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Event
A NIGHT IN HOLLYWOOD
A NIGHT IN HOLLYWOOD
Dir. William C. Thompson (1953)
USA, 61 min.
"If YOU got what it takes, you can do the rhumba SHAKE!"
Not every city, county or province has it's own hubba-hubba theatre of the arts for lovers where a regular rube can see a real live American Burlesque show, baggy-pants comedians and all, so not a few eggheads in the film department got to thinking "What if we shoot a full burlesque show, soup to nuts, as though you were right there in the action instead of in the back hall of the American Legion?" and so the roadshow burlesque film was born. Our director here is William C. Thompson, who the hepcats out there know from the amazing DAUGHTER OF HORROR, and the goon crew know as Ed Wood's cinematographer. He does a real nice job staying out of the way, letting the show do the work, so even the dopiest mark in the theater's guaranteed laffs-a-plenty, thanks to no less than the great Jean Carroll, one of the first true female comics. We also have some big names on the Burlesque scene: Misty Ayres, who gets unjustly dismissed as a Marilyn knockoff, here in her first film (she'd later show up in the ultrascuzzy BAD GIRLS DO CRY) and one of the true queens of the art, Tempest "The 4D Girl" Storm.
With a surprise at the end (we won't spoil it, so don't you spoil it for other viewers!) it's the perfect introduction to the hurley-burley world of Burlesque in its prime. Don't forget: the password to get in is PLAY IT ON THE G-STRING!
To be followed by:
HOW TO UNDRESS IN FRONT OF YOUR HUSBAND
Dir. Dwain Esper (1937)
USA, 14 min.
Context is a tricky thing: On its face, HOW TO UNDRESS IN FRONT OF YOUR HUSBAND is the definition of the male gaze, thirteen minutes of leering at women undressing while critiquing their performance, a kind of GOOFUS AND GALLANT recast as an expose' of the "peeping tom menace" for the trenchcoat set. This is well in keeping with director Dwain Esper's MO, having already cemented his role as (one of the many) godfathers of exploitation with NARCOTIC, SEX MANIAC and MARIHUANA, but it's worth taking a closer look at our two leading ladies, Elaine Barrie and Trixie Friganza. Elaine is our narrator's perfect woman while zaftig Trixie gets the bum's rush as a slob. Consider, however: Trixie was a famous opera singer, Suffragette, vaudeville comedienne and all-around badass (when it came to measurements, she described herself as "a perfect forty-six"). Meanwhile, Elaine Jacobs saw Lionel Barrymore in Svengali at sixteen, fell hopelessly in love with him (not without reason), changed her name to Elaine Barrie to show her love for him and eventually became his fourth and final wife, with a relationship we'll simply call complicated. You make the call, viewers!
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LocationSPECTACLE THEATER (View)
124 South 3rd Street
Brooklyn, NY 11249
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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