‘Behind the Burly Q’ demystifies American burlesque

“Everyone dismisses it as a strip show, but it wasn’t that at all,” actress and first-time director, writer and producer Leslie Zemeckis says about the topic of her new documentary. For the first time, Zemeckis uncovered the mystery and truth behind American burlesque in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in her film Behind the Burly Q — The Real Story of Burlesque, which is out on DVD today. Zemeckis says she became “obsessed” with the subject while performing and directing a live, caberet-inspired show in Los Angeles several years ago. “I would talk about burlesque and equate it to strip shows — I had no idea,” she says. “I began researching … and I found that this is a group that has traditionally been very misunderstood.” Through her research, Zemeckis found a loosely-organized group of old performers (mostly women) — from coast to coast — who would become her primary sources. “They all just wanted to see eachother again,” recalls Zemeckis, the wife of famed Hollywood filmmaker Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future). “I told them I would sponsor a reunion in Las Vegas if they would all allow me to interview them.” I talked with Zemeckis about the reunion and her film, so read below for more.

Photos courtesy of First Run Features

Zemeckis noted that once the reunion began, it “snowballed” into a full-fledged project. She and her producing partner spent the next two years traveling across the country to interview as many former burlesque performers as possible. They finally finished shooting in 2008, and the film was released in select theaters in 2010 for about six months.

Behind the Burly Q tells the true story of early burlesque through the eyes of those who donned the feathers, the false eyelashes — and sometimes, not much more. Zemeckis not only tells the women’s stories, but also features interviews with legendary male comedic performers, as well as those who grew up exposed to the burlesque lifestyle, including actor Alan Alda, son of actor and performer Robert Alda.

“Alda’s stories were so touching,” Zemeckis says. “Just learning how [his exposure to burlesque] really affected him in a negative way, but he still honors it as his past and wouldn’t change it.”

In discussing the importance of the film, Zemeckis mentioned the overwhelming need for a piece such as this, one that entertains as well as informs.

“I want viewers to learn how important this era was to the entertainment industry, because with Broadway closing, it is what was primarily entertaining the country at this time, and it’s an era that can never be again,” she said. “We don’t think of burlesque of a big variety show, but that’s truly what it was — it was hugely entertaining.”

Throughout filming and now in preparation for the national DVD release, Zemeckis noted how truly precious her captured footage is.

“These people are dying off and we could soon lose this history,” she said. “If I found someone to interview [while filming], we would go on a moment’s notice. Some are in very ill health, but I knew once I started talking to these women that their stories had to be told. They are so interesting — and anywhere from heartbreaking to funny.”