Behind the Burly Q

Behind the Burly Q is a 2010 film documentary examining the golden age of American burlesque in the first half of the 20th century.^[2][3]

Behind the Burly Q
Directed by	Leslie Zemeckis
Written by	Leslie Zemeckis
Produced by	Leslie Zemeckis Sheri Hellard Robert Zemeckis
Cinematography	Sheri Hellard
Edited by	Evan Finn
Music by	Phil Marshall
Production companies	Mistress, Inc.
Distributed by	First Run Features
Release date	April 23, 2010 (2010-04-23)
Running time	98 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$23,889[1]

Synopsis

This documentary film, directed by Leslie Zemeckis, explores the heyday of burlesque includes dozens of interviews with exotic dancers of the time, including April March, Lorraine Lee, Taffy O’Neill, Blaze Starr, Tempest Storm, Beverly Arlynne, Kitty West, Alexandra the Great '48, and many others; Mike Iannucci, burlesque performer Ann Corio's husband and producer of “This Was Burlesque”; theater owner and burlesque producer Leroy Griffith; journalists and authors Nat Bodian, Rachel Schteir, and Janet Davis; and actor Alan Alda, whose father Robert Alda was a burlesque singer and straight man. The film discusses the rise and eventual fall of the golden era of burlesque, featuring profiles on several famous performers, including Sherry Britton, Sally Rand, Lili St. Cyr, Rose La Rose, and Gypsy Rose Lee.

Reception

Film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 77% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on 26 reviews, with an average score of 6.5/10.^[4] Emily Hourican of the Irish Independent lauded the film as "an absorbing, moving and cleverly constructed look at the tradition of American burlesque."^[5] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times was less enthusiastic, claiming the film "settles too easily for an editing formula which alternates talking heads, too cursory performance footage and montages of headlines and photographs."^[6] Ronnie Scheib of Variety said the film's "stories run from raunchy to touching to funny to flat-out incredible.”^[7]

Book

In 2013, Skyhorse Publishing released a companion book by Zemeckis, also called Behind the Burly Q.