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Juliet Prowse

Juliet Prowse

Juliet Anne Prowse was a dancer, whose four-decade career included stage, television and film. She was raised in South Africa, where her family emigrated after World War II. Known for her attractive legs, she was described after her death as having "... arguably the best legs since Betty Grable." In her early twenties, she was dancing at a club in Paris when she was spotted by a talent agent and eventually signed to play the role of Claudine in the Walter Lang film Can-Can. It was during the filming of Can-Can in 1959 that she captured the international spotlight. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev visited the set of the film and after Prowse performed a rather saucy can-can for the Russian leader, he proclaimed her dance immoral. The publicity brought Prowse considerable attention in the United States. Prowse met Frank Sinatra on the set of Can-Can. Time magazine did not rate the movie highly, but declared Prowse the best thing in it: "In fact, the only thing really worth seeing is Juliet Prowse, a young South African hoofer who puts some twinkle in the stub-toed choreography. And the only thing really worth hearing is the crack that Frank flips back at Juliet when she whips a redoubtable hip in his direction. "Don't point", he gasps. "It's rude." She would go on to appear with Sinatra and other notable guests such as Ella Fitzgerald, Peter Lawford, Hermione Gingold, the Hi-Lo's, Red Norvo, Nelson Riddle and his orchestra on the 1959 Frank Sinatra Show. She at times would sing in the chorus with other guests or Sinatra would sing to her. Sinatra invited Prowse to join him in Las Vegas, even though she was living with the actor Nico Minardos at the time. Sinatra and Prowse announced their engagement in 1962. Soon afterwards they broke up, reportedly because Prowse wanted to concentrate on her career. Prowse later admitted, "I was as much flattered as I was in love. He (Sinatra) was a complex person, and after a few drinks he could be very difficult." Prowse co-starred alongside Elvis Presley in G.I. Blues. During shooting of the film, they had a short and intense fling. "Elvis and I had an affair. ... We had a sexual attraction like two healthy young people, but he was already a victim of his fans. We always met in his room and never went out." Prowse also made a brief cameo appearance in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer documentary film, Elvis: That's the Way. She starred with Denny Scott Miller on her own NBC sitcom in the 1965-1966 season: Mona McCluskey, which was produced by George Burns. The series was based on the idea that the couple, Mike and Mona McCluskey, would live on his military salary, rather than her lucrative earnings as an actress. In the late 1980s, she was mauled by an 80-pound leopard – twice. Once, while filming a scene for Circus of the Stars in 1987 and later that same year rehearsing a promotional stunt on The Tonight Show, when the same leopard attacked her. The later attack was more serious, requiring upwards of twenty stitches to reattach her ear.

Personal information

Birthday

1936-09-25

Birth Place

Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India

Movies and TV shows :

poster

Adventures in Paradise

1959

5.7

TV
poster

Burke's Law

1963

6.0

TV
Can-Can

Can-Can

1960

6.6

Movie
poster

Dinah!

1974

6.0

TV
Dingaka

Dingaka

1964

6.0

Movie
Elvis: #1 Hit Performances

Elvis: #1 Hit Performances

2007

6.0

Movie
Elvis: #1 Hit Performances & More

Elvis: #1 Hit Performances & More

2007

0.0

Movie
G.I. Blues

G.I. Blues

1960

6.4

Movie
poster

Glitter

1984

4.5

TV
Happy Birthday, Las Vegas

Happy Birthday, Las Vegas

1977

0.0

Movie
Ladies Night - Most Famous Hits

Ladies Night - Most Famous Hits

2003

0.0

Movie
poster

Mona McCluskey

1965

5.0

TV
poster

Murder, She Wrote

1984

7.6

TV
Musical Comedy Tonight II

Musical Comedy Tonight II

1981

0.0

Movie
Night of 100 Stars II

Night of 100 Stars II

1985

8.0

Movie
poster

Password

1961

7.2

TV
Run for Your Wife

Run for Your Wife

1965

6.6

Movie
Second Chance

Second Chance

1972

7.0

Movie
Spree

Spree

1967

3.5

Movie
That's Dancing!

That's Dancing!

1985

7.0

Movie
poster

The Big Show

1980

0.0

TV
poster

The Carol Burnett Show

1967

7.5

TV
poster

The Danny Kaye Show

1963

6.3

TV
poster

The Danny Thomas Hour

1967

5.0

TV
poster

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts

1973

5.3

TV
poster

The Ed Sullivan Show

1948

6.5

TV
The Fiercest Heart

The Fiercest Heart

1961

5.0

Movie
The Frank Sinatra Timex Show - To the Ladies

The Frank Sinatra Timex Show - To the Ladies

1960

0.0

Movie
The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: An Afternoon with Frank Sinatra

The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: An Afternoon with Frank Sinatra

1959

0.0

Movie
poster

The Hollywood Palace

1964

4.5

TV
poster

The Love Boat

1977

6.3

TV
poster

The Mike Douglas Show

1961

4.8

TV
poster

The Muppet Show

1976

8.0

TV
poster

The Name of the Game

1968

6.8

TV
The Right Approach

The Right Approach

1961

0.0

Movie
The Second Time Around

The Second Time Around

1961

6.1

Movie
poster

The Steve Allen Show

1956

4.0

TV
poster

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962

7.3

TV
Tom Jones: Duets by Invitation Only

Tom Jones: Duets by Invitation Only

2001

9.0

Movie
Who Killed Teddy Bear?

Who Killed Teddy Bear?

1965

6.3

Movie