Editors note: When Femme came up with the idea to do an article on burlesque arrests, I thought it was fabulous.  When she came back and said there were just too damn many for one article, I thought- even better!  What better way to kick off a new monthly series than with the delicious Mae West & the legendary Sally Rand.

Burlesque Arrests: Sally Rand & Mae West

By: Femme Vivre LaRouge

Burlesque house raids are as infamous as those of speakeasies during prohibition, sometimes being one and the same.  As performers pushed the envelope further and further, policing agencies and government lobbyists went tit for tat trying to pass new laws of censorship and to enforce a moral code.  Many a famous burlesque performer has come under the scrutiny of the law; here we shall spotlight fan dancing pioneer, Sally Rand, and 20^th century sex icon, Mae West.

Born Harriet Helen Gould Beck, Sally Rand was a teenage runaway, circus performer, cigarette girl, model, dancer, stage actress, and silent film star before she ever picked up a pair of ostrich feather fans.  In 1933, at the Chicago World’s Fair, she not only wielded her fans wearing nothing but Max Factor body paint, but also appeared as Lady Godiva, riding a white horse, apparently nude.  Thus began her arrest record, with a total of four arrests in a single day!  Though Rand was charged with lewd conduct, Superior Court Judge Joseph B. David dismissed the case, noting that, “Some people would want to put pants on a horse…if a woman wiggles about with a fan, it is not the business of this court.”  The incident’s publicity made her a burlesque sensation, her weekly pay escalating from $125 to $3,000 in a single summer.   Never actually baring quite all, Sally Rand was noted for saying, “the Rand is quicker than the eye.”

1946 found Miss Rand back in court, charged with indecent exposure, corrupting the morals of an audience, and conducting an obscene show.  She was taken into custody after an engagement at the Savory in San Francisco, where six police officers witnessed one of her fan dances, in which she decreased her costume to a flesh-colored triangle.  Rand hired renowned defense attorney, Jake Ehrlich, who had kept both Billie Holiday and Gene Krupa from going to jail on drug charges.  Ehrlich made the point that nudity was respected in the art of the great masters and suggested that the court view the dance in question, as evidence of its artistic nature.  The judge agreed to this and even granted Miss Rand a release to continue her performances, unaltered, until the trial was over.  That very same night, however, Rand began her dance, but was stopped for arrest by the San Francisco Police Department.  Imagine their surprise when the lights came up and it was revealed that Sally Rand was hiding a pair of flannel long-johns behind her fans.  Furthermore, in place of her customary triangle of costume, was a note marked “CENSORED.  S.F.P.D.”!  The next morning she performed her usual routine for the judge and jury and was promptly acquitted, on the grounds that, “Anyone who could find something lewd about the dance as she puts it on has to have a perverted idea of morals,” as Judge Shoemaker pronounced.

From flapper to fan dancer, Miss Rand continued to strut her stuff into the, and also her, sixties.  As she said herself, of her illustrious career, “I haven’t been out of work since the day I took my pants off.”

Mae West, a household name to this day, began her career in Vaudeville, working her way up to radio, Broadway, and later the screen. Her entire career, which lasted her a lifetime, was based on one infamous character: herself.  Known for her sexual candor, wit, and double entendres, she coined many famous phrases, such as “Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me” and “A hard man is good to find.”

Not only an actress, but a producer and writer, as well, Miss West titled her first Broadway show “Sex.”  The play was not such a great success until it was brought up on a morals charge, sparking a heated debate over the role of censorship in the theatre.  After being arrested and released on $1,000 bail, West continued her show, to packed audiences, for a lengthy run.  As with Sally Rand, the publicity did her nothing but good!  However, in 1927, the play was again brought up against charges of obscenity and West was convicted of corrupting the morals of youth, for which she served nine days out of a ten day sentence, getting out early on good behavior!  She served her sentence at Welfare Island Women’s Workhouse, where Mae West, never a quitter, gathered a great deal of material from observing her inmates and wrote her play-turned-film “Diamond Lil.”  During the scandal of “Sex,” West was also busy writing and producing “The Drag,” which the New York Times described as the play that “caused the sudden action…toward cleaning up the stage.”  Although the show was a success at its out of town previews, it was not allowed to open on Broadway.  This didn’t stop her from staging “Pleasure Man,” which also featured drag performers, and landed West, once more, in jail and, once more, released for $1,000 bail.  The lady certainly had a fighting spirit and, as she said herself, “Those who are easily shocked…should be shocked more often.”

Her involvement in the film business was fraught with the same battles over censorship as her Broadway career.  She caused such scandal on the silver screen that some authors jokingly credit her with singlehandedly bringing down the hammer of the censors that resulted in the Hollywood Production Code of 1934, which was the mode of film censorship until 1968.  But Mae West outlasted the production code, using her same shtick in 1978 for her final film, Sextette and still using her most iconic quote, “Why don’t you come up and see me sometime…when I’ve got nothing on but the radio.”

With summer travel season upon us, we decided it was the perfect time to start this Monthly Feature that we’ve had in our pockets for a while now.   We will feature a new Burlesque or Pin-Up Haunt every month.  Have a local legend of haunted theaters, celebrity burlesque ghosts, or the like?  Shoot it over to editor@pincurlmag.com we’d love to hear from you!

Burlesque & Pin-Up Haunts

The Palace Theatre – Columbus, Ohio

By: Divertida Devotchka

The Palace Theatre in Columbus, Ohio opened in 1926 and was originally a vaudeville house, the construction of which was personally overseen by Edward Albee, a well-known vaudeville impresario. According to the Palace Theatre’s website, from the 1930s through the 1950s, the theatre was the most active venue for live shows in the city of Columbus. Many of the biggest names of the era graced its stage, such as Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Jack Benny, Glenn Miller, Harpo and Chico Marx, and last but certainly not least, both Mae West and Gypsy Rose Lee. In 1989, the theatre was purchased by the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts, known as CAPA, which also owns and operates several historic theaters in the city.

Internet research on this venue does reveal several anecdotal supernatural experiences there, but according to CAPA publicist Rolanda Copley, no one is aware of a haunting in their theatres.  Some Columbus residents disagree with this assessment. Nellie Kampmann has done extensive research on paranormal activity in the Columbus area and her book, The Haunted History of Columbus, Ohio will be printed next fall by The History Press. Kampmann’s take on the theatre is quite different from that of their publicist.

“I’ve never been able to warm up to the place myself,” Kampmann said. “I am psychically sensitive, and there’s always been something about it that has felt very cold and unwelcoming to me. It didn’t surprise me when I found out that it had a reputation for being haunted.”

According to Kampmann, the theatre’s ghost made its first appearance at a reopening party after CAPA renovated the theater. “The festivities included a séance to contact Harry Thurston, the magician rival of guest of honor Harry Blackstone, Jr.’s father. Instead of reaching Thurston, something unexpected happened. One side of the medium’s face suddenly sagged, and she had difficulty speaking,” said Kampmann. “The ghost that she was channeling claimed to be the spirit of a stroke-ridden man who had died in the theater.” Some believe the man had been murdered, but no one is sure exactly what happened. It is said that many people experience a “suffocating presence” in the balcony where the man was reported to have died.

Kampmann said that the cleaning staff has also reported strange happenings. “They use a vacuum cleaner that straps on like a backpack in order to give them more mobility when cleaning the stairs. One day, one of the cleaners was vacuuming when the vacuum stopped,” Kampmann said. “She checked to see if maybe she had accidentally yanked the cord out of the socket. It was still plugged in. Then she checked the on/off switch and found that it had been turned to “off.” She flipped it back on and went back to vacuuming.” This same sequence happened again, and the cleaner turned the vacuum back on and continued working. “Five minutes later, the vacuum suddenly stopped again,” Kampmann said. “She looked around and decided that the theatre was clean enough!”

Want more burlesque haunts?  Marilyn Monroe’s Ghost

Have a little extra time on your hands during the cold winter months spent inside? Check out our list of Pin Curl Magazine’s Top Five Vintage Movie Picks for Winter.

Burlesque Undressed­­
2010. Produced by and Starring Immodesty Blaize

The mighty Immodesty Blaize has done it again in her documentary of The Tease Show which was a smashing success in Europe. One of the most famous modern burlesque performers Miss Blaize is featured throughout the film, as well as performances and interviews with the biggest names in modern burlesque including: Perle Noire, Kalani Kokonuts, Dirty Martini, Michelle L’Amour, Catherine D’Lish, and Kitten D’Ville.

Burlesque Undressed chronicles the history of burlesque from its European roots to its American Revival. Also included in the film are interviews with burlesque legends Dixie Evans, Satan’s Angel, Lily Ann Rose, and The First Lady of Burlesque April March.
Burlesque Undressed is now in theaters in Europe, and will be available on DVD there in February. Which begs the question — but what about the American fans? Glad you asked! Dallas will be home to the U.S. film premier! We are proud to announce the U.S. film debut of Burlesque Undressed, as well as live burlesque performances by some of the top stars in the film including Immodesty Blaize will take place in Dallas in March and is presented by none other than Pin Curl Magazine!

Watching all the talent, glitz, and feathers is a high definition spectacle not to be missed (not to mention Immodesty Blaize’s first ever performance in Texas!)

I’m No Angel
1933. Starring Mae West and Cary Grant

Nominated for Best Picture in its day, I’m No Angel may be the legendary Mae West’s best film ever. The story of famous glamorous shimming side show performer turned lion tamer, this is a brilliant woman chasing her dream story. Curveballs are thrown at her when she falls in love with a man, only to have her ex interfere, but she wants it all — and she gets it.

Some Like It Hot
1959. Starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon

This Oscar-winning film, finds two struggling musicians running from the mob. In order to avoid being killed, they dress in drag and join an all girl band, but things get complicated when one of the musicians falls for a female band mate. This comedic thriller is sure to become a favorite!

The Notorious Bettie Page
2006. Starring Gretchen Mol

While Bettie fans give this film mixed reviews, it did earn two SAG nominations and is well worth a watch. This film focuses on a side of Bettie few knew, the innocent, naïve country gals that she was. Chronicling her life from her very first shoot to her legal battle, which all but forcefully removed her from modeling, this film strives to give an accurate pictorial of the Notorious Bettie Page.

**There is also a new Bettie Page documentary in the works. This one claims to be an authorized biography, made with Bettie’s full cooperation. For more info and projected release dates, visit the official site Bettie Page Reveals All.**

A Wink and a Smile
2009. Produced by and Starring Indigo Blue

This film documents the lives of ten ordinary women, as they enroll in and complete Miss Indigo Blue’s Burlesque training course. With performances, clips, and interviews from almost all of the heavy hitters in Seattle’s current burlesque scene, this is a show every fan of neo-burlesque should see.