Teaserama / Varietease

Christmas will come early this year for those who appreciate a bit of vintage naughtiness. On 23 November, Nucleus Films will issue the holy grails of burlesque cinema - Varietease (1954) and Teaserama (1955) - for the first time on UK DVD. Both movies feature the 'only' colour footage of legendary pin-up/bondage gal Bettie Page, and are directed by the equally legendary photographer/filmmaker Irving Klaw (who also launched Bettie's 'career' as a bondage model).

Varietease allows the viewer a peek into the saucy world of 1950's burlesque - introducing a variety of strippers (innocent by nowadays standards), singers, as well as comedians. See raven-haired Bettie doing her seductive Dance Of The Four Veils routine and watch glamorous Lili St. Cyr performing a reversed striptease. Other acts include contortionist Twinnie Wallen, warblers Cass Franklin & Monica Lane, female impersonator Vickie Lynn and a whole lotta more!
If all that sauciness weren't enough to get your adrenalin rushing, the DVD contains some additional naughty frisson in the form of selected Extras: Bettie Page in 'Teaser Girl In High Heels', Bettie speaks (in a clip from Striporama 1953) and audio commentary.

Teaserama includes much of the same, just different. Bettie (credited as Betty Page in both films) gets it on with statuesque strip-superstar Tempest Storm in a boudoir scene. Other seductive acts include leggy Chris La Chris, sultry Trudy Wayne and stripteuse Cherry Knight, with some additional laughs thrown in by comics Dave Starr and Joe E. Ross. More Extras include more special Bettie clips etc.

By the way, both DVD-Extras feature an all-new docu titled 'Under the Influence… of Tease!' (Part 1 and Part 2 respectively) in which some of the UK's current burlesque performers discuss their influences and passion for the art of tease. Interviews with Bunny Warren, Roxy Velvet, Polly Rae, Esmé Bianco, Jo King and Cherry Shakewell not only give a fascinating insight into the mind of a burlesque performer, but add an inspired contemporary touch to the vintage main features.