Hubbry Logo
Ann CorioAnn CorioMain
Open search
Ann Corio
Community hub
Ann Corio
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Ann Corio
Ann Corio
from Wikipedia

Ann Corio (born Ann Coiro; November 29, 1909 – March 1, 1999) was a prominent American burlesque stripper and actress. Her original surname was Coiro, changing it to Corio for stage purposes and because some family members did not approve of her profession.

Key Information

Biography

[edit]

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, she was one of twelve children of Italian immigrant parents.[1] While still in her teens, Corio's good looks and shapely physique landed her showgirl roles that led to her becoming a hugely popular striptease artist. Her rise to stardom as a featured performer began on the Mutual burlesque circuit in 1925. She later worked at Minsky's Burlesque in New York City and Boston's Old Howard Theatre.

Career

[edit]
Call of the Jungle lobby card

After Mayor Fiorello La Guardia closed down New York City's burlesque houses in 1939, Corio made her way to Los Angeles. Between 1941 and 1944 she appeared in several Hollywood "B" motion pictures which featured her in scanty costumes (beginning with 1941 Swamp Woman), the best known of which was perhaps 1942's Jungle Siren opposite Buster Crabbe. In 1944 she made Call of the Jungle and Sarong Girl. A year earlier Corio was guest armchair detective on radio's The Adventures of Ellery Queen, on the January seventh episode entitled, "The Adventure of the Singing Rat". With the Second World War on, she became one of the volunteer pin-up girls for YANK magazine, appearing in the September 3, 1943, issue of the weekly U.S. Army publication. Corio visited the USS Yorktown, and a certified technician, Edward Hoegerman, said his favorite memory aboard the ship during the war is when she visited the radio shack.[2] Corio appeared in "The Ghost in the Sea Blue Dress," the January 23, 1955 episode of NBC's Adventures of the Archers radio show,

Corio had a long successful career dancing on stage. In 1962 she put together the nostalgic off-Broadway show This Was Burlesque[3] which she directed and in which also performed. In 1968, she wrote a book with the same title.[1] Her fame was enduring enough that in the 1970s—when Corio was long retired and in her sixties—she twice was a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. During this same period, she took This Was Burlesque out on the summer stock circuit for several seasons. In 1981, the show played Broadway at the old Latin Quarter, which was then known as the Princess Theatre, and tried to compete with Sugar Babies which was running just a few blocks up the street. In 1985, she mounted the show for the second to last time in downtown Los Angeles, at the Variety Arts Theatre, where it did not have a good run. A year or so later, the show played a dinner theatre in Florida, where it closed for good.

Death

[edit]

A resident of Cliffside Park, New Jersey, Corio died at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood, New Jersey, on March 1, 1999, aged 89.[1]

Legacy

[edit]

Corio is a member of the Hall of Fame at the Exotic World Burlesque Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Ann Corio (November 29, 1909 – March 1, 1999) was an American burlesque ecdysiast, actress, and producer who achieved stardom in the 1930s and 1940s through headline striptease performances at venues like Minsky's Burlesk Theater in New York City, where her teasing routines—emphasizing gradual reveal without full nudity—earned her the nickname "Queen of Burlesque" and weekly earnings of around $1,000 by 1940, supplemented by a share of house receipts. Born Ann Cicoria to Italian immigrant parents in Hartford, Connecticut, as one of twelve children, Corio began her career at age fifteen by secretly joining burlesque chorus lines after winning a local dance contest, quickly rising to feature status amid collaborations with comedians such as Abbott and Costello and Bert Lahr. In the early 1940s, she ventured into film with roles in low-budget exotic adventures including Swamp Woman (1941) as Annabelle Tollington, Sarong Girl (1943), and Sultan's Daughter (1944), capitalizing on her stage persona in poverty-row productions. Corio's later career focused on preserving burlesque heritage; with her third husband, Michael Iannucci, she created and starred in This Was Burlesque, an off-Broadway revue debuting in 1962 that ran for nearly three decades, toured nationally, reached Broadway twice, and featured nostalgic comedy sketches alongside performances, later documented in HBO specials—all while maintaining the era's emphasis on innuendo over explicitness. A resident of Cliffside Park, New Jersey, at the time of her death from pneumonia at Englewood Hospital, Corio retired in 1991 after years of illness, leaving a legacy as one of the last major figures from burlesque's peak era.

Early Life

Family Background and Upbringing

Ann Corio was born Ann Coiro on November 29, 1909, in , to Italian immigrant parents. She grew up as one of twelve children in a large, working-class family shaped by the challenges of early 20th-century immigration and urban life in . The family adhered to devout Catholic values, which emphasized traditional morals and community ties common among Italian-American households of the era. Corio's mother, a practicing Catholic, initially opposed her daughter's aspirations in , reflecting tensions between religious principles and the allure of opportunities available to young women from modest backgrounds. This resistance underscored the cultural and familial constraints Corio navigated during her upbringing, including a tomboyish childhood in that fostered independence. To pursue her path, Corio altered her from Coiro to Corio, a practical adaptation for that also distanced her from familial disapproval of the profession. This change highlighted the personal adjustments required amid economic pressures and limited prospects for daughters in immigrant families.

Entry into Performing

Corio, born Ann Coiro in , to Italian immigrant parents, began her performing career at age 15 in 1925 by secretly joining shows as a chorus girl, concealing her activities from her family due to her Catholic mother's initial resistance. This entry defied parental expectations in an era when such pursuits were viewed as unsuitable for young women from conservative households, prompting Corio to adopt stage anonymity early on. Her initial roles placed her on regional burlesque circuits, including the Mutual Wheel, where chorus performers supported headliners through synchronized dances and comedic sketches, honing foundational skills in timing, movement, and audience engagement amid the fast-paced, low-wage environment of traveling troupes. These experiences exposed her to the circuit's grueling schedule of one-night stands across Midwestern and Eastern theaters, building resilience and stage adaptability essential for burlesque's improvisational demands. As economic pressures mounted in the mid-1920s, with limited opportunities for young women outside domestic roles, Corio transitioned from chorus duties—often involving modest variety elements like group kicks and props—to 's core provocative routines, where performers gradually incorporated tease elements to captivate crowds and secure tips. This shift reflected the era's reliance on as a viable, if controversial, income source for aspiring entertainers facing familial financial strains and societal restrictions on female employment.

Burlesque Career

Debut and Rise to Fame

Ann Corio began her burlesque career in at age sixteen, initially performing as a chorus girl after winning a local contest that prompted her departure from school. Her entry into the profession occurred amid the Mutual burlesque circuit's operations in New York, where she quickly transitioned from ensemble roles to featured positions through demonstrated dancing ability. This rapid ascent in the late positioned her as a rising talent in an industry characterized by short-lived performers, with Corio's technical proficiency in routines enabling her to secure demand across regional theaters. By the early , Corio had established herself as a headliner, competing with contemporaries such as , whose fame similarly peaked in circuits. Unlike Lee, who incorporated witty narration and gradual undressing for audience engagement, Corio emphasized choreographed dance sequences over explicit elements, reportedly eschewing "bump and grind" movements in favor of elegant, skill-based performances that appealed to varied crowds. This approach contributed to her reputation as a performer reliant on talent rather than , fostering repeat viewings in an era when offered escapist entertainment amid economic hardship. Corio's earnings underscored burlesque's viability during the , reaching approximately $1,000 per week by 1936—substantial compared to average industrial wages of under $25 weekly—supplemented by house percentages that reflected strong audience turnout for headline acts. These figures highlighted the genre's profitability, as theaters drew working-class patrons seeking low-cost spectacles, with top performers like Corio driving attendance through reliable, high-energy shows that sustained circuit viability into the mid-1930s.

Work at Minsky's and Peak Performances

Ann Corio rose to prominence as a headliner at Minsky's Burlesk Theater in during , becoming one of the circuit's top attractions by 1936 amid the . She performed as a "teaser," integrating comedic elements with established acts featuring performers like and , which distinguished her routines within the venue's variety format. At the peak of her time there, Corio commanded a salary of $1,000 per week plus a percentage of the house take, positioning her among the highest-paid burlesque stars under the Minsky brothers' management. Her tenure coincided with intensifying regulatory scrutiny on New York burlesque, as Fiorello La Guardia's administration targeted the genre's perceived indecency, leading to strict codes and eventual theater closures. Minsky's Oriental Theatre, a key venue, shuttered in November 1937 after operating under restrictive conditions imposed since September, marking the effective end of traditional burlesque in the city. Corio attributed the industry's demise in New York to the Minsky brothers, stating that burlesque "had been getting along nicely as long as Mr. Minsky kept his nose out of it," criticizing their push for more explicit content that provoked official crackdowns. Despite the New York bans, Corio's earning power peaked into the 1940s, reportedly exceeding $1,500 weekly plus house percentages in surviving circuits and extensions into nightclubs and tours, reflecting her sustained draw amid the genre's contraction. These engagements capitalized on her reputation from Minsky's, allowing high-profile appearances that maintained her status as a leading ecdysiast even as urban theaters diminished.

Performing Techniques and Innovations

Ann Corio distinguished herself in through a restrained "tease" style that emphasized artistry over explicit exposure, often halting short of full undressing to preserve and heighten . Unlike contemporaries relying on g-strings, , or aggressive "bump and grind" motions, Corio's routines featured graceful hip movements and that promised revelation without delivery, as noted in a 1937 review by David Dressler: "She is always about to undress, but she never completely fulfills the promise of her eyes and hips." This approach incorporated elaborate costumes—such as feathered headdresses and multi-layered gowns—that were gradually shed in choreographed sequences blending ballet-like dance steps with subtle comedic timing, fostering audience engagement through suggestion rather than shock. Her performances integrated vaudeville-derived elements, including comic interplay and variety-show pacing, to broaden appeal beyond mere titillation and cultivate repeat viewership. Corio collaborated with comedians like , , and , weaving humorous skits into her acts that underscored a "naughty, not dirty" devoid of , which aligned with 's theatrical roots while differentiating her from rawer peers. This fusion extended her career's viability, as evidenced by consistent bookings at venues like Minsky's in New York, where her sophisticated grace and humor drew loyal crowds prioritizing entertainment value. Empirical indicators of her techniques' efficacy include critical acclaim for professionalism and the commercial endurance of her style, which later informed instructional media like her 1960s album and guide "How to Strip for Your Husband," demonstrating tease artistry's market viability over explicitness. Contemporary accounts highlight how this restraint and multifaceted routines—combining dance precision, prop usage, and audience-directed banter—generated sustained fan loyalty, contrasting with shorter-lived acts dependent on novelty stripping.

Later Career and Productions

Departure from Traditional Burlesque

In the 1940s, Ann Corio exited the traditional circuits, citing the genre's progressive shift toward a heavier reliance on performances, which eroded the balance of variety acts, sketches, and professional staging that characterized earlier eras. This transformation, she contended, fostered an environment of increasing lewdness that precipitated regulatory interventions, including the 1937 shutdown of New York houses under Mayor , ultimately hastening the form's decline. Corio specifically departed around 1944, following an unsuccessful stint in Hollywood B-movies from 1941 to 1944, as shows devolved into less disciplined spectacles dominated by "bump and grind" routines rather than artistic expression. Her motivations stemmed from a commitment to upholding the performative standards and comedic integrity she associated with 's heyday, distancing herself from the stigmatized, sexuality-centric iterations that emerged post-1937. Subsequently, she pivoted to legitimate engagements and revue-style theater, including appearances in productions on the circuit through the 1950s, enabling her to maintain financial viability while aligning with evolving post-World War II entertainment norms that favored more refined variety formats over raw . This transition preserved her career longevity amid cultural pressures that viewed traditional as increasingly obsolete and morally suspect.

"This Was Burlesque" Revival

In the early , Ann Corio conceived and starred in This Was Burlesque, a blending elements with recreated performances from 's comedic , featuring , sketches, and acts as she experienced them prior to the genre's post-World War II decline into more explicit forms. The production debuted at the Casino East Theater on March 6, 1962, and achieved significant longevity with over 1,500 performances, reflecting audience interest in sanitized, historical depictions of the art form. Corio supervised, directed, and performed in the show, which toured nationally and adapted classic routines to highlight burlesque's emphasis on humor and tease over outright vulgarity, contrasting it with contemporary stripping trends. A companion memoir, This Was Burlesque, co-authored with Joseph DiMona, was published in 1968 by Madison Square Press, chronicling the era's performers, theaters, and cultural context based on her firsthand accounts. The book served as a textual foundation for the stage production, underscoring Corio's intent to preserve what she viewed as the legitimate theatrical roots of burlesque. The revue transferred to Broadway at the on March 16, 1965, and saw revivals including a 1970 run of 124 performances and a 1981 production at the Princess Theatre supervised by Corio. Touring versions continued through the and into 1985, with a engagement at the Variety Arts Theatre that year drawing on original to evoke pre-censorship authenticity. These efforts demonstrated sustained commercial viability, as the show's formula—curated by Corio to differentiate refined, narrative-driven from modern iterations—sustained audiences amid shifting entertainment norms.

Personal Life

Relationships and Private Affairs

Ann Corio maintained a relatively private , with limited public documentation of her romantic relationships amid a career that spanned decades in and entertainment. She was married at least three times, though details of her first two unions remain sparse in available records. Her second husband was Emmett Callahan, a theater manager who owned several venues including the ; the couple maintained a summer residence on during the 1930s, but the marriage ended in divorce without notable public controversy. Corio's third and final marriage was to Michael P. Iannucci, a former professional football player who had been a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers; they wed in the early 1960s and collaborated professionally on productions like This Was Burlesque, though their partnership emphasized business over personal publicity. Iannucci survived her and managed aspects of her later estate. No children are recorded from any of her marriages, and Corio prioritized her professional commitments, avoiding the sensational tabloid coverage that plagued some contemporaries in burlesque. In a lighthearted nod to marital dynamics, Corio released the instructional How to Strip for Your Husband in , featuring spoken tips overlaid on music by Sonny Lester and His Orchestra, aimed at encouraging playful intimacy between spouses without veering into scandal. The record, reissued in 1968 with a booklet of guidance, reflected her expertise applied humorously to domestic life, underscoring a view of as amenable to fun and performance rather than rigid convention. This project garnered attention for its novelty but did not invite personal disclosures or entanglements.

Public Persona and Notable Associations

Corio cultivated a distinctive public image that transcended the stereotypical confines of , gaining admiration from educated audiences who appreciated her performances as a form of accessible rather than mere titillation. In the 1930s and 1940s, she frequently headlined at Boston's Old Howard Theatre, where she became a particular favorite among students, who reportedly viewed attendance at her shows as an informal . This affinity challenged elitist dismissals of burlesque as lowbrow, as Harvard undergraduates flocked to her acts, fostering a mutual respect that highlighted her appeal across social strata; local lore even held that no could graduate without witnessing her dance. Her public commentary often reflected pragmatic views aligned with traditional social norms, emphasizing preparation for domestic roles over abstract ideals. In a 1937 interview, Corio endorsed Vassar College's newly introduced marriage courses, advocating their expansion to other institutions and stating, "It's not a bad idea to teach the beauties of their bodies and how to take care of them." This stance positioned her as an advocate for practical on personal and marital responsibilities, contrasting with more progressive academic trends of the era. She also critiqued shifts in audience dynamics, noting in later reflections that burlesque's original all-male crowds appreciated the form's comedic and theatrical elements, whereas mixed-sex audiences introduced expectations of greater explicitness that altered the genre's character. As a shrewd operator in a male-dominated industry, Corio's extended to , where she navigated elite cultural circles through strategic engagements, such as radio interviews with Harvard's student media in , which amplified her visibility beyond working-class venues. Her interactions with university crowds underscored a of poised professionalism, earning her respect as a performer who bridged vaudeville's earthy roots with broader societal acceptance.

Death

Final Years and Health

In the 1980s, Corio continued to supervise touring productions of her nostalgic revue This Was Burlesque, which had originated in 1961 and featured re-enactments of classic routines with a mix of veteran performers and newcomers. Performances persisted through at least 1985, drawing audiences interested in preserved theatrical history, though the shows increasingly relied on her oversight rather than active onstage participation as she entered her seventies. By the late 1980s, touring activities wound down, marking her gradual retirement from direct involvement in live entertainment. Corio spent her later years in relative seclusion in , near , where she had long maintained ties to the theater world. She adopted a low public profile, eschewing interviews or appearances that might sensationalize her past, consistent with a preference for privacy over continued fame. No detail chronic health issues during this period; she shared no disclosures about medical conditions, aligning with an approach that prioritized personal dignity amid aging. At age 70 in 1980 and reaching her eighties by the mid-1990s, her trajectory reflected the typical frailties of advanced age without evident publicity-seeking narratives.

Circumstances of Passing

Ann Corio died on March 1, 1999, at Englewood Hospital in , where she had resided nearby in Cliffside Park. She was 89 years old, having been born on November 29, 1909. Contemporary obituaries highlighted her status as a foundational performer, emphasizing her role in preserving the genre's through stage revivals without noting any disputes over funeral arrangements or public ceremonies. Her passing coincided with the nascent neo-burlesque movement of the late , which drew nostalgic inspiration from traditional performers like Corio, though she had voiced critiques of modern stripping's departure from burlesque's comedic and theatrical elements in prior interviews.

Legacy

Achievements and Recognitions

Corio established herself as one of burlesque's top earners during the 1930s, commanding $1,000 per week plus a of the house gross as a star at Minsky's venues. By the 1940s, her compensation had risen to over $1,500 weekly alongside 25% of the gross receipts, reflecting her draw as a headline attraction. She earned posthumous induction into the , honoring her foundational role in the genre's performance traditions. Corio's production of the This Was Burlesque, which she directed and supervised, premiered in 1965 and achieved extended runs across multiple engagements, culminating in a 1981 Broadway revival that underscored its commercial viability. In 1968, Corio co-authored and published This Was Burlesque with Joseph DiMona through Grosset & Dunlap, offering a detailed primary account of industry practices and her career milestones.

Cultural Impact and Preservation

Ann Corio's production of This Was Burlesque, which debuted in Boston in 1961 and transferred to New York City in 1962, played a pivotal role in reviving interest in traditional burlesque amid its post-World War II decline due to censorship and shifting entertainment landscapes. The show, which ran for nearly three decades across Broadway appearances, national tours, and television specials, featured Corio as host alongside veteran performers, emphasizing comedic sketches, variety acts, and choreographed ecdysiasm rooted in vaudeville traditions rather than the more direct stripping that characterized later nightclub scenes. This restorative effort trained new dancers in authentic routines and countered perceptions of burlesque's obsolescence by demonstrating its theatrical viability, sustaining performances into the 1980s and influencing subsequent nostalgia-driven revivals. Corio's 1968 book, This Was Burlesque, co-authored with Joseph DiMona, served as a key archival contribution, offering a pictorial and anecdotal history drawn from her firsthand experiences in the Minsky circuit and beyond. The volume detailed the genre's evolution from 19th-century variety origins to its 1930s-1940s peak, highlighting causal factors like , legal crackdowns, and economic pressures that altered its structure, thereby providing empirical insights absent in contemporaneous accounts. Accompanied by instructional albums such as How to Strip for Your Husband (released in the 1960s with jazz arrangements by Sonny Lester), these works preserved performative techniques and cultural context, enabling later scholars and performers to reconstruct 's emphasis on skill, timing, and humor over mere undress. Her preservation initiatives underscored distinctions between burlesque's integrated theatricality—combining with comedy and ensemble dynamics—and the isolated, less narrative-driven stripping of postwar go-go bars, a contrast that informed neo-burlesque's resurgence, which often nods to variety-era roots through and archival homage. Corio's final public engagement in 1993 at UCLA's "Burlesque: Tradition and Transgression" exemplified her enduring role in academic discourse on 20th-century popular entertainment, where her materials continue to anchor analyses of performance history and dynamics in live theater. Venues like the Ann Corio Lounge in and Corio in further perpetuated her legacy, embedding authentic aesthetics into modern cultural spaces.

Criticisms and Societal Debates

In the , faced intense opposition from religious organizations, including Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish leaders, who condemned it as a promoter of moral decay through suggestive performances that objectified women and eroded public decency. These criticisms culminated in hearings led by License Commissioner Paul Moss in April 1937, followed by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia's public endorsement of a ban on the city's 14 burlesque theaters by May 1937, framing the genre as incompatible with civic standards of propriety. Conservative reformers and newspapers echoed these views, portraying 's elements as emblematic of broader societal and a threat to traditional gender norms by commodifying female sexuality. Ann Corio attributed burlesque's regulatory downfall not to its inherent nature but to excesses introduced by producers like Abe Minsky, whose emphasis on full striptease in the 1920s and 1930s supplanted the genre's foundational balance of comedy, variety acts, and mere "tease" with overt lewdness that invited crackdowns. In response to such bans, Corio defended traditional burlesque as "naughty but not lewd" family entertainment, highlighting its professional structure of baggy-pants comedians, sketches, and controlled eroticism that prioritized audience amusement over explicitness. Her 1960s Broadway revival, This Was Burlesque, exemplified this stance by reconstructing the full format—integrating strippers with vaudeville-style humor—to underscore its artistic legitimacy rather than reducing it to erotic spectacle, countering narratives that sanitized or vilified the form without acknowledging its comedic core. Societal debates surrounding Corio's career often centered on gender dynamics, with critics decrying as exploitative reinforcement of and female subjugation, yet her trajectory—from chorus girl at age 15 to headliner and producer—illustrated performer agency in negotiating acts, billing, and career amid male-dominated theater circuits. Corio's empirical perspective challenged victimhood framings by emphasizing how over-sexualization eroded the genre's viability, arguing that disciplined tease preserved professional respect and economic viability, as evidenced by her own sustained prominence before and after the 1937 ban. This positioned her advocacy as a pragmatic of both puritanical overreach and internal dilutions that prioritized shock over craft, influencing later discussions on performance boundaries without conceding to either moral absolutism or unchecked provocation.

References

Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.