Candy Barr, 1935 to 2005

[charliels531]

Juanita Dale Slusher, better known as Candy Barr, famed as a stripper and star of "stag" films. died December 30, 2005, in Edna, Texas:

url] no outside web links except file share links(rapidshare---mega upload)

I never had the pleasure of seeing her perform, alas. I note from the obit that she made her first "stag" film, "Smart Alec", at the age of 16.

There was a time, forgive me, when people weren't so concerned about youth getting corrupted. The one and only time I saw Virginia Bell was when, at the age of 14, I got into a theater by paying my money and saying I was 18.

[im4yoo5]

She will be remberd.

[shadowwolf]

As I am sitting here, My eyes are watering...don't know why...

I've read some articles on this Little Angel...all the shit She went through in Her life...Jack Ruby...*****...the Mob.

You know, I'll bet that when She arrived at the Pearly Gates, Heavenly Father, HIMSELF, was waiting there to greet Her; with open arms.

The artistes of Her caliber / era ( Tempest Storm, Lili St Cyr, Blaze Starr, Virgina Belle, et al ) are all starting to fade away...and the memories of that fabled, and Golden era will soon be all we have left of it. The girls that work the runway these days can not hold a candle to those who have gone on before them.

Maybe someone, with some extra time and pix, might want to start a website dedicated to that magic time...but, for now, let's all say a prayer for that 'Little Angel'...who now walks with all the other angels in Heaven's skies...

[charliels531]

In fact, shadowwolf, there is such a site. Just Google "burlesque museum"; try following the links to a "Burlesque Pin-Ups and Hollywood Cheesecake" page. There is a very good, but too brief, bio of Ms Barr.

And, Rabbit1, I'm sorry about the link. I misunderstood the rule. The link was to a temporary page for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram which technically is a "site", and gave more details of her life.

[shadowwolf]

In fact, shadowwolf, there is such a site. Just Google "burlesque museum"; try following the links to a "Burlesque Pin-Ups and Hollywood Cheesecake" page. There is a very good, but too brief, bio of Ms Barr.


Thanks for the tip-off, Brother.:) Will try to get there as soon as I get my ton-and-a-half of e-mails caught up.:eek:

[sbaletti]

Homage a Candy Barr

While we were still reeling from Dick Clark's Froggy the Gremlin imitation that saw out the old year, the new year starts out badly: the GREAT Candy Barr has joined the great burly-Q show in the sky, where she will be the headliner to Jennie Lee, Gypsy Rose Lee, Georgia Sothern, Bonnie Logan, Honey Baer, Patti Wagon, Christine Peeler (well, to be fair I'm not sure Bonnie, Patti and Christine are up there yet), Bubbles Darlene, Terry Jean, Ann Corio, Lili St. Cyr, Betty Blue Eyes Howard et al. Another blow to Western Civilization.

I remember when I was in high school, she was being tried on a dope charge (her dealer boyfriend had left an ounce of marijuana at her place). She appeared on the Eric Severeid show where he tried to be difficult with her and she was so obviously smarter and better spoken than he (to be fair, I always thought he was unintelligible) -- to say nothing of being prettier -- that by the end of the half-hour show, when her lower lip began artfully to wobble and a few glistening tears rolled down her satin cheek, I was ready to start a Candy Barr defense fund seeded by my weekly allowance. There were lots of obvious things wrong with her conviction: she had pretty obviously been set up, she was being tried by an all-woman jury etc. Of course, she had done porn, had shot a husband and was about to go to jail for three years, so her winsome innocence was more in the eyes of this beholder than in the beholdee.

Then Severeid got his one good shot in: he asked her how much money she made.
"I'd rather not answer that," she replied.
"But it would be somewhere around $5000 a week, right?"
"Yes."

This was in 1958 or so -- when people raised families on $100 a week. So I let La Barr fend for herself. she went to jail for years, and had no more career when she came out. And whatever money she accumulated from her staggering salary, she spent -- wasted -- on lawyers. Years ago, I heard from someone who knew her that she was living in a trailer somewhere in her native Texas.

She did do one farewell tour, but I missed it, not having heard about it until she had already passed through this area (I'm not even sure New York City was one of the stops). I had missed a minor moment in history -- sort of like missing a train Rutherford B. Hayes was on.

She was one of my first heartthrobs, as she was a staple in the pages of such ur-girlie mags as Modern Man and Cabaret. I still have the pictures of her that I cut out nearly 50 years ago. Somewhere. For awhile, she was my benchmark for the perfect girl -- slim but well-endowed, cute little upturned nose, a sweetly innocent high-school-sweetheart look that probably belied a shark in the sack (proof of that is the one porn reel she did in the early 1950s -- when porn was NOT cool or chic. For years, Smart Aleck was the holy grail for vintage porn collectors; now it's easily available on vintage anthologies on VHS or DVD). Towards the end of her life, she did a few movies with transsexuals -- almost certainly depressingly shabby affairs I refused to watch.

I was also stunned to find out she was only 70 -- so when I saw her on TV, I was maybe 15, and she was not yet in her mid-twenties. She and I were both kids. We coulda dated!

Steffan


While we were still reeling from Dick Clark's Froggy the Gremlin imitation that saw out the old year, the new year starts out badly: the GREAT Candy Barr has joined the great burly-Q show in the sky, where she will be the headliner to Jennie Lee, Gypsy Rose Lee, Georgia Sothern, Bonnie Logan, Honey Baer, Patti Wagon, Christine Peeler (well, to be fair I'm not sure Patti and Christine are up there yet), Bubbles Darlene, Terry Jean, Ann Corio, Lili St. Cyr, Betty Blue Eyes Howard et al. Another blow to Western Civilization. I trust she will lie in state in the Capitol building; I am awaiting the details of her funeral procession so I can make plan my trip to Washington. And, of course, I am hopeful the flags in New York and elsewhere will fly half-mast.

I remember when I was in high school, she was being tried on a dope charge (her dealer boyfriend had left an ounce of marijuana at her place). She appeared on the Eric Severeid show where he tried to be difficult with her and she was so obviously smarter and better spoken than he (to be fair, I always thought he was unintelligible) -- to say nothing of being prettier -- that by the end of the half-hour show, when her lower lip began artfully to wobble and a few glistening tears rolled down her satin cheek, I was ready to start a Candy Barr defense fund seeded by my weekly allowance. There were lots of obvious things wrong with her conviction: she had pretty obviously been set up, she was being tried by an all-woman jury etc.

Then Severeid got his one good shot in: he asked her how much money she made.
"I'd rather not answer that," she replied.
"But it would be somewhere around $5000 a week, right?"
"Yes."

This was in 1958 or so -- when people raised families on $100 a week. So I let La Barr fend for herself. she went to jail for years, and had no more career when she came out. And whatever money she accumulated from her staggering salary, she spent -- wasted -- on lawyers. Years ago, I heard from someone who knew her that she was living in a trailer somewhere in her native Texas.

She did do one farewell tour, but I missed it, not having heard about it until she had already passed through this area (I'm not even sure New York City was one of the stops). I had missed a minor moment in history -- sort of like missing a train Rutherford B. Hayes was on.

She was one of my first heartthrobs, as she was a staple in the pages of such ur-girlie mags as Modern Man and Cabaret. I still have the pictures of her that I cut out nearly 50 years ago. Somewhere. For awhile, she was my benchmark for the perfect girl -- slim but well-endowed, cute little upturned nose, a sweetly innocent high-school-sweetheart look that probably belied a shark in the sack (proof of that is the one porn reel she did in the early 1950s -- when porn was NOT cool or chic. For years, Smart Alec was the holy grail for vintage porn collectors; now it's easily available on vintage anthologies on VHS or DVD).

I was also stunned to find out she was only 70 -- so when I saw her on TV, I was maybe 15, and she was not yet in her mid-twenties. She and I were both kids. We coulda dated! Within the next few days I will post some of her pictures to remind us what we have lost.

Steffan

[sbaletti]

While I copied my message about Candy Barr and pasted it as I usually do, it appeared in multiple copies -- when I was done editing it I was told I took too long and required permission to have the corrections that made sense of the piece to be posted. Please excuse the above copy -- I trust the message as it was written will be posted shortly.

Steffan Aletti

[paulscott]

Juanita Dale Slusher, better known as Candy Barr, famed as a stripper and star of "stag" films. died December 30, 2005, in Edna, Texas:

url] no outside web links except file share links(rapidshare---mega upload)

I never had the pleasure of seeing her perform, alas. I note from the obit that she made her first "stag" film, "Smart Alec", at the age of 16.

There was a time, forgive me, when people weren't so concerned about youth getting corrupted. The one and only time I saw Virginia Bell was when, at the age of 14, I got into a theater by paying my money and saying I was 18.

It is said that she was only 16 when she made "Smart Alec" but wouldn't the sale of that--and it is available in compilation films--present a legal problem? I think she was over 16. Also there is a 1950's car at the beginning of the film. That does not jive with her birthdate and being 16 at the time of the filming.

[Geemahn]

If my memory is working, "Smart Alec" is one of the stag films that is included in Alex de Renzy's "A History of the Blue Movie." (Highly recommended BTW.)

Actually saw AHotBM on the big screen with some buddies during college in the early 70s and we all thought it to be a fine effort. If she was young, she sure was mature.

[sub006]

"Smart Alec" is charming in its simplicity and straightforward presentation. Still trying to decide if calling in the other girl to perform oral was because Candy was supposed to be so young and inexperienced or if she was so attractive it was "beneath" her.

If she'd been born about 20 years later her film efforts would have been celebrated, like Linda Lovelace and Marilyn Chambers. Don't know if she could have made as much money as a 70s feature dancer as she did as a '50s burlesque stripper.

[Alcally]

She was beautiful and its always been exciting to watch Smart Alec especially her "on top" action---she had the moves down pat... :> and to think she was born and died in the next county from me...