Legendary burlesque performer, Alexandra the Great 48 was one of the major headliners and international stars of her generation. Following her success as a performer, Alexandra the Great 48 eventually became a beautician for Universal Studios and started her range of beauty products. She was featured in the film “Behind the Burly Q” which explored the burlesque tradition in America.

The documentary, created by Leslie Zemeckis, is an earnest exploration of the burlesque world in the United States during the first half of the 20th century. It includes interviews with such burlesque greats as April March, Tempest Storm, and Kitty West. Many journalists and authors also contribute their stories of the period as does Alan Alda, whose father was a burlesque singer.

Behind the Burly Q is relatively anodyne by today’s standards and tries as best as possible to paint a realistic picture of the heyday of burlesque. It also does a great job of exposing the truth that the lives of the performers featured therein were far from easy and required a lot of hard work and dedication.