An iconic incarnation of the pin-up, the sculptural Bettie Page has been haunting the fantasies of both men and women for more than half a century. Surrounded by a sulfurous aura of mystery, she is vaguely associated to bondage in collective memory and has become a cult figure, her image and haircut even influencing modern-day women—at least in Orange County where the 50's sub-culture is still very alive.
Starting a career as a glamour model in magazines, she appeared in several burlesque films before launching the bondage craze onscreen. Victim of her own success, she abruptly disappeared from public view after the indictment of her producer by a senate on an erotic witch-hunt. Page now lives somewhere in California—she provides welcoming ironic commentaries on this DVD as well as on Bettie Page Bondage Queen.
Bettie Page Pin Up Queen features a series of short films starring Betty Page and some of her co-workers. With titles like Striporama, Varietise and Teaserama, you would certainly expect something exciting and exotic, especially as nowadays burlesque shows have a somewhat wild connotation—check out the Suicide Girls and you will see what I mean.
In the first segment of Striporama, we see two old men sleeping in the same bed. They wake up to see Betty dancing in the middle of their bedroom, before you realize that of course it's a dream. It's also the only burlesque where Betty has a speaking part—actually only a couple of words. The second segment, which at the time was known as the most erotic bath ever seen onscreen will surprise you—as Page also underlines it in her documentary—since the only skin you see is the bottom of her leg and her foot!
In Varietise and Irving Klaw's Teaserama, we mostly see Betty in short belly-dancing type numbers, as her role is only to introduce strip-tease segments featuring co-stars with flamboyant names—and hair—like Lili St. Cyr and Tempest Storm, whom she occasionally helps get dressed or undressed.
The Exotic Dances of Betty Page is a washed-out grainy black and white series of films by Irving Klaw, which show Betty Page dancing in her underwear in the living room while playing the tambourine, holding a clown puppet, etc.. and despite enticing titles like "Passion Dance" these segments are as daring as an episode of Charlie's Angels.
Bettie Page Pin Up Queen concludes with Pin-up Beauties Fight, an all-time fave, where Betty Page—in black underwear—wrestles on the floor with June King—in white underwear—with a good fun spanking as the climax.
Think about Bettie Page Pin Up Queen as Bettie Page for beginners—circa the soft years.
