Lee, Gypsy Rose

orig. Rose Louise Hovick

born Jan. 9, 1914, Seattle, Wash., U.S.

died April 26, 1970, Los Angeles, Calif.

U.S. striptease artist.

She appeared in a vaudeville act with her sister from 1919 and made her debut in a burlesque show in 1929. She became the headliner at Billy Minsky's Republic Theatre on Broadway (1931) and appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies (1936). She was noted for her grace, style, and sophisticated wit. After retiring from burlesque (1937), she appeared in nightclubs and on television. Her autobiography, Gypsy (1957), was the basis for a successful 1959 musical (film, 1962).

Gypsy Rose Lee, 1944

By courtesy of United Artists Corporation; photograph, from the Museum of Modern Art Film Stills Archive, New York

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▪ American entertainer

original name  Rose Louise Hovick  

born Jan. 9, 1914, Seattle, Wash., U.S.

died April 26, 1970, Los Angeles, Calif.

 American striptease artist, a witty and sophisticated entertainer who was one of the first burlesque artists to imbue a striptease with grace and style.

      Lee's stage-mother manager, Madam Rose, put her daughters Rose (Gypsy) and June on stage at lodge benefits. Later, without June, Gypsy became the star of Madam Rose's Dancing Daughters. She made her debut in burlesque in Kansas City in 1929. Within two years she was the headliner at Billy Minsky's Republic Theatre on Broadway. In 1936 Lee appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies. When New York's burlesque houses were closed the following year, she went to Hollywood to appear in a series of motion pictures. She starred in The Streets of Paris at the New York World's Fair (1940), was featured in the musical play Star and Garter (1942), and appeared in nightclubs and on television. She published an autobiography, Gypsy (1957), which was the basis for the musical play (1959) and motion picture (1962) of that name.

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