I'm going to go out on a limb and say the most successful of the Tarzan imitations that showed up in comic books wasn't another majestically muscled man in a leopard-skin. Nope. The most popular of Tarzan's four-color imitators was Sheena , Queen of the Jungle who inspired a number of her own imitators and a popular television series in the 1950s. The television series starred statuesque Irish McCalla a stunning nearly six foot tall model with a 37- 24 - 35 figure who was born to play the role of the jungle queen. But there were a few other jungle girls that comic book fans may not be aware of.
The " jungle girl " was a popular gimmick used by old time ecdysiasts. Collecting burlesque memorabilia I have found publicity pics of a number of strip queens like Tempest Storm and Blaze Starr wearing animal print costumes and abbreviated sarongs. The acts consisted of the ladies doing pagan dances that you might find in a Dorothy Lamour or Esther Williams movie. Only more so.
And there were even some gorilla and girl acts. Legendary cabaret dancer Yolando Montes and movie star a.k.a Tongalele played a voodoo priestess in the camp horror flick Isle Of The Snake People.
My favorite all-time exotic dancer Lilly " The Cat-Girl " Christine would have been a great jungle girl. Born Martha Theresa Pompender in Dunkirk , New York on December 17 , 1923 and began her career as an exotic dancer in 1948. She would die tragically young of peritonitis in 1965. Throughout her career Christine appeared on the covers and in the pages of the popular men's magazines of the day. With her 5' 7" 37c - 22 - 35 figure she was a popular subject for pin-up photographers. Lilly's signature routine was something called the " Voodoo Love Potion Dance ". And by the way a young bodybuilder named Lou Degni would get his start in show business working in Christine's act. Later Degni would change his name to Mark Forest and become one of the more popular of the sinew & sandal movie stars playing Maciste.
In the late 1940s Lilly Christine was rumored to be considered to star in a Sheena , Queen of the Jungle series of films produced by Sol Lesser. Lesser of course had been the producer of a number of the Tarzan movies starring Johnny Weissmuller , Lex Barker and Gordon Scott. It was also rumored that she was considered for the part of Sheena on the television series that went to Irish McCalla.
Other actresses that were in the running were Anita Ekberg and Debra Paget. I can easily imagine the Amazonian Ekberg in the role. But the stunning Debra Paget was 5' 2" . A 5' 2" Sheena? Forget about it.
And now for your entertainment pleasure, Miss Ginger Snaps!
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I would have loved to have seen Lilly Christine turn up in a Mark Forest "gladiator movie" as a dancing slave-girl.
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