Trapeze Disrobing Act

SUMMARY
Camera is positioned as if in the audience at a vaudeville or burlesque show. Two men with long hair and beards in rough clothing appear to be eating and talking in a box on the left as a female aerialist sits on a trapeze over the stage and its painted backdrop of trees. Fully dressed in street clothing, the trapezist removes her jacket and hat before performing a flip. She stands to remove her skirt and then sits back down on the bar as she takes off her corset and throws it to the country bumpkins in the box, who fight over the undergarment. The trapezist continues to disrobe, removing her shoes, stockings, and garters, again throwing the latter to the men, and then seemingly hangs upside down (with her feet anchored off-camera) as she slips off her petticoat. Thus clad only in tights, trunks, and a camisole, the woman performs her trapeze act to the increasingly excited men.

From Edison films catalog: The scene is on the stage of a vaudeville theatre. A lady dressed in evening costume is performing on a trapeze. Two Rubes are seated in a box in the theatre. The lady begins to disrobe and here the fun commences. As she removes her garments one by one and throws them at our rural friends, they begin going through antics, which to say the least, are highly amusing. When the stockings come off, the climax takes place. The Rubes jump from their seats and make things lively for a short time in the theatre. Class A 100 ft. $15.00.

CREATED/PUBLISHED
United States: Edison Manufacturing Co., 1901.

NOTES
Copyright: Thomas A. Edison; 11Nov1901; H10634.

According to author Irving Zeidman, a popular stunt in female minstrel shows--a precursor to burlesque--"was swinging out over the heads of the audience in trapezes and swings in midair, sometimes undressing in the process" (American burlesque show, 1967, p. 29).

SUBJECTS
Burlesque (Theater)--United States--Drama.
Aerialists--United States--Drama.
Striptease--United States--Drama.
Stripteasers--United States--Drama.
Theater audiences--United States--Drama.
Rural population--United States--Drama.
Silent films.
Vaudeville.
Rural comedies.
Erotica.
Shorts.

RELATED NAMES
Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
AFI/Holt (H. L.) Collection (Library of Congress)
Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress)

DIGITAL ID
(m) varsmp http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/varstg:@field(NUMBER+@band(varsmp...))

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• library
• congress
• silent
• Burlesque
• Aerialists
• Striptease
• Vaudeville