Behind the Burly Q: The Story of Burlesque in America

Filmmaker Zemeckis, who directed and produced a documentary of the same name and subject as this book, focuses on burlesque's heyday during the 1920s through 1950s. She introduces readers to a wild and varied cast of characters, many of whom she interviewed herself, such as Lili St. Cyr, Zorita, and the legendary Gypsy Rose Lee, who was immortalized in the Broadway musical Gypsy. However, the author also reveals a more vulnerable side to these larger-than-life figures, discussing unstable childhoods and marital woes. Zemeckis also devotes chapters to comedians and other vaudeville acts associated with burlesque (Abbott and Costello were among the many performers who got their start in burlesque), the "candy butchers" who hawked their wares before shows and during intermission, and theater owners such as the Minskys. Despite occasional stilted writing, the book stresses quotations and anecdotes from the performers involved, giving it an intimate, insider's feel.