters themselves, they continued with their high-lives, gambling and social prominence. 

In retirement the sisters finally began to live separate lives. Jenny opened her own couture house in Paris, which resulted in a flop, then adopted two five-year-old girls (things never change...), claiming she had found them in an orphanage in Budapest. Bizarrely, and possibly in an attempt to fill her sister's absence, she claimed the girls were twins, and that she was teaching them to become the next Dolly Sisters. On the other hand, Rosie had found the supposed love of her life, Irving Netcher. 

Jenny wallowed in her loneliness, until she fell in love with a french aviator, and shady character, Max Constant. One morning they were in a horrific car crash, leaving Jenny in a coma for 5 days. She awoke into her worst nightmare; a punctured lung, fractured skull, and worst of all, the right side of her face was in bloody ruins, and with it her wealth and fame. 

For the rest of her life she wished she hadn't survived the crash, and sold most of her jewelery to pay for countless plastic surgeries in an attempt regain her lost beauty. She became a shade of her former self, feeling constantly flawed and broken. Her solitude consumed her as her friends deserted her and her marriage fell apart. What finally drove her to the edge was the mistaken belief that Rosie had turned her back on her also, after failing to invite her over for the Memorial Holiday Weekend. 

In May 1 1941, Jenny put herself out of her misery, hanging herself with her dressing gown tie in the shower of her hotel room. 

Distraught over her sister's death, but determined to carry on, Rosie lived long enough to see a biopic made of their lives in 1945, inevitably called The Dolly Sisters. However, in 1962 she also attempted suicide using sleeping pills. She lived for another 8 years, finally passing of heart failure on 1 February, 1970.

Not long before she died, Rosie gathered her friends around her, telling them, "It's been a beautiful life. Life has been grand to me and I thank God every day, every night, that he's given me a beautiful, wonderful life."

Burlesque Past and Present: Betty "Ball of Fire" Rowland

The art of the tease is on everyone's lips; with a rising interest in burlesque, cabaret clubs are in full swing and new acts are cropping up every week. At Playful Promises we just adore a bit of cheek, and would love to introduce you to our favourite burly girls, past and present! Keep your eyes firmly peeled, as each week we feature inspiring performers guaranteed to set pulses racing!

This week's Burlesque star is a real force to be reckoned with; Betty "Ball of Fire" Rowland was named after her stunning red hair and vibrant stage presence. Her fiery attitude contrasted against her petite stature that originally earned her the name "the littlest burlesque star". 

Born on 23 January 1916, she is said to have had a tough life. Her and her sisters had originally wanted to go to college, however "we got cheated out of it because of the Depression", she recalled in 2009. Her father lost his accountancy job in the 1930s, and after taking dance classes Betty and her sister Rose-Zell took to burlesque to help raise money for the family. 

Betty started her career as a Minsky's girl in New York, and would have continued there if a crackdown hadn't been put in place in the mid 30's. Mayor LaGuardia and several citizens groups considered burlesque to be a corrupt moral influence, and after much dodging and fining, Minsky's was finally busted thanks to a dancer not wearing her G-string. 

Even while the venue was still at it's peak, Betty found life tough, often earning herself dinner rather than cash.

Her troupe headed west in 1938, headlining the Follies Theater in Los Angeles for a short run. The LA audience loved Betty and she continued to dance there for 14 years. In her heyday she was considered one of the best paid burlesque dancers, even appearing in a few films and said to have dated Orson Welles. 

Betty and Liz Goldwyn

The hit 1941 film "Ball of Fire" was at least partly based on Betty; the costumes themselves were flagrant copies of her burlesque ensembles. As a publicity stunt she sued the producer Samuel Goldwyn, unaware that she would later be interviewed by his grand-daughter, Liz Goldwyn, in her 2005 documentary "Pretty Things". 

Like many burlesque dancers of the time, Betty had her run ins with the law. Joan from "In SRO Land" had the chance to ask Betty about her arrest in 1952. Despite working for some time in LA with only one misdemeanor arrest in 1939, she was suddenly arrested for a lewd performance. According to Betty, "one night two LAPD cops arrived at the Follies expecting to get a free pass, but theater manager Maurice Rosen was firm – no freebies." Seeking revenge, the policemen arrested Betty and Maurice. 

They were faced with a 4 month sentence, which was soon dropped with her attorney spinning a media story that Betty was quitting burlesque to open a perfume shop in Beverly Hills. According to Betty, the real reason was more a case of a substantial pay off placed in the right hands, allowing for her release. 

Betty was said to retire from burlesque in the early 60s after getting married, yet still receives fan mail to this day!

In the late 60s she inherited a Santa Monica bar called Mr. B's, and operated it until 1995 when she partnered up with some investors and renovated the bar into the 217 Lounge. Judging by the most recent interview I could find, Betty was still working as a bar and restaurant host in her early 90s, still showing off her fiery personality. 

In 2010 a post on the ministry of burlesque calls for donations to the Betty Rowland Trust. At 93 she suffered a heart attack and while in hospital recovering some of her "family friends" helped themselves to her furniture, burlesque memorabilia and let her insurance lapse. I couldn't find any further details on whether the trust reached it's goals and whether Betty is well - if anyone has any further information we would love to hear it!

 

Burlesque Past and Present: Zorita the Original Bad Girl

The art of the tease is on everyone's lips; with a rising interest in burlesque, cabaret clubs are in full swing and new acts are cropping up every week. At Playful Promises we just adore a bit of cheek, and would love to introduce you to our favourite burly girls, past and present! Keep your eyes firmly peeled, as each week we feature inspiring performers guaranteed to set pulses racing!

 

The original bad girl of burlesque, and the dancer who popularized the use of live snakes, Zorita was a 1940s glamour girl. Known for her original and raunchy dances, Zorita was recognizable by the blonde streaks she often had in her black hair.

Born Kathryn Boyd in Youngstown, Ohio in 1915, she was adopted by a strict Methodist couple (who I imagine disliked the path she was about to take). She was said to be "built to the hilt" for her age, and by the time she was 15 she began working at stag parties and nudist colony events at the San Diego Worlds Fair. Boyd also entered beauty pageants and by the time she was 20 she was turned onto the burlesque world. 

 

Zorita became well known for her unique and naughty acts. In one number she danced in front of a rhinestone spiderweb, while the hands of an unseen spider gradually removed her clothing. Another act was a kinky take on a vaudeville staple - the Half and Half. Taking gender bending to new levels, she dressed one half of her body as a male groom, and the other as a female bride. Always keeping one profile to the audience, the groom and bride gradually removed each others clothing, leading to a climactic "wedding night" romp.

 

With her exotic fierce looks it is no wonder Zorita became popular, and adding the danger and eroticism of the snakes, the audiences just went wild. She used the movement of the snakes, named Elmer and Oscar, to emphasize her own. In her popular act "The Consummation of the Wedding of the Snake", she stripped while holding an 8 foot boa constrictor. 

 

What she did with these snakes eventually landed her in trouble. Possibly as an attempt to censor Zorita's acts, in February 1949 she was arrested by the New York ASPCA claiming she had been cruel to animals. In the above photo she sits in a courtroom with her 10-foot rock python and 20 month old daughter Tawny (who was said to have been put in a drawer while her mother performed in order to keep her safe). The claim was that Zorita had taped the mouths of her snakes before each performance. She was released on $1500 bail, but all her snakes were confiscated. 

Zorita walking one of her snakes!

Although Zorita dated men, and admitted she only spent time with the ones she could use, she was a lesbian and never married. Her unrequited love was fellow performer Sherry Britton, who she pursued relentlessly to no avail.

Retiring from burlesque in 1954, Zorita kept herself busy owning several burlesque clubs in New York and Miami, often passing on tips and tricks. While she taught burlesque routines to others, she refused to tell the secrets of her signature snake stripteases. She quite the scene entirely in 1974, and moved to Florida where she bred Persian cats. 

I couldn't find too much information about her death, only a tentative date of 12 November 2001. 

Burlesque Past and Present: Rosita Royce and her doves

The art of the tease is on everyone's lips; with a rising interest in burlesque, cabaret clubs are in full swing and new acts are cropping up every week. At Playful Promises we just adore a bit of cheek, and would love to introduce you to our favourite burly girls, past and present! Keep your eyes firmly peeled, as each week we feature inspiring performers guaranteed to set pulses racing!

This week's edition of Burlesque Past and Present focuses on a performer who seems all but forgotten in this age. Little information (at least online) exists about Rosita Royce. We aren't sure whether the details of her life have been lost to history or if she deliberately withheld information to add to her mystique.

Known as "The Doves Dancer", Rosita Royce was popular in the 1930s, when burlesque had really struck a controversial note with the American audience.

As we have previously seen in our article about Lydia Thompson, Victorian burlesque shows were controversial enough with a bit of leg on show, but a new decade called for more risqué acts. By the 1920s the birth of film and the advancement of radio sent shock waves through the world. Burlesque shows needed to offer something that these new mediums could not; the striptease.

Performers fought for fame, and competition was fierce; by 1935 there were around 3,500 strip-tease acts in the US, each trying to become more controversial (and thus more popular) than the last. With no way to trademark their dances, we can never be sure who invented what, or who popularized a certain act. Rosita Royce claimed she first performed 'The Bubble Dance', (a routine that is still popular today) which was then stolen by her biggest competitor, Sally Rand.  Royce needed a new gimmick that was sure to wow audiences.

Royce created her trademark act, 'The Dance of the Doves', which caused her to become one of the most controversial dancers of her time.

Filling her mouth with bird seeds and striking elegant poses to preserve her modesty, she used live doves like other performers used fans. Audiences couldn't believe their eyes when the seven trained doves carried off pieces of her evening gown; despite such a questionable act her performance at the 1939 New York World's Fair was a hit.

Royce was one of the many dancers who had brushes with the law as cities attempted to crack down on this lewd form of entertainment. She was once arrested for appearing nude on stage, to which she explained to the judge that a thief had run off with her costume just before she graced the stage, so she had to make do with a fig leaf. When questioned about said leaf she claimed "the wind blew it off".

Although we couldn't find much information about Royce from the 40s onwards, we can assume she was still performing her hit act by 1953 when she appeared in the comedy film Striporama. The film starred burlesque, comedy and dance acts popular in the early 50s, including Bettie Page.

Unfortunately, it seems that Royce died a year later, in 1954, however it is not known how or when. In her book "Burlesque: Legendary Stars of the Stage", Jane Briggeman details the two conflicting stories she received from members of The Golden Days of Burlesque Society.

In one version of the story, the burlesque artist is said to have died a dramatic death on stage, in front of thousands. Having her doves released at the top of the stadium, strong winds and the weight of the birds caused them to knock Royce over. Her heart stopped and she was dragged offstage "with the doves refusing to relinquish their hold on her costume".

In the other, more believable story of her demise, it is said she died of cancer at Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami. However, the date remains uncertain.

You can watch a video of Rosita Royce performing a routine with her two other birds, a parrot called "Red" and a cockatoo called "Silly Billy", below: