Willis Marie Van Schaack (June 3, 1918 – January 29, 1999), known professionally as Lili St. Cyr. Tall, beautiful and statuesque Lili St. Cyr was the queen of burlesque throughout the 40’s and 50’s when burlesque/stripping was considered lewd and immoral, however Ms. St. Cyr’s reputation was that of a quality and high-class performer. Lili would make her name by offering elaborate stage shows w/ just a hint of actual nudity. Her most famous show, one that would be copied by tons of other performers, centered around Lili in a bathtub discreetly covered by bubbles.
While performing in 1947 at Ciro’s nightclub in Hollywood (billed as the “Anatomic Bomb”), St. Cyr was arrested and taken to court by a customer who considered her act lewd. St. Cyr insisted to the jury that her act was refined and elegant. As St. Cyr pointed out, what she did was slip off her dress, try on a hat, slip off her brassiere (there was another underneath), slip into a négligée. Then, undressing discreetly behind her maid, she stepped into a bubble bath, splashed around, and emerged, more or less dressed. After just 80 minutes of deliberation St. Cyr was acquitted – and became even more famous/infamous.
St. Cyr tried an acting career in the 50’s – financed by Howard Hughes. Small roles as harem girls or strippers (Norman Mailer’s Naked and the Dead) didn’t provide much artistic input for Lili, so she went back to what she knew best – burlesque.
Lili called it a day in the 70’s opening a lingerie business called “The Undie-World of Lili St. Cyr” and retired to her Hollywood apartment -“A quiet life with just some cats”. She eventually passed away at the age of 80 in 1999.
