Gaite Parisienne?

Stumbled across some more Enoch Bolles cancan art, this time gracing the cover of the aptly-named Gay Parisienne magazine:

 Click image to enlarge.

Colorized Classics

 Colorized classics:

 

A Bit of Sauce

A few more saucy postcards from the vault. Sorry, had to truncate this first one due to the left side of the image being a little "scrambled" during the scanning process; hoping to find a more complete version in the near future:

Next, a sentiment I suspect we can all agree with (guess it must run in the family):

Not sure if this one technically qualifies as the cancan, but the girls' suspenders hearts all seem to be in the right places:

Click images to enlarge.

Scala Revue

Haven't seen this since my college years, but recognized it immediately as one of the more iconic vintage ads for the cancan. Liberally translated, the caption reads something like: "the dance of the legs in the air" (The Dance of The Flying Legs, perhaps?).

Complete and Unabridged

 "A rich and realistic French novel, complete and unabridged!"

While it's never a good idea to judge a book by its cover, I'd lay odds that the cancan has nothing whatsoever to do with the story, which apparently deals with the grueling chaos of war-torn France. Needless to say, any work of fiction set in Paris requires a reference to either the Moulin Rouge or le chahut, and this was probably the most eye-catching image the publishers could think of get away with at the time.

English Pulps?

Screenies Magazine, April 1937 (reconstructed cover) artist: Jacques Real. Probably an American pulp resold in the UK before wartime restrictions came into effect (the cover displays prices in both US and English currency). The style and format is reminiscent of Film Fun and similar "girly" titles, though Screenies seems to have been comparatively short lived by comparison.

Well Placed Lines

It's truly amazing what an experienced artist can express with just a few well placed lines:

Even with the color removed, this simple pen-and-ink sketch tells us everything we need to know about both the dancer and the review she's performing in.

 

 

More examples may be found on BB's tumblr blog.

An Acquired Taste...

Adapted from a French postcard in BB's Tumblr collection. Literal translation: "There is no longer anyone here who tastes real bourgeois cuisine."

Frontline Follies

Question: if shows like this had still been around when you were a kid, would you have gone to see them?

"Cleaned up" version:

Best Swishes Revisited

A recreation of Film Fun (February, 1936) featuring Enoch Bolles' famous cancan girl:

 

First, the original (with minor photoshop adjustments)...

...followed by the same image with the hemline headline raised...

 ...finally, all the "rough edges" smoothed out in AI (lost some of the detail, unfortunately).

And just as an added bonus: I found this version during my wanderings around the web; apparently part of a "valentine's day collection" by an artist named Blue Mourning. The bright red forms a sharp contrast with the original's cool-toned palate.

Hey, Look!!

Look Magazine, 22 November, 1938: with Germany re-arming and war looming on the horizon, Claudette Colbert still managed to steal the cover spot :) The image seemed to be based on a publicity still from Zaza (odd, considering the film wasn't released until 1939; no doubt Paramount was eager to cash in on the spectacle of the talented Ms Colbert revealing her frilly underthings).

It's interesting to compare this cover shot with stills and posters from the same movie (both B&W and color). Unfortunately, the Hays Code didn't allow for garters and stocking tops back in the day...

Classical Cheesecake

Classical cheesecake by the great Ted Withers (second image "smoothed out" via AI). Withers seemed to start out as one of George Petty's many imitators, but later developed a more "painterly" approach to his pin-up work:

AI Enhanced

Not sure of the artist, but the signature seems to read "Pete." Upscaled the original via Zygo, lending it a somewhat polished appearance (at least IMHO):

Jane's Journal

Yes, Norman Pett's Jane returns in this stock edition published by Rylee just two years after the war. The 41-page pamphlet includes photos, articles, sketches and a hand-colored strip rarely seen outside the UK. Oh, and page sixteen features this unexpected little gem:

The rest of the book may be viewed (and downloaded) at Internet Archive (nsfw):

https://archive.org/details/Janes_Journal_by_Pett_Rylee/

Magazines, covers & postcards

Tried to "clean up" some of the images I came across on BB's tumblr site; once again, I'll leave you to judge the results:

 

Marujita Díaz

A leggy shot of Marujita Díaz from La Casta Susana (1963)...

 

 along with a more "wide-screen" version:

 

 

 

Tried to enlarge the images via AI;  will leave the final judgments up to the viewers:

 

2022 Winter Spectacular

Yes, the title says it all. Our good friend Tisa has produced yet another show-stopping extravaganza to ring in the new year, and we guarantee it'll rank high on everybody's Christmas list. Clocking in at a staggering thirty minutes, it is amongst the most innovative of Tom's animated films, featuring superb choreography, exceptional costume designs and impeccable camera work from start to finish. Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, TISAstudios presents the 2022 Winter Spectacular!!

https://www.youtube.com/

High-Res Screencaps

2022 Halloween Show

OK, we're a few days late reposting this one, but Tisa's 2022 Halloween Show is an absolute blockbuster! Clocking in at a spectacular twenty-six minutes, it features (at least) seven classic dance numbers with some of the most innovative choreography and camerawork we've seen thus far. Be sure to watch to the very end; the final bows and encores are well worth the wait. Our heartfelt thanks to Tom for this superb animated extravaganza.

Youtube video

Hi-Res Photos

Tisa Returns!

Just in time for our "bicentennial," Tisa makes his triumphant return with this undisputed masterpiece. Lasting more than six minutes, The August Show is a tour-de-force of lighting and special effects, featuring a wide array of flips, swats and the ever-popular Royal Flash!

 

 

 

 

Animation on Youtube.
High Resolution Screencaps.

Universal Horrors: Abbott & Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

Bud and Lou bungle their way through yet another Universal Horror, this time as a pair of Brooklyn flatfoots sequestered to foggy London at the turn of the century. The movie includes two cancan scenes (kind of), the first during a suffragette rally in Hyde Park (get it?) and the second at the local watering hole. The musical number is performed by leading lady Helen Westcott and six anonymous show girls (with only the talented Ms. Westcott actually showing her knickers).

OK, you caught us out here: we added a pair of thigh highs via Photoshop, but you've gotta admit; it looks much better this way, doesn't it?