Stumble into my TUMBLR!

Hello!

It's been more than 3 weeks,-- so I guess it's time for a Blog post? In case you hadn't noticed it yet on my personal Blog links, I've broken down and finally joined the current Tumblr craze..
I'm a pretty active Blogger, but bypassed the whole MySpace experience. And I'm not enough of a narcissist to tweet all day-and-night about myself, and become a Twitter twit.. But I do find social networking sites useful. And regularly use both Facebook and LinkedIn to keep in contact with Friends and people I'd like to be friends with!

I've decided that while the Burlesque/Striptease postings here on my Blog have been fun to do.. They actually don't "fit" theme-wise here, in what was initially intended to be an online showcase for my own personal artwork? I don't intend to pull any of my previous Blog posts down. But will now be using my Tumblr exclusively, for any and all posts on that part of my collecting hobby. I guess unless it specifically pertains to my artwork, too. Which is always a possibility..

Like this old sketchbook drawing of 50's-era showgirl: "IRMA The Body"..

Judging by the stats on my blog's SiteMeter, I get a fair number of visits from websurfers looking for information or images on specific Burlesk performers of the past.. If that's your thing, like it is mine.. Then I hope you'll take an added trip over to my Tumblr.. I've spent time scanning & posting parts of my obscenely-large collection over there. And I hope you'll find it as interesting as I do?

You can get there by clicking here!     Thanks.

LIZ RENAY Passes On..

Who the HELL is Liz Renay?.. And why would you care, Rich?!

Fair question. But close friends already know that I have a perverse preoccupation with the subject of 50's-era Burlesque/Striptease.. And though most of today's obits have highlighted Ms. Renay's erratic movie-acting career.. She began her ShowBiz career in the late 40's, as an Exotic Dancer named: Liz O'Leyar!


"Liz O'Leyar" was her stage name. But she was born Pearl Elizabeth Dobbins on April 14, 1926; in Chandler, Arizona. By all accounts, she was a Star Performer throughout most of the 1950's.. Appearing onstage, mainly in the NYC nightclubs along "Strip Alley", on notorious 52nd Street. Though she acted in many cult B-movies thru the 60's.. She would return to Striptease again in the mid-70's, headlining at many L.A. & Hollywood nightclubs & theatres.. Even performing (for a time) with her own daughter: Brenda!


By the sound of it, she led a pretty full & interesting life..
She was something of a serial nymphomaniac.. She married 7 times (Just like her Grandma!).. And wrote 3 books, one of which was entitled: 'My First 2,000 Men'.. A tell-all catalogue of her many sexual conquests?

Early on, she must've had a thing for "GoodFellas", too!
In 1958, the N.Y. State district attorney hauled Liz into court, for questioning.. Albert Anastasia, the leader of the 'Murder Incorporated' crime gang, was ruthlessly gunned down in a NYC barbershop.. By unfortunate coincidence, Ms. Renay just happened to be dating Anastasia's main bodyguard at the time: Anthony "Cappy" Coppola.

Throughout, she had also secretly been dating L.A.'s reputed mob kingpin: Mickey Cohen. Reportedly, she had been laundering some of Cohen's crime money, in NYC. By the early 60's, she'd been caught lying about these details under oath. Was convicted of Perjury. And served 27 months of a 3-Year term, at the 'Terminal Island' Federal Prison for women..

By the early 1980's, she'd finally retired from ShowBiz & moved to Las Vegas.. Where she died last Monday, at the age of 80.