Varietease (1954) Poster

(1954)

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Bettie couldn't dance, but who cares?
ClassicAndCampFilmReviews26 November 2004
Bettie loses some "coolness points" when she dances, but if you go into frame-by-frame mode on your DVD player it's obvious that each frame of her dancing would have made a great still shot in and of itself. Proof that she was a great poser, and a lousy dancer, but as she has said herself, she was "far from being a professional dancer". She is very appealing despite the fact that neither my husband nor myself could contain our raucous laughter during her dance scenes. Her sparkle and sense of fun are evident throughout, she is in great shape, and her ever-changing and playful facial expressions are absolute treats to see.

Plus! You get to "Hear Bettie speak!" in addition to seeing her jump around - uhhm I mean dance.

The best part of the DVD is a silent, black and white arcade film loop of Bettie created for those old-time coin-activated peep-show viewers....Bettie gyrates up to a point, then the screen is suddenly blocked out with a caption telling the viewer to insert coins to see more of the film. This of course occurs at a regular basis through this particular short, as it did when those types of films were originally shown. Classic camp!

There are also appearances by a rather famous, albeit scary-looking drag queen from the time, and some professional strippers who could have passed for drag queens...but I bought these really just for the Bettie Page segments; these two DVD's are a must-have for Bettie Page fans.
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8/10
Enjoyable burlesque revue
Woodyanders1 June 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Director Irving Klaw presents a neat array of diverse burlesque acts in this entertaining time capsule of kitschy 50's Americana. Legendary pin-up queen Bettie Page alas proves to be a hopelessly stiff and awkward dancer, but fortunately she looks quite yummy in her harem girl outfit and sure appears to be having a grand time jumping around on stage. Singers Cass Franklin and Monica Lane do a couple of charming duets. Peppe and Roccio hit it out of the ballpark with their dynamic flamenco moves. The duo of Baros and Rogers are a completely different story: Their slapstick comic routine qualifies as downright jaw-dropping in its astonishing tastelessness as it makes a giddy mockery of mistreating one's spouse (!). Ravishing redhead Shelley Leigh boasts a spectacular voluptuous figure and has lots of energy to spare. Christine Nelson sings well, but ain't much of a looker and tells some seriously lousy jokes. Female impersonator Vicki Lynn does a pretty solid number. However, it's the highly touted Lilli St. Cyr who definitely cops the top honors: A stunning blonde with a nice slim build, long legs, and an elegantly composed manner, Lili's scorching climactic act sure lives up to all the hype thanks to her smoldering stage presence and impressive dance skills. Sure, the acts featured herein are a decidedly mixed bag (the stand-up comedian cracks lots of groan-inducingly terrible jokes), but it's still a lot of fun just the same.
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