Burlesque Bookshelf is dedicated to the memory of Julie Vogt aka Dr. Uberblonde, whose idea for this ongoing series was to offer reviews and commentary on the various books about burlesque. Even as Julie suggested it, she quickly admitted that there never seemed to be enough time for everything. For Julie, it was, sadly, all too true: She passed away on December 4th, 2011, at the tender age of 38. She is survived by her husband, Todd, and son, Miles. —Ed.
Feuding Fan Dancers: Faith Bacon, Sally Rand, and the Golden Age of the Showgirl, by Leslie Zemeckis
Leslie Zemeckis’ latest, Feuding Fan Dancers: Faith Bacon, Sally Rand, and the Golden Age of the Showgirl
Showgirls were hired for their perfect figures and were employed by the hundreds. They were there to help the customers forget tough times. Being able to stand out from the rest, as Sally Rand and Faith Bacon did, was nothing short of amazing.
Promoters employed nudity in their quest for the largest number of paying customers. The women who embraced these opportunities would create a sexual revolution and the beginnings of the more modern woman’s independence with the freedom to choose her own destiny.
Sally and Faith were often arrested for their nude performances. It was a question of artistic expression! Some judges threw the charges out and some did not.
Sally and Faith mixed in a world of the rich and famous including stars like Billie Holiday, W.C. Fields, Mae West, Jimmy Durante and Jack Dempsey, as well as criminals like Al Capone and Machinegun Kelly. Sometimes their connections helped them get parts in films (usually un-credited) but they could never quite hit that elusive goal of cinematic stardom.
Faith’s childhood included a stage mother/dancer, Charmion, who hoped to find her daughter or herself a rich husband. Eventually Charmion identified herself as Faith’s sister partly in an effort to disguise her age. The relationship between mother and daughter is described as “toxic,” with Charmion pushing her then-thirteen year old daughter to pose nude.
Sally Rand had a close relationship with her mother. Sally’s brother Hal would perform with Sally in plays and reviews but often depended on Sally for financial support.
By the time Sally was thirteen, she was dancing in a chorus line and received her first good review from the Kansas City Journal’s drama critic. Shortly after, she left home to join the carnival. When her Grandfather found her, she returned home where she continued to take dance lessons and attend school briefly before running away with another carnival. Sally would spend her entire career helping to support her mother, just like Faith.
Their quest for stardom didn’t do much for their romantic relationships. Of men, Faith said, “I will not permit a man to spoil the beauty of my perfect body.” Faith preferred the softer touch of a woman but would hide this from her public. Sally’s relationships with men weren’t a priority though she married several times. Her most important love affair was with Sally!
Zemeckis portrays Sally Rand and Faith Bacon as forces to be reckoned with, creating and cashing in on the elusive dream of stardom, where success is measured in name recognition. Sally Rand and Faith Bacon were “relentlessly ambitious” and would do whatever it took to be relevant. They had the energy, optimism and drive to succeed.
Their beautiful ostrich fans propelled them to stardom but also served as shackles preventing either of them from fully realizing their ambitions of being legitimate entertainment artists.
From this burlesque entertainers viewpoint, they had, in fact, become not only legitimate artists but would go down in history books as superstars of burlesque.
About The Author
LESLIE ZEMECKIS is an actress, filmmaker, and the author of The Goddess of Love Incarnate: The Life of Stripteuse Lili St. Cyr, and Behind the Burly Q, the definitive history of burlesque. She wrote, produced, and directed the critically acclaimed documentary based on the book, which has been championed by USA Today and The New Yorker. She released “Bound by Flesh,” a multi-award winning documentary about vaudeville Siamese twin superstars Daisy and Violet Hilton, in 2014. She is the co-author/creator of a one-woman cabaret show Staar. She wrote and produced a mockumentary film Staar: She’d Rather be a Mistress starring Carrie Fisher, Jeffrey Tambor, and Fabio. Her most recent documentary is “Mabel, Mabel, Tiger Trainer.”