Not to be confused with the controversial Paul Verhoeven boxoffice flop Showgirls (all one word), the National Film Board of Canada's Show Girls revisits the nightclub scene of Montreal in the 1920s-1960s, as seen through the eyes of Bernice, Olga and Tina, three black women who worked as dancers and singers in such noted jazz clubs as Rockhead's Paradise, The Terminal and Café St.-Michel. In the 1920s, when prohibition dried up America's nightclubs (at least publicly), Eastern seaboarders often jaunted to Montreal to wet their whistles, listen to hot jazz and watch skimpily clad show girls dance up a storm. On unlucky days (or lucky, if you were in the audience), the dancing would get so frenzied that Bernice's bra strap would break, exposing her ample bosoms to a (no doubt) appreciative crowd. Backed by excellent archival clips and stills, the women recall the heydays of the Roaring Twenties, Dirty Thirties and Fabulous Forties when black musicians and dancers not only lit up Montreal's downtown (as opposed to the upscale uptown) clubs, but also toured the smaller towns for one night shows. Tighter drug law enforcement in the 1950s, combined with trailing interest in jazz and the rise of bar/strip joints drove many of Montreal's jazz clubs out of business. While I'll be the first to admit that a pricey documentary on Montreal jazz club life as seen through the eyes of a trio of former show girls is a rather questionable purchase (what's the curricular tie-in here?), Show Girls is an entertaining film and is therefore recommended for larger collections. [Note: Libraries in Canada can order this title directly from the National Film Board of Canada (800-267-7710) for $39.95.] Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)
Show Girls
(1998) 52 min. $295: colleges & universities; $99.95: public libraries. Cinema Guild. PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 0-7815-0724-3. Vol. 14, Issue 5
Show Girls
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