Burlesque

     We all have those occasional nights when we can't fall asleep.  When I found myself in that situation a few weeks ago, I switched on the TV and watched a documentary called "Behind the Burley Q."  This film about the golden age of burlesque was made by Leslie Zemeckis.  Ms. Zemeckis also wrote a book with the same name.  Here's a Wikipedia synopsis of the film:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behind_the_Burly_Q

     Here's an in depth interview with Zemeckis in which she discusses "Behind the Burley Q" and another of her documentaries titled "Bound by Flesh," the story of conjoined twins Violet and Daisy Hilton.  It's long - 49 minutes - but it's interesting.

    




     They say Australians love to brag about the criminals in their family trees.  When I got my tattoo, one of the ladies working in my doctor's office revealed her grandfather was the tattooed man in a circus.  Well, by gosh, now I get to brag that I have a stripper in my pedigree, my cousin. Her stage name was Kena Barry, and she danced at the Trocadero in Philadelphia.  She was skilled in gymnastics and incorporated some of those moves into her act.  I think I met her once.  I have a hazy memory of a very outgoing, bleached blonde, overly made up lady.  She was married three times, and number three was the charm.  According to my parents, she couldn't say enough good things about numero tres.  He nursed her through two hip replacements and stuck until death parted them.
     I have a postcard published by the Burlesque Historical Company, a photography studio in 1950's Philadelphia.  Here's Kena:

      

     Lo and behold, I also found another of Kena's pictures online.

     She had nice handwriting, don't you think?