Books by Jim Linderman

Books by Jim Linderman
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SHARE BUT CREDIT

THE FIRST ELVIS IMPERSONATOR WAS A WOMAN...AND STRIPPER! True Burlesque Guitar Shaped Pasties



The First Elvis Impersonator Elvira Presley!

Complete with guitar-shaped pasties, Elvira Presley hits the stage in 1957 in the not-so legendary stripdump "The Near and Far Club" operated by Al and Mal Warner in Los Angeles.  They were looking for a sensational act to celebrate a club makeover, and when they heard of a model who looked like the "Mississippi Peckerwood" Elvis, they convinced her to put on levi jeans and then immediately take them off on stage!  Complete with Elvis gyrations which even Ed Sullivan would have enjoyed!

Elvira was thus not only the first Elvis Impersonator, she was the first with 38-28-37 measurements!  Like the (then prince, future king, finally dead) real Elvis, she came from Mississippi. 

The act began with the house orchestra playing "Don't Be Cruel" while Elvira made her entrance with a guitar.  As the band continued performing without paying royalties to the illegal immigrant Colonel Tom Parker, Elvira pops out of her Levis to "Blue Suede Shoes" and then out-hip-shakes the hip shaker with "Hound Dog" while tearing off her bra revealing sequins shaped like a Nashville guitar-shaped Swimming Pool!

Elvira became the first to set the standard Elvis Impersonator patter.  When interviewed by the press, her answers are filled with "I hope he would be flattered" responses, but she avoids the "it's not an imitation, it's a tribute"  banal platitude adopted by every single Elvis imitator since.  It was an imitation for sure.

Uncredited Photographs appeared in Modern Man Magazine 1957

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True Burlesque Cavalcade of Burlesque






True Burlesque Cavalcade of Burlesque.  A Quartet of Issues 1953 - 1954 of the House Organ of Burlesque.
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True Burlesque Burlesk Bounces Back from Tab the Pocket Picture Magazine 1952





Today on True Burlesque, a classic article on the performers from 1952.  It had to be scanned before it turned to dust.  The piece, which contains a wonderful photo of burlesque cipher Lily Lamont (more about Lily Lamont HERE) and a 21 year old Tempest Storm, both likely taken by Russ Meyer. Also, a rare image taken by Weegee.  Without breaking the spine too much. here you go! 

Also shown Lily St. Cyr, Lily "CAT" Christine (making the layout a trio of Lilys) and much more.  The piece was written by Alec Wynn for Tab The Pocket Picture Magazine, November 1952.  It is a shame this periodical is not available on the web...considered disposable in the 1950s, every issue is full of source material for popular culture researchers.