One of the more witty and pointed acts doing the burlesque scene at the time, Gypsy Rose Lee – born Rose Louise Hovick – was renowned for her intelligent and cutting satire whilst delivering the goods on stage. Like many burlesque performers, she started her career in vaudeville, entertaining working class audiences with song and dance. After her sister – and stage partner – decided to quit the scene and eloped, Hovick found she needed a new niche in order to remain successful. Luckily for the male population of war-era America, that niche was taking her clothes off.
