A 麻豆传媒映画time travelogue brought to you by聽.
The name Texas Guinan may not ring too many bells today, but when she brought her stage show to 麻豆传媒映画in 1933, she was one of the top entertainers on the continent for her work as a comedian, singer, burlesque and vaudeville performer, movie star, emcee, and speakeasy operator. (Star Trek fans might recognize the name:听听辞苍听The Next Generation聽was named after her).
Texas Guinan聽聽to break into showbiz. She began as a chorus girl, then a singing 鈥�,鈥� and was soon scoring roles in musical comedies and touring the vaudeville circuits. Her film debut came in 1917. She was the first Hollywood cowgirl, dubbed 鈥淨ueen of the West鈥� by the studios, and typically played聽, as reflected in the names of many of聽:听The Gun Girl, Two-Gun Girl, The Gun Woman, The Hell Cat, The She Wolf, Malamute Meg, The Girl of Hell鈥檚 Agony, The Wild Cat, and聽The Dangerous Little Devil.
Guinan鈥檚 notoriety really took off in the 1920s, when聽聽in prohibition-era New York, notably聽, a favourite haunt of the rich and famous. Guinan was brash, sassy, and saucy, and developed her own comedic burlesque style. She was known for bantering with the audience and her signature catch-phrases, 鈥淗ello, suckers!鈥� and 鈥淕ive the little girl a big hand鈥� when introducing female performers. She faced constant聽聽from what she called 鈥淯ncle Sammy鈥檚 Dripping Dry Boys,鈥� but managed to spend very little time in jail because the police were unable to disprove her claim that patrons brought their own alcohol.
As the was winding down, Texas Guinan took her vaudeville/burlesque show back on the road. She came to 麻豆传媒映画for a week-long gig at the Beacon Theatre.聽, Guinan was welcomed by a swarm of admirers, reporters, and Alderman Cowan on behalf of City Council. She asked a reporter if there had been a break in the rain since the last time she came to 麻豆传媒映画in 1912.
Thousands of people lined up on opening night (pictured) to see the 鈥淨ueen of the Night Clubs,鈥� as she was then known. The show was a聽: the roar of the audience was deafening and performers were called back several time for encores. Students from the UBC Pep Club approached Guinan after the show to ask if she would make an appearance on campus, but university officials聽听鈥溌燼nd Texas Guinan alike are barred from UBC.鈥�
On the second night at the Beacon, Guinan was only able to perform in two of the four shows scheduled that day before falling ill, but insisted the show go on without her. Newspaper ads ominously changed from 鈥溾�� to 鈥溾�� Texas Guinan 蹿谤辞尘听聽at age 49. The next day, the US repealed prohibition.
Source: Photo by Stuart Thomson, City of 麻豆传媒映画Archives聽
