Synopses & Reviews
Lili St. Cyr was, in the words of legendary reporter Mike Wallace, the highest paid stripteaser in America.” Wallace was so fascinated by Lili that out of all the presidents and celebrities he interviewed over a long career, towards the end of his life, she was the one he remained fixated on. Her beauty had that kind of effect.
Lili St. Cyr, the one time queen of burlesque, led an incredible life six marriages, romances with Orson Wells, Yul Brenner, Vic Damone, a number of suicide attempts, all alongside great fame and money. Yet despite her fierce will she lost it all; becoming a recluse in her final decades, she eked out a living selling old photos of herself living with magazines taped over her windows.
Goddess of Love Incarnate will be the definitive biography of this legendary figure, done with the cooperation of Lilis only surviving relative. But the book does more than fascinate readers with stories of a byone era. St. Cyr was ahead of her time in facing the perils and prejudices of working women, and the book offers a portrait of a strong artistic figure who went against the traditional roles and mores expected of women at
Review
Praise for
Goddess of Love Incarnate"In her dazzling new book, Leslie Zemeckis captures the life and times of one of burlesque's true legends. A magnificent portrait of a complicated woman who once captured the fascination of America." Karen Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War
I remember hearing my mother, who had seen many beautiful women working for my father, saying that Lili St. Cyr had the most beautiful body of any woman on stage. She did indeed.” Barbara Walters
Whats most resonant in Leslie Zemeckiss biography of Lili St. Cyr is how utterly human this Goddess of Love truly was. This is the story of a disciplined artist, a deeply generous woman, a girl who loved and lost (and loved and lost again and again), and a lady committed to living a determined life. This book, like its subject, is seductive and absolutely captivating.” Jill Alexander Essbaum, New York Times bestselling author of Hausfrau
"The book is well-written and loaded with photos"Kirkus
Praise for Behind the Burly-Q documentary:
Utterly entertaining Behind the Burly Q is a painstakingly researched love letter to the women and men who once made up the community of burlesque performers
its treasure trove of vintage photographs and performance footage is enough to make historians and fans of classic erotica swoon
insightful, fascinating.” Ernest Hardy, The Village Voice
CRITICS PICK! Intriguing
fans of theatrical history are well advised to check it out”
-New York Magazine
Charming, entertaining
a delight!” Manohla Dargis
Provides a privileged front-row seat to sample several of the form's most memorable practitioners
stories run from raunchy to touching to funny to flat-out incredible.” Ronnie Scheib, Variety
Taps into a world of burlesque as we've never seen it before.” - Linnea Covington, New York Press
Affectionate and engaging
wonderful vintage footage, a fascinating glimpse into a corner of American history.” New York Daily News
Fascinatingly strips away at the myths surrounding the most popular American entertainment form of the first half of the 20th century.” Michael Musto, The Sundance Channel
Quickly paced, absorbing.” Kyle Smith, The New York Post
FOUR STARS(EXCELLENT)! A fun-filled tribute which elevates the Golden Age of Burlesque to its rightful place in history.”-Kam Williams, The Leader
RUN, DO NOT WALK, TO SEE THIS MOVIE! It is the most thorough, balanced, rich and probing documentary possible about the history of classical burlesque.”-Trav S.D., Travelanche
History done right: informative, entertaining, funny and finally rather moving
jam-packed with juicy detail, and most of that jam is tasty indeed.”-James van Maanen, Trustmovies
Delightful, engaging
A veritable who's who of the grande dames of the burlesque stage
for sheer fun, this is a winner.”-George Robinson, Cine-Journal
Fascinating, colorful and yes, tantalizing
progresses with a peppy pace and lighthearted demeanor probably apropos of a Burly Q show.” Ross Anthony, The Hollywood Report Card
Any fan of burlesque will no doubt find it thoroughly enjoyable.”-Adam Schartoff, Film Forward
A fun and affectionate look at a subject that continues to fascinate generations.” The Diva Review
Enjoyable brassy and loud and thoroughly unapologetic. A lot like its subjects.” NJ.com
Intimate and surprisingly interesting
BEHIND THE BURLY Q” is a highly recommended and very important cinematic endeavor
a form of entertainment that has been left out of our cultural history and one that many should know about.” Andrew Johnson, Black Cat Media
Burly is the only oral history recorded by many of burlesques greatest stars
an interesting look at some unheralded theater history.”-Joe Bendel, J.B.Spins
Offers a delightful portrait of that bygone era, featuring an extensive roster of veterans of the scene
a well-rounded history of the era.” -Alex Roberts, TV Soundoff
(Zemeckis) has preserved for us a lively, lovely corner of American life.” - Richard Schickel
An absorbing, moving and cleverly constructed look at the tradition of American burlesque... the stories are rollercoaster rides!” - Emily Hourican, Irish Independent
About the Author
Leslie Zemeckis is the author of
Behind the Burly Q, the definitive history of burlesque. She wrote/produced/directed the critically acclaimed documentary based on the book, which has been championed by
USA Today and
The New Yorker.
Behind the Burly Q has just been optioned for a television series and a pilot is under-development. She released "Bound by Flesh," a multi-award winning documentary about vaudeville Siamese twin superstars Daisy and Violet Hilton, in 2014. She is an actress and filmmaker.