Burlesque, American

Burlesque, American, sex-and-comedy entertainment originally intended for men only. Known popularly as ‘burleycue’ or ‘leg-show’, it was devised by Michael Leavitt (1843–1935) in about 1868. Each performance was divided into three parts, the first combining chorus numbers and monologues with comedy sketches known as ‘bits’; the second, known as the ‘olio’, was made up of variety turns. The third part, which also had chorus numbers and ‘bits’, contained the show's only resemblance to the original burlesque in that it might feature a travesty on politics or a parody of a current theatrical success. The final number, known as ‘the Extra Added Attraction’, was usually a belly dance, or ‘hootchy-kootchy’. One of the early stars of burlesque was Lillian Russell [ Helen Louise Leonard] (1861–1922) who first appeared in 1881. In about 1920 strip-tease was introduced to counteract the competition of the films. This involved a complicated ritual of a woman undressing to music and exposing herself for a second completely nude except for a G-string. The most famous strip-tease artiste was Gypsy Rose Lee [ Rose Louise Hovich] (1914–70). Heavy drinking contributed to the uninhibited atmosphere of burlesque houses, and with the enforcement of Prohibition in America burlesque lost its hold over the public and was finally banned from New York in 1942.