Posted on Flickr by Joy Northrop, May 2010.Before looking up Gypsy Rose Lee on all-knowing Wikipedia, I just thought: "Great candid shot of a gentlemen kindly helping out fixing the dress of one of the models at a fashion show!" After reading up a little bit on the woman in the picture, I learned that she was a very successful burlesque performer and actress (yes in movies for all audiences) in the early 40ies. Apparently, she was famous for her outstanding striptease act, which explains why the gentleman is so keen to help ;-), and was titled "the best undressed woman in the world (or the USA?)". In 1963, she actually played a role in a film called The Stripper, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design.
Enough to get curious about and I think it is an awesome shot, no matter what stage of undressing might have been reached later that night ...
1 comment:
I'm surprised that in your little summary above you left out the biggest part: that her life was the basis for one of the greatest Broadway musicals in history, GYPSY! It's been revived four times. The starring role of GRL's mother "Mama Rose" is probably the meatiest stage part for a "woman of a certain age" that there is. Her bio is a great read.
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