Seeking Performers Who Worked Burlesque for Documentary

Ron Newman on March 2, 2006 at 7:50 am

You should get in touch with David Kruh, who has an extensive website about Boston’s Scollay Square, and has written two books on the subject.

rsalters (Ron Salters) on March 2, 2006 at 11:55 am

I was a fan of “Burley” shows in Boston in the 1950s and up to 1962. There were some young girls dancing in the shows who would still be with us today. (For example, an 18-year-old at the Casino Theatre in Boston in 1961 — she would be 62 now.) However, the male comics were all middle-aged or older then. Some of the guys in the pit band probably were in their 30s or 40s. It’s not easy today to find people who worked in the Burley troupes back then. There is a Burlesque Historical Society, and there were recent midnight burlesque show recreations on stage at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline MA. So the interest is out there. Good luck, Dorothy!

Dorothy on March 17, 2006 at 4:11 am

Does anyone here have contact info for any of the theater owners?

This documentary is to be a *VERY high class professional one.. (a la Ken Burns) by an already well-known producer

Dorothy on June 1, 2006 at 8:13 am

Thanks Scratch.. I will forward this information directly on to the film producers. Dorothy

Dorothy on July 21, 2006 at 6:23 am

Thank you Miss Firecracker

Dorothy on June 5, 2007 at 4:00 am

Righto will do
Dorothy

Leicatom on February 18, 2010 at 1:50 am

Hello Dorothy!

I see that you have'nt posted here in 3 years, I do hope that you get this message.

I have acquired a small collection of original negatives taken of you’re Mother Mara Gaye (ca. 1955/59?) ~ I’ve struggled to gather up a group of two sets of wardrobe and some single negatives, mostly coming from the West Coast (Ca.) but I also bought some of these negatives back from a collector in Athens, Greece!

They are on Medium Format Negative (maybe Yaschiamat or a Rolleiflex Camera) and they where shot professionally in a cheap looking motel of that era.

I’m trying to find other surviving negatives from these sets, it’s a miracle that I have as many as I have, I more than likely have the most complete set of original negatives from these two photo sessions.
(One set she’s in black, she’s topless and wears Full Fashioned Stockings and Black Knee High boots, the others are all with a white dress, shot upskirt, with her black panties and Full Fashioned Stockings showing, she’s also drinking (or pretending to) drink whiskey in a water glass with ice, (very campy and amusing).

Here’s three thumbnail samples of some of the photos I have;

View link

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I was wondering if you have any idea, when these motel photos were taken and who may have been the photographer? And if they were ever used in a men’s magazine of that era. (mid to late 1950’s).

Hoping that you see this and I may be able to talk more about you’re Mother, she was simply beautiful.

Please drop me a line back to my email ~

Thanks

Tom

PS: I’m a modern day PinUp Photographer and I just wish I could find a Mara “look-a-like” to shoot now.