The Remarkable Patti Waggin True Burlesque
The best stripper name bar none (except for maybe Candy Barr) is Patti Waggin. And her other names! The Boldest Beauty in Burlesque. The Doll with the Sex-OOmp! The Co-ed with the Educated Torso. DAMN. Superlatives hung on her like a breast tassel! What'd she do? Hire that midget hack Earl Wilson and lock him in a room with a typewriter? If only I'd been able to see her with "Slats" Taylor (No, i'm not looking him (or her) up) Also appearing? Pat Paradice! Paradice! That is a great name too! Watch those dice roll!
Check it out...she's appearing with "Ira the Imp" "Blaza Glory" and "Peaches" too!
Lest you think my alter-ego Victor Minx was obsessed with her and filled a scrapbook, these actually came from Patti's scrapbook! I got lucky.
Patti Waggin (damn, I love that name...it always makes me think of the famous Weegee photo of a cross-dresser famously climbing into one) had a real name as well and you won't find it buried in any of these clips.
One ad here clearly tells what killed burlesque..."SHOWS YOU CAN'T SEE ON ANY TV SHOW..."That damn Milton Berle ruined da bidness! No one comes to da joint no more, they're all sitting on der asses watching da damn tube!"
Oh well...certainly the greatest names since the well-monikered mob turned into Chinese Gangs and Mexican drug cartels. I guess they have nicknames too.
So Patti Waggin was an exotic dancer born one Patricia Heartwig. Heartwig? Man, this post is writing itself! Anyway, she was married to a big league baseball player Don Rudolph, and even though both were on the road all the time, it didn't last.
Obsessed fan Bob Brill wrote a biography recently, shown here, and linked at right. Bob is also a master at wordplay..."A Patti Waggin Tale" Get it? Patti passed away but Bob brings her back through his book, fan club and clearing house HERE, the official website of Patti Waggin and Don Rudolph. I'm going to buy the book and see what other labels were applied like pasties. It is also a lovely picture on the cover, isn't it? Bob owns the rights to Patti's name, but I don't think he will quibble with my post here...go buy the book!
Crap! I just tore the date off one of the clippings! I should have handled with tweezers. Oh well.
I am sure many noted institutions will be clamoring for my archives after I join Miss Heartwig in Heaven anyway.
Collection of Patti Waggin clippings, circa 1953-1954 Collection Victor Minx
