Tea-rama (1955)

Directed by: Irving Klaw | 69 minutes | eroticism | Actors: Bettie Page, Tempest Storm, Cherrie Knight, Trudy Wayne, Chris LaChris, Twinnie Wallen, Dave Starr, Joe E. Ross, Honey Baer, ​​Vicki Lynn, Lolly Dorsen, Pepe, Roccio

Most recently, Bettie Page, one of the greatest pin-ups of all time, came into cinematic interest due to the 2005 “biopic” of Mary Harron (director of ‘American Psycho’) entitled ‘The Notorious Bettie Page’. In this film, actress Gretchen Mol successfully portrayed this style icon, who was the most photographed woman in the fifties after Marilyn Monroe. ‘Teaserama’ is a film in which Page herself appears in the flesh, but whether she still manages to excite as she apparently did in the past is open to question.

In the film, which is nothing more than a series of striptease acts on a stage, interspersed with some bad sketches by “comedians”, Page occasionally strips herself, but she also introduces the colorful group of other strippers to the viewer. She does this by holding up a sign with the name of the relevant “artist” before each act and looking naughty or cute. She also wears a different outfit every time, with more and more cleavage visible.

The viewer is presented with a varied company, starting and ending with an act by hostess Page. When the spectator is first confronted with this legend, some sobering inevitably takes place. What used to be probably sexy and naughty, now comes across as clumsy and amusing. Page has a beautiful body, that’s not the issue, and she actively plays with the camera during her act, but it’s not very subtle. In particular, the constant movement of her eyebrows, no doubt to “tease” the viewer, seems more laughable than seductive, and her movements are usually not very stimulating. Her hip movements and “graceful” dances now seem a bit wooden. However, these are just the first impressions. When Page appears again at the end of the ride, you will appreciate her a lot more as a viewer. Because, as it is with more phenomena from the past, you have to see it in its time, and in comparison with similar “products”. After seeing the sometimes bizarre group of other pin-ups in the film, Page suddenly appears to have charisma and spunk, and displays a very welcome interaction with the viewer.

Her fellow pin-ups have been varyingly successful, depending on the viewer’s preference. Some acts with a transvestite pass by, including a flamenco number, and one with a constantly smiling slimmer version of Marilyn Monroe, who turns out to be quite nimble and performs a kind of breakdance act on her head. The most graceful dancer is probably Chris LaChris, who still seems somewhat professional with her elegant dance steps and, for example, does not almost trip over the curtains as happens with some.

The busty, red-haired Tempest Storm’s biggest attraction is her great… “talents”, as Anita Ekberg calls her breasts in ‘La Dolce Vita’. In one long drawn-out scene, she is dressed by Page, first in lingerie, and then in a blue glitter dress of the kind that Jessica Rabbit appeared in ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’. In her striptease act, her breasts once again play the leading role, because of a scanty, flesh-colored bra that should make the viewer spin. Her act itself, however, sometimes seems a bit wooden and does not really know how to stimulate.

The acts in this film are especially fun as kitsch or as a glimpse into the past. Sometimes you can actually appreciate the dancing skills and you can see why this attracted men, but for the most part this is a curiosity that will make few hearts beat faster.