Cyd Charisse, 1921-2008

The spectacular Cyd Charisse died Tuesday in Los Angeles, and we'd just like to note something we once heard her say in an interview.

Miss Charisse said Hollywood musicals died because movie censorship ended.

She explained that after the Hays code was adopted in the early 1930s, Hollywood censors kept actresses very covered up, except in musicals.



That's a picture of Cyd Charisse, respected dancer.

This is a picture of Lili St. Cyr, scandalous stripper:



The Hays code was abandoned in 1968, and the studios no longer needed all those dancers and singers to cover up the fact that what they were really selling was a good long look at the female form.

America Wants To Know salutes Cyd Charisse, whose unsurpassed talent helped Hollywood hide the truth from a nation of censors.




She was something.


Copyright 2008

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