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Juliet Prowse

January 07, 2023

Juliet Anne Prowse (September 25, 1936 – September 14, 1996) was a dancer and actress whose four-decade career included stage, television and film. She was raised in South Africa, where her family emigrated after World War II. Known for her attractive legs, she was described after her death as having "... arguably the best legs since Betty Grable."[1]

Juliet Prowse
Juliet Prowse in 1960
Born
Juliet Anne Prowse

(1936-09-25)25 September 1936
Bombay, India
Died14 September 1996(1996-09-14) (aged 59)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actress, dancer, singer
Years active1955–1995
Spouse(s)Eddie Frazier (m. 1969; div. 1970)
John McCook (m. 1972; div. 1979)
Children1

Early life

Prowse was born in Bombay, British India, to an English father and South African mother. After her father's death when she was 3 years old, her mother returned with her to South Africa. She began studying dance a year later, at the age of four.

In her early twenties, she was dancing at a club in Paris when she was spotted by a talent agent and eventually signed to play the role of Claudine in the Walter Lang film Can-Can (1960). She had already missed a few opportunities to go to Hollywood because she was under contract but eventually left a show in Spain in which she was starring to travel to the United States for this film.

Career

It was during the filming of Can-Can in 1959 that she captured the international spotlight. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev visited the set of the film, and after Prowse performed a rather saucy can-can for the Russian leader, he proclaimed her dance immoral. The publicity brought Prowse considerable attention in the United States. From there, her career accelerated.[2]

Film and television

Prowse met Frank Sinatra on the set of Can-Can. Time did not rate the movie highly, but declared Prowse the best thing in it: "In fact, the only thing really worth seeing is Juliet Prowse, a young South African hoofer who puts some twinkle in the stub-toed choreography. And the only thing really worth hearing is the crack that Frank flips back at Juliet when she whips a redoubtable hip in his direction. 'Don't point,' he gasps. 'It's rude.'"[3] She would go on to appear with Sinatra and other notable guests such as Ella Fitzgerald, Peter Lawford, Hermione Gingold, the Hi-Lo's, Red Norvo, and Nelson Riddle and his orchestra on the 1959 Frank Sinatra Show. She at times would sing in the chorus with other guests or Sinatra would sing to her.[4]

Sinatra invited Prowse to join him in Las Vegas, even though she was living with the actor Nico Minardos at the time.[5] Sinatra and Prowse announced their engagement in 1962. Soon afterwards they broke-up, reportedly because Prowse wanted to concentrate on her career. Prowse later admitted, "I was as much flattered as I was in love. He (Sinatra) was a complex person, and after a few drinks he could be very difficult."[6]

 
Juliet Prowse with Elvis Presley in G.I. Blues

Prowse co-starred alongside Elvis Presley in G.I. Blues (1960). During shooting of the film, they had a short and intense fling. "Elvis and I had an affair. ... We had a sexual attraction like two healthy young people, but he was already a victim of his fans. We always met in his room and never went out."[6] Prowse also made a brief cameo appearance in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer documentary film, Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970) as an interviewed audience member about to attend Elvis Presley's opening night show at the International Hotel in Las Vegas on August 10, 1970.

She starred with Denny Scott Miller on her own NBC sitcom in the 1965–1966 season: Mona McCluskey, which was produced by George Burns. The series was based on the idea that the couple, Mike and Mona McCluskey, would live on his military salary, rather than her lucrative earnings as an actress.

Prowse also did other feature films, including The Fiercest Heart (1961) and Who Killed Teddy Bear? (1965) with Sal Mineo and Elaine Stritch.

Although her film and television career did not make her as big a star as predicted, Prowse had a rather philosophical way of looking at it. "Things generally happen for the best. ... I never worry about what happens in my career, because I can always do something else."[7] Prowse would later go on to headline successful Las Vegas shows, commanding a very high salary. Stating that Las Vegas was the most demanding place she ever worked, she won Entertainer of the Year for the Vegas run of Sweet Charity. She would later show off her famous dancer's legs in a series of lucrative nationwide commercials for a number of advertisers, including L'eggs hosiery and Mannington Flooring.

Prowse was a guest on the first season of The Muppet Show.[8]

In 1987, she was mauled by the same 80-pound leopard on two occasions: the first time while filming a scene for Circus of the Stars, then later while rehearsing a promotional stunt on The Tonight Show. The latter attack was more serious, requiring upwards of twenty stitches to reattach her ear.[9]

Throughout the mid-1980s and 1990s, Prowse hosted the Championship Ballroom Dance Competition on PBS.

Death

In 1994, Prowse was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In 1995, she went into remission and was well enough to tour with Mickey Rooney in Sugar Babies. The cancer subsequently returned and she died on September 14, 1996, eleven days short of her 60th birthday.

Her ex-husband, television actor John McCook, is the father of her only child, Seth.[10]

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage work

References

  1. ^ "Juliet Prowse Dies At 59". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  2. ^ "Juliet Prowse". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 15 September 2007.
  3. ^ . Time. 21 March 1960. Archived from the original on 7 March 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2007.
  4. ^ "The Frank Sinatra Show December 13, 1959 with Juliet Prowse". Retrieved 17 September 2007 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ Prell, Owen (19 January 2017), "Watch Finding Nico Online", Vimeo On Demand, retrieved 8 February 2021
  6. ^ a b Bergan, Ronald (16 September 1996). "Juliet Prowse, obituary". The Guardian. London.
  7. ^ . The Free Library. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2007.
  8. ^ Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc. 2005. Muppet Show, The, Season One. US: The Muppets Holding Company, LLC.
  9. ^ "Juliet Prowse Bitten Again by Same Leopard". Los Angeles Times. 3 December 1987. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  10. ^ Thomas, Robert (15 September 1996). "Juliet Prowse is Dead at 59". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 July 2021.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Juliet Prowse.

January 07, 2023
juliet, prowse, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, june, 2022,. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Juliet Prowse news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Juliet Anne Prowse September 25 1936 September 14 1996 was a dancer and actress whose four decade career included stage television and film She was raised in South Africa where her family emigrated after World War II Known for her attractive legs she was described after her death as having arguably the best legs since Betty Grable 1 Juliet ProwseJuliet Prowse in 1960BornJuliet Anne Prowse 1936 09 25 25 September 1936Bombay IndiaDied14 September 1996 1996 09 14 aged 59 Los Angeles California U S Occupation s Actress dancer singerYears active1955 1995Spouse s Eddie Frazier m 1969 div 1970 John McCook m 1972 div 1979 Children1 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 Film and television 3 Death 4 Filmography 4 1 Film 4 2 Television 5 Stage work 6 References 7 External linksEarly life EditProwse was born in Bombay British India to an English father and South African mother After her father s death when she was 3 years old her mother returned with her to South Africa She began studying dance a year later at the age of four In her early twenties she was dancing at a club in Paris when she was spotted by a talent agent and eventually signed to play the role of Claudine in the Walter Lang film Can Can 1960 She had already missed a few opportunities to go to Hollywood because she was under contract but eventually left a show in Spain in which she was starring to travel to the United States for this film Career EditIt was during the filming of Can Can in 1959 that she captured the international spotlight Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev visited the set of the film and after Prowse performed a rather saucy can can for the Russian leader he proclaimed her dance immoral The publicity brought Prowse considerable attention in the United States From there her career accelerated 2 Film and television Edit Prowse met Frank Sinatra on the set of Can Can Time did not rate the movie highly but declared Prowse the best thing in it In fact the only thing really worth seeing is Juliet Prowse a young South African hoofer who puts some twinkle in the stub toed choreography And the only thing really worth hearing is the crack that Frank flips back at Juliet when she whips a redoubtable hip in his direction Don t point he gasps It s rude 3 She would go on to appear with Sinatra and other notable guests such as Ella Fitzgerald Peter Lawford Hermione Gingold the Hi Lo s Red Norvo and Nelson Riddle and his orchestra on the 1959 Frank Sinatra Show She at times would sing in the chorus with other guests or Sinatra would sing to her 4 Sinatra invited Prowse to join him in Las Vegas even though she was living with the actor Nico Minardos at the time 5 Sinatra and Prowse announced their engagement in 1962 Soon afterwards they broke up reportedly because Prowse wanted to concentrate on her career Prowse later admitted I was as much flattered as I was in love He Sinatra was a complex person and after a few drinks he could be very difficult 6 Juliet Prowse with Elvis Presley in G I Blues Prowse co starred alongside Elvis Presley in G I Blues 1960 During shooting of the film they had a short and intense fling Elvis and I had an affair We had a sexual attraction like two healthy young people but he was already a victim of his fans We always met in his room and never went out 6 Prowse also made a brief cameo appearance in the Metro Goldwyn Mayer documentary film Elvis That s the Way It Is 1970 as an interviewed audience member about to attend Elvis Presley s opening night show at the International Hotel in Las Vegas on August 10 1970 She starred with Denny Scott Miller on her own NBC sitcom in the 1965 1966 season Mona McCluskey which was produced by George Burns The series was based on the idea that the couple Mike and Mona McCluskey would live on his military salary rather than her lucrative earnings as an actress Prowse also did other feature films including The Fiercest Heart 1961 and Who Killed Teddy Bear 1965 with Sal Mineo and Elaine Stritch Although her film and television career did not make her as big a star as predicted Prowse had a rather philosophical way of looking at it Things generally happen for the best I never worry about what happens in my career because I can always do something else 7 Prowse would later go on to headline successful Las Vegas shows commanding a very high salary Stating that Las Vegas was the most demanding place she ever worked she won Entertainer of the Year for the Vegas run of Sweet Charity She would later show off her famous dancer s legs in a series of lucrative nationwide commercials for a number of advertisers including L eggs hosiery and Mannington Flooring Prowse was a guest on the first season of The Muppet Show 8 In 1987 she was mauled by the same 80 pound leopard on two occasions the first time while filming a scene for Circus of the Stars then later while rehearsing a promotional stunt on The Tonight Show The latter attack was more serious requiring upwards of twenty stitches to reattach her ear 9 Throughout the mid 1980s and 1990s Prowse hosted the Championship Ballroom Dance Competition on PBS Death EditIn 1994 Prowse was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer In 1995 she went into remission and was well enough to tour with Mickey Rooney in Sugar Babies The cancer subsequently returned and she died on September 14 1996 eleven days short of her 60th birthday Her ex husband television actor John McCook is the father of her only child Seth 10 Filmography EditFilm Edit Gentlemen Marry Brunettes 1955 as Specialty Dancer uncredited Can Can 1960 as Claudine G I Blues 1960 as Lili The Fiercest Heart 1961 as Francina The Right Approach 1961 as Ursula Poe The Second Time Around 1961 as Rena Mitchell Run for Your Wife 1965 as Jenny Dingaka 1965 as Marion Davis Who Killed Teddy Bear 1965 as Norah Dain Spree 1967 as Herself documentary Television Edit Adventures in Paradise as Simone season 2 episode 6 A Whale of a Tale The Red Skelton Show as Daisy June season 12 episode 2 in 1962 Burke s Law as Angel Crown 2 episodes 1963 1964 The Dean Martin Show 3 February 1966 and 14 September 1967 Mona McCluskey as Mona Carroll McCluskey 1965 1966 The Danny Thomas Hour as Aphrodite 1 episode 1967 The Name of the Game as Aja Fowler 1 episode 1968 The Carol Burnett Show in London 1970 TV as guest performer Second Chance 1972 as Martha Foster Tattletales as Herself The Muppet Show as Herself 1 episode 1976 Match Game 77 as Herself 5 episodes 1977 Musical Comedy Tonight II 1981 TV The Love Boat as Samantha Bricker 3 episodes 1979 1984 as Faye Marsh episode 65 and 66 1984 Fantasy Island 1 episode 1983 Glitter 1984 TV Murder She Wrote as Valerie Bechet 1 episode 1987 Stage work EditKismet 1955 Eddie Fisher at the Winter Garden 1962 Irma La Douce 1963 1966 Houston Music Theater 1968 The Boy Friend 1966 Sweet Charity 1967 1971 Mame 1969 1990 1994 Damn Yankees 1972 The Pajama Game 1973 I Do I Do 1976 Funny Girl 1984 Follies 1987 1988 1990 Chicago 1992 Sugar Babies 1995 References Edit Juliet Prowse Dies At 59 The Washington Post Associated Press Retrieved 4 April 2020 Juliet Prowse Encyclopaedia Britannica Retrieved 15 September 2007 New Pictures movie review of Can Can Time 21 March 1960 Archived from the original on 7 March 2008 Retrieved 17 September 2007 The Frank Sinatra Show December 13 1959 with Juliet Prowse Retrieved 17 September 2007 via YouTube Prell Owen 19 January 2017 Watch Finding Nico Online Vimeo On Demand retrieved 8 February 2021 a b Bergan Ronald 16 September 1996 Juliet Prowse obituary The Guardian London Juliet Prowse The Free Library Archived from the original on 17 October 2012 Retrieved 17 September 2007 Buena Vista Home Entertainment Inc 2005 Muppet Show The Season One US The Muppets Holding Company LLC Juliet Prowse Bitten Again by Same Leopard Los Angeles Times 3 December 1987 Retrieved 21 February 2011 Thomas Robert 15 September 1996 Juliet Prowse is Dead at 59 The New York Times Retrieved 17 July 2021 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Juliet Prowse Biography portalJuliet Prowse at IMDb Juliet Prowse at the TCM Movie Database Juliet Prowse at AllMovie Juliet Prowse at Find a Grave Time Life photos of Juliet Prowse permanent dead link Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Juliet Prowse amp oldid 1125268517, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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