SHOWGIRLS THEN & NOW

When the movie musical Burlesque: It Takes a Legend to Make a Star came out in 2010, its costumes and stage numbers brought to mind the rich tradition of glamorous showgirls stretching back to the Ziegfeld Follies, the Moulin Rouge, and the Folies Bergere.

 

 

 

Since the 1920s, Hollywood has involved its major talent in the production of movie musicals, many of which showcased the beautiful showgirls that gave the films their sugar and spice. Legendary costume designers like Adrian, Edith Head, Orry-Kelly, Travis Banton, Helen Rose, Walter Plunkett, and William Travilla all designed numerous stunning showgirl costumes, not to mention Bob Mackie. Super stars have played showgirl roles - or those of the lead singers and dancers that made up the movie. A young and beautiful Lana Turner is shown above in Ziegfeld Girl, 1941, in a showgirl costume designed by Adrian. Adrian liked to use star decorations in his costumes, symbolic of their rising star or falling star qualities.

                                                                                

 

                                                                                 

Showgirls were used on stage and screen for their beauty. But they were also models for the stunning costumes that made them appear larger than life. The tradition of outrageous costumes goes back to the turn-of-the-last-century Moulin Rouge and Folies Bergere of Paris. These costumes and the showgirls that wore them became even more stupendous in the New York productions of Florenz Ziegfeld in the 1910s, and then the 1920s stage shows such as George White's Scandals, and Irving Berlin's Music Box Revue. Movie costume designers like Dolly Tree, Adrian, and Charles LeMaire designed for these shows early in their careers. The beauty shown above was in an early Paramount movie, most likely designed by Travis Banton or Howard Greer.

Adrian designed the most outrageous showgirl costumes ever seen on film. MGM payed tribute to Ziegfeld in a series of films, and Adrian was inspired by and ultimately outdid the showman in costumes such as these fromThe Great Ziegfeld, 1936. This costume is named Silver Pheasant, and is worn by Clarissa Sherry in the film. It is made from 52 dozen pheasant tails, each one silvered and studded with sequins. The wings have a spread of 10 feet. Hand-ground crystals hang from the flaring bodice and the showgirl wears silver lame tights.

                                                                                      
Showgirl Diane Cook wears another outrageous Adrian costume from The Great Ziegfeld. The costume reportedly cost $3000 to produce in 1936.

                                                                            
Costume designers Orry-Kelly and Milo Anderson were also designing eye-catching costumes at Warner Brothers in the 1930s. The films didn't emphasize the big costumes of MGM, but the snappy music and unique choreography of Busby Berkely played up the role of the showgirls. Above is a shot of the chorines, led by Ruby Keeler at right, during a rehearsal scene from 42nd Street.
                                                                 

                                                                                   

                                                                         
                                                                                                                  
The photo above features the showgirls playing the Ziegfeld Girls in MGM's Ziegfeld Follies, 1945. Several designers worked on the film, although these costumes were most likely designed by Helen Rose.     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

                                                                                       

The beautiful showgirls from Ziegfeld Girl surround Judy Garland on the set. Adrian designed the costumes, including Judy's, which featured fringe made from hand-drawn silver lame cloth. The Ziegfeld Girls are, left to right, played by Virginia Curzon, Georgie Carroll, Irma Wilson, Nina Bissell, Lorraine Gettman (later Leslie Brooks), Harriet Bennett, and Madelaine Martin.

                                                                                      

                                                                                   

The Ziegfeld Girls were also used as showgirl characters in Funny Girl in 1968, starring Barbara Streisand and Omar Shariff.  Although uncredited, Oscar-winning costume designer Mary Wills designed this showgirl costume for the Ziegfeld show number in the movie.



                            Photo by Stephen Vaughn, Screen Gems

Burlesque the movie starred Cher and Christina Aguilera. Showgirls were featured in the movie, and thankfully the costumes played an important part of the film. Costume designer Michael Kaplan has done a fabulous job, in the proud tradition of the designers mentioned above.  He drew inspiration from those classic films going back to the 20s. For the number shown above, Aguilera and the showgirls wear costumes made from gold chains and Swarovski crystals.

In the movies, and on stage, showgirls sometimes rose to stardom. But most of them never received the individual recognition they deserved. They worked long and hard in their usually brief careers. Thankfully we have the silver screen, and some great photos, to remind us of their pluck and grace.