Monday, April 23, 2012

Sherry Britton

As you might have noticed by reading this blog, I'm very fond of burlesque. I love watching people perform the neo-burlesque of today, but I also love reading about how it all started. For me, if I understand the history part of something, I can appreciate what I see of the same thing today a lot more. One of the burlesque stars of the past I fell for as soon as I saw a picture of her, is Sherry Britton. I haven't managed to find any old videos of her actually performing, but the existing photos of her makes you understand why she was so popular...


If I could change bodies with anyone, this would be the one I'd want! That is an 18 inch (46 cm) waist on a 5 feet 3 inches (160 cm) body you're looking at! With long jet-black hair to top it all off...


Sherry Britton was born as Edith Zack in 1918. After her mother left her abusive husband, Sherry lived in foster homes or with her aunt and uncle, who were vaudeville performers. Although having a very high IQ, she never attended high school. At 15 she started living with a man who later became abusive. To escape what she called "a fake marriage", she started stripping. Right after her first performance she said she fainted...


In an unpublished memoir she titled "The Stripper, by the Hon. Brigadier General Sherry Britton", she wrote: "There seemed to be two of me. One, onstage, undressing. The other saying, 'What are you doing, taking your clothes off for those morons?' ".


In the 1930s and 40s she was one of the queens of burlesque, sometimes called "Great Britton, a stripteuse with brains". Another burlesque dancer from those days - Zorita - said that Sherry was "without a doubt the sexiest broad that I ever met in my life...You take Sherry Britton, honey, and you can ride along in a taxi with her and she'll pop your cookie."


After burlesque was banned from New York City by the administration of Mayor Fiorello La Guardia in the 40s, Ms Britton started a blooming acting career instead. She also entertained troops during WWII, and in 1944, was named an honorary brigadier general by President Franklin B. Roosevelt. 


According to herself she was "engaged" 14 times, but in 1971 she married Robert Gross, a wealthy businessman. After that she enrolled at Fordham University, from which she graduated pre-law in 1982, at the age of 63. 


After her husband died in 1990, Sherry spent her last years as a wealthy widow in New York, together with her poodle, "Miss Rich Bitch". On April 1, 2008, she died of natural causes, 89 years old.









14 comments:

  1. Ooooh..she's marvelous!! It's great to read of the ones of before and I think it's important to know where Burlesque came from for anyone who seriously enjoys it. These women were magical and the costumes they wore and wear today are amazing!! Loved it. Have a great day doll! Xxx

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  2. I'm with you when it comes to needing History to understand the present Miss Meadows. Sherry was quite the looker as well, it's a shame to hear she died though.

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  3. Happy that you found my blog!
    Hope you like the photo that I used on my blog. There will be loads and loads of pictures in the blog this week.
    You were so pretty in the dress!

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  4. Hiya doll, I agree with you too, weird people do equal creative people!! And you and I are most definitely creative, weird and beautiful people! And why stand in when you can stand out and shine!! I am happy to have a blog like yours I can read and enjoy, as there are so many blogs that bore me to tears with their 'same as everyone else' ways. Creativity is genius!! And I would have happily walked around in a balloon dress too ;) Love it! Ahh..thank you for your sweet compliments too..I think the same, had you not been as weird as I like, this blog wouldn't shine as much as it does for me, it's my little hide away, I love coming here. It's refreshing to find others who don't even have a box to think outside of ;) I hope we get to meet someday too doll, would be a pleasure :)) xoxox

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  5. " It's refreshing to find others who don't even have a box to think outside of" that is a great line! I also love this blog. It has class and intellect, plus beauty. Sherry Britton would fit in here.

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    1. Thank you for your lovely compliments! I get so happy hearing that people actually like what I write about! That line from The Dainty Dolls House is great! She responded to something I wrote on her blog, if it seems a bit out of context here :) xox

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  6. This post made me for some reason reflect on life passing before our eyes and that we should enjoy the moment we are in at the moment. Will Miss meadows be attending the Cuba Libre festivities at Nalen?

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    1. Det är precis så jag oxå känner när jag läser om gamla burleskstjärnor! Vi är alla unga och vackra en tid av våra liv, så det é lika bra att passa på att njuta av de åren medan vi kan! Och ja, Miss Meadows planerar att gå på Cuba Libre! Hon måste bara dra fram symaskinen och knåpa ihop nåt att sätta på sej först! :) xox

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  7. A wonderful post. Wow, was Sherry ever a stunner. Thank you for sharing!
    X
    BD

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  8. Hello Miss Meadows,

    I sent you a message on FB as well. My name is Karen Britton. I am a cousin of Sherry Britton. My husband is Maurice (Maury) and is her first cousin. We know her as "cousin Edie". She is a love! Always will be. I'm so happy that you honor her as you do. she would be so happy to know this and would love to have met you and shared so many wonderful stories. You are very beautiful and I know my cousin would have have adored you.
    xo
    Karen

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  9. She was actually 5 feet 3 inches tall, not 3 feet 5 inches.

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    1. Haha! Of course! Managed to switch the numbers around. Thank you for noticing, and telling me about it! Will fix my mistake right away! :) xox

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  10. All the world is a stage. Some times you get stuck and need to help some of the players understand the need for re-writes. Shakespare revised and re wrote...As the dove was a thought without a place rest moved God to change the flood ...its a good thing for dancing girls...peace

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    1. What a lovely comment! And you're so right! :) xx

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