Miss Treibor

Another image from the National Library of New Zealand.  The subject is Miss Treibor, but no other information about her or the context of the photo is given.  The photograph was taken in 1956 for the Evening Post newspaper of Wellington by an unidentified staff photographer.

The source citation, where you can see the original,  is:

Can-can girl Miss Treibor. Negatives of the Evening Post newspaper. Ref: EP/1956/2576-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22761680

Nikita Krushchev, Knicker Inspector

Another photo of Nikita Krushchev's famous Hollywood visit during the filming of "Can-Can".  The dancers are showing off their semi-transparent black bloomers that were and are the bane of purists who were anticipating something much better from a once-in-fifty-years filming of the musical.  This is from:

http://pinterest.com/pin/43206477647450286/

The Chairman, who seems to be a keen observer of this scene, observed philosophically, "The face of humanity is prettier than its backside."

Depends on what face humanity happens to be showing at the time and the particular backside, I think.

Photos from a prior posting on this topic:

http://classiccancan.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-chairman-dances.html

Cancan Hen Party

As produced by Bristol Hen Parties.  A modern b&w photo from their site:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.335201133251168.65949.284794121625203&type=3

Main sites:

http://www.pinkkittendanceschool.com/hen-parties/

https://www.facebook.com/#!/BristolHenParties

Kathleen W. Gray and Dancers in "Can-Can" 1975

From an EBay auction by SFX Archive:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1975-Kathleen-Gray-Dancers-CAN-CAN-Broadway-Number-Theatre-Photo-1-/390627817363?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5af33b7793

The information is from the back of the photo.  I can't find much of anything about Kathleen Gray or what production of "Can-Can" occurred in 1975.

sfxarchive has a wide range of photos available at their store:

http://stores.ebay.com/sfxarchive

From sfxarchive's site:

"SFX Archive has acquired the Theatre World/Screen World Archive, a large privately held, important archive of twentieth century American theatre and film production still photographs and other related theatre and film memorabilia. For 67 years, Theatre World & Screen World annual publications have been pictorial and statistical hardcover records of the American theatre and both foreign and domestic film seasons.

"Now, for the first time, upon the death of longtime editor John Willis (editor of Theatre World and Screen World from 1964 until the early 2000s), photographs and autographed memorabilia from the Archive are being offered for sale."

 

Back When Ballroom Dancing Was Interesting

Imagine that - real people in real clothes, including normal underpinnings.

Winners of the New Zealand national dancing championships, Ann Blewman and Clifford Howcroft, dance at the championships. Photograph taken circa 20 July 1951 by an Evening Post photographer.

From the archives of the National Library of New Zealand:

http://natlib.govt.nz/items/22452121

"Can-Can" 1983

 

 

 

No pictures please!

The cancan dancers of the Bal du Paradis demonstrating their camera-shyness and dancing skills in connection with this production of "Can-Can" staged by the Taree Arts Council of New South Wales, Australia.

See more photos at:

 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=420869831280295&set=a.420869744613637.101255.167646773269270&type=3&theater#!/media/set/?set=a.420869744613637.101255.167646773269270&type=3

The Taree Arts Council sites:

http://www.tareeartscouncil.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Taree-Arts-Council-Inc/167646773269270

Maria Morton (Tucson Academy of Dance)

A 1960s photo from a Facebook blog dedicated to Mary Morton of the Tucson Academy of Dance  captioned, "Can Can - performed at fund raiser for Music Associates Against Cancer."

See the original at:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151321128173090&set=a.10151321124248090.479369.227273798089&type=3&theater

Ms. Morton had a long and successful career as a dancer and teacher.  See more at the main Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maria-Morton-Tucson-Academy-of-Dance-/227273798089

Calico Saloon - Knott's Berry Farm

A photo of JoAn Burdick Gottlieb, a performer at Knott's Berry Farm of the late 1950s.  This photo is from the Knott's Preserved Facebook Community:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Knotts-Preserved/175903632427821

This is similar to a color version of her from the same photo session that is more familiar.  The color version can be seen at the Knotts Berry Farm: Calico Saloon Castmembers & Alumni Facebook Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/44374737687/.

Direct links to the relevant photo pages, where you can see several more cancan performance photos from this era and many more historic photos of Knott's:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.323467517671431.86871.175903632427821&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/groups/44374737687/#!/groups/44374737687/photos/

Brunswick Junior College 1965

The photo is a bit blurry, but it conveys how an amateur cancan was done in the more innocent time of 1965.  Things were beginning to change, but my guess is that they hadn't changed that much in Brunswick, Georgia by then.

This is from a nostalgia site for the school (now  College of Coastal Georgia):

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=602853533058065&set=a.602853499724735.1073741825.209948155681940&type=1&theater

US Camera 1937

A photo of an unidentified dancer taken by Arnold Genthe (or Muky?) and published in a 1937 edition of US Camera.  A reproduction of the original of this photo (in better resolution than shown above) can be had through EBay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Photo-Dancer-1-/400528864069?pt=UK_Art_Photographs_RL&hash=item5d41617345

Can-Can 1981

The chorus from the ill-fated 1981 Broadway revival of "Can-Can".  Photo by Martha Swope.  Available at an SFX Archive auction on EBay, where you can see a larger version of the photo:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Orig-1981-Chorus-Line-Dancers-CAN-CAN-Broadway-Theatre-Photo-by-Martha-Swope-5-/390627817394?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5af33b77b2

More about the production:

http://www.sondheimguide.com/porter/cancan81.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can-Can_(musical)

Let's hope the production that is being organized now has a better fate.

The Days of '98 Show

Skagway's famous show has been running a long time, as these old photos indicate.  These are from The Days of 98's Historical Show Photos Facebook page, where you can see one more older cancan photo in color (otherwise I would have included it above):

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.159046787491777.40043.159043997492056&type=3#!/media/set/?set=a.159046787491777.40043.159043997492056&type=3

Of course, if you search around at this site you can find photos of the current show too, which are well worth a look.

The Days of '98 Show's web site is:

http://www.thedaysof98show.com/index.html

I Married Joan

Another sample from Argenta Images, this time of comedienne Joan Davis clowning in an episode of her 1950's US television show, "I Married Joan", entitled "Theatrical Can-Can".

You can see the episode at You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psoSOOH7w7A

(The comic cancan begins a little after 6:00 minutes)

You can obtain an unwatermarked, larger, higher resolution version of this photo, and many others, at Argenta:

https://www.argentaimages.com/pages/home

A Pretty Pose

An unidentifed dancer in a floor-length cancan petticoat strikes a revealing pose in this photo, which is offered on EBay.  No identifying information is given.

See the auction at:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Art-Deco-1920-30s-Original-Photo-Dancer-on-Stage-Vintage-Photograph-/151082229422?pt=UK_Collectables_Photographs_MJ&hash=item232d33deae

Happy Bastille Day

These somewhat grainy samples are from the extensive black and white photo collection of Argenta Images, specifically the Rogers Photo Archive. The caption for this large set of photos is, "Can Can Girls are wishing Banko Petrovich a happy Bastille day".  The dancers and photographer are not identified, nor are the photos dated.  The full set can be seen at:

https://www.argentaimages.com/media/image/q/Manned/id/EDS1352035184NTXOGW/name/Can't+Hurry+Love/page/5

https://www.argentaimages.com/media/image/q/Manned/id/EDS1352035184NTXOGW/name/Can%27t+Hurry+Love/page/6

You can obtain larger, higher resolution, unwatermarked versions of these from Argenta:

https://www.argentaimages.com/pages/home

Gretha Sullivan

From the 1950's Moulin Rouge to the Rio Grande Valley of 2009.  See the story of Danish-born dancer, Gretha Sullivan, in The Monitor:

http://www.themonitor.com/life/valley_life/article_bae4253e-e2a5-5793-a630-12255139e646.html

Scholarship Cancans

Photos from the 1948 and 1949 RHS Ridgewood Jamborees, shows put on to raise money for scholarhips for graduates of Ridgewood High School in New Jersey.

More about the festivities at this Facebook site set up by alumni of the shows:

https://www.facebook.com/RHSJamboreeAlumni#!/media/set/?set=a.380099722000418.97816.378168328860224&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/RHSJamboreeAlumni#!/media/set/?set=a.495774190432970.119545.378168328860224&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/RHSJamboreeAlumni#!/RHSJamboreeAlumni

Impressionism in Black and White

A 1938 photo by Don Wallace that appeared in Coronet Magazine has an impressionistic air about it.  A little grainier and it could be pointillist.

This is from the Moulin Rouge~Can Can~Showgirls Pinterest page of Sandra Michaan:

http://pinterest.com/pin/161848180330279163/

The posting does not indicate the venue where this was taken.

Demonstrating her Cancan Technique 2

Another "audition" cartoon.  Compare the earlier one:

http://classiccancan.blogspot.com/2013/05/demonstrating-her-cancan-technique.html

This is from the Old Erotic Art Tumblr blog, where you can see the bi-color version of the cartoon:

http://olderoticart.tumblr.com/image/54774701920

Moulin Rouge Video - 1950s

There is a new video on You Tube that, in addition to showing some nice material from the current Moulin Rouge production, contains some historical footage from the 1950s version of the show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzpvjYbc53c

The Half-Breed

From the Creeping Irrelevance Tumblr blog:

http://creepingirrelevance.tumblr.com/post/48660876223/the-half-breed-1952

This indicates it is from The Half-Breed, a 1952 film, and the cast list for that film credits several cancan dancers - Caleen Calder, Marietta Elliott, Shelah Hackett, Betty Leonard, Mary Menzies, and Shirley Whitney:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044681/

The costumes are just like the one in this famous photo, so it must also be from The Half-Breed or the costumes were re-purposed:

https://picasaweb.google.com/111110048689955606979/PostingsAtTumblr?authkey=Gv1sRgCKbbi-eOrrfMJQ#5893639140837039634

Also see this photo of Caleen Calder in this role:

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/caleen%20calder

Northern Arts and Cultural Center

A modern, but classically styled, black and white photo from a recent performance at the Northern Arts and Cultural Center, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Northern-Arts-and-Cultural-Centre-NACC/297553000371154#!/photo.php?fbid=315741528552301&set=pb.297553000371154.-2207520000.1373392358.&type=3&theater

The dancers are Michelle Hannah. Pascaline Greau and Darha Philpot. Photo credit to Pat Kane.

The NACC web pages are:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Northern-Arts-and-Cultural-Centre-NACC/297553000371154

http://www.naccnt.ca

The View from the Orchestra Pit

The costume isn't a traditional cancan costume, but the lifted skirt and kick are definitely inspired by the cancan.  This unidentified dancer's photo was found at the Retromania Tumblr blog:

http://retromani.tumblr.com/post/49079760026

Nadege Maruta - Star of the Cancan

Well-known dancer and choreographer of the cancan, Nadege Maruta, poses for this magazine article (and the cover of her book) in an ultra-frilly retro costume.  The costume fits right in with the black and white photography.

This is from her website:

http://www.lescanonsducancan.fr/images/images/Presse/question-de-femmes.jpg

http://www.lescanonsducancan.fr/

The book:

http://www.lescanonsducancan.fr/en/component/content/article/1/17-follement-cancan.html

Girl Rush

The dancers from Girl Rush back up Frances Langford using recycled costumes from The Lodger, I think.   This is from an Ebay auction by Vintorg:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Girl-Rush-44-WALLY-BROWN-FRANCES-LANGFORD-ALAN-CARNEY-SHOWGIRLS-/390603450528?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5af1c7a8a0&nma=true&si=6Ync6iRoCTMb6IwEQGMAn8EyQBI%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Vintorg's store, where you can find a huge collection of movie stills, is at:

http://stores.ebay.com/vintorg?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

Concert Pacra

A 1963 photo of a troupe from a Parisian music hall I had never heard of named Concert Pacra. 

This is available in an EBay auction by Historic Images where you can find a description of this new show at Concert Pacra:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1963-Press-Photo-Dancing-Troupe-Pacra-Music-Hall-Paris-/390531501514?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item5aed7dcdca

The history of Concert Pacra:

http://www.lehall.com/consultez-l-histoire/lieux/concert-pacra

Moulin Rouge 1952

A black and white photo of the dancers from the 1952 Moulin Rouge film by John Huston.

Found at the Tumblr blog of Cabaret-Can:

http://cabaret-can.tumblr.com/post/54176059170

Cabaret-Can has a nice collection of showgirl and cabaret photos, including cancan photos.

http://cabaret-can.tumblr.com/

Coming and Going in Paris

A Mae West-ish lady of the Twenties or Thirties frames an elaborate pair of risque panties in two cancanesque poses.  The originals are from:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/French-Nude-woman-old-1920s-photo-postcard-YVA-Richard-/380382853037?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item589095b7ad

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yva-Richard-French-Nude-FRILLS-Lingerie-c1920s-photo-pc-/360417912321?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53ea94e601

They are by French erotica photographer/publisher Yva Richard, run by M. Richard and his wife Nativa.  The model in the above photos is Mme. Richard.  More about them and their work can be found at:

http://vasta-images-books.blogspot.com/2011/01/yva-richard-paris-1920s30s.html?zx=828616989d1640b

Paris Paris!

A photo from a 1979 revue of French stars performing in Germany.

See  the original, which is for sale at Historic Images' EBay site:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1979-Press-Photo-Super-Revue-from-Paris-in-Hamburg-West-Germany-/390545327390?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item5aee50c51e

Historic Images is an excellent source for period entertainment photos of all sorts as well as a wide variety of, as their name indcates, historic images. Their store is at:

http://stores.ebay.com/historicimagesstore

Slightly French

A publicity still from the Dorothy Lamour film, "Slightly French".  As the photo indicates the costumes are a bit on the short side and their dance routine is more of a showgirl number, but it probably still qualifies as a cancan.

This photo is from an EBay auction, which misidentifies it:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360388222667

Another image:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RB622-Photo-DOROTHhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95-TvPTFEXUY-LAMOUR-Slightly-French-1949-/350808987998?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item51add8595e

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dorothy-Lamour-busty-leggy-VINTAGE-Photo-Slightly-French-/360414467572?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item53ea6055f4

See the prior posting here:

http://classiccancan.blogspot.com/2010/04/slightly-french.html

And a You Tube video of the entire routine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95-TvPTFEXU

Carol Anne Darg

A neat still captured from an autobiographical video entitled, "Showgirl in the Fifties" posted on YouTube by Carol Anne Darg:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjuwTP3K_-w

Ms. Darg was a performer in Paris and London revues and still is active as a flamenco dancer.

See her Google Plus site at:

https://plus.google.com/117490740412195196965/about#117490740412195196965/about

Baby Lake

This teasing pose is struck by Baby Lake, a burlesque performer and showgirl at Lou Walters' Latin Quarter.  This photo is from the Tumblr blog of Burlyqnell, where you can find a veritable visual history of mid-Centrury burlesque.

This photo is at:

http://burlyqnell.tumblr.com/post/53374286703/baby-lake-vintage-8x10-photo-baby-lake-started

Burlyqnell's Tumblr and Facebook pages are:

http://burlyqnell.tumblr.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vintage-Photos-of-Burlesque-Dancers/392420184108878