Behind the Burly Q
Seen it?2010 | 97 min | Documentary, History
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (78% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and a box office loss. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for people who love a true story told well and history buffs. Expect to bring it up in conversation afterwards. Fans of Paris Is Burning should feel right at home.
- The mood
- Eye-opening.
- The pace
- Moves through the story clearly, at 1 hr 37 min.
- What might put you off
- Skip it if you want made-up drama tonight.
Dive into more than a century of decadence with this tantalizing look at the evolution of burlesque. Cabaret star Leslie Zemeckis traces the art form from vaudeville-style variety show through its extinction and contemporary rebirth. Vintage photos, film clips and ads illustrate burlesque's resilient history and how the public's sexual appetite kept it alive amid moral and legal ado.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
78% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$24K worldwide on a $250K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 3K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Leslie Zemeckis
- Bud AbbottSelf (archive footage)
- Alan AldaSelf
- Joan ArlineSelf - 'The Sexquire Girl'
- Beverly ArlynneSelf
- Al Baker Jr.Self - Son of Al Baker Sr.
- Nat BodianSelf - Historian
- Taffy O'NeilSelf
- Blaze StarrSelf
- Sally RandSelf (archive footage)
- Lili St. CyrSelf (archive footage)