Feuding Fan Dancers: Faith Bacon, Sally Rand, and the Golden Age of the Showgirl

by Leslie Zemeckis

Leslie Zemeckis continues to discover the forgotten feminist histories of the golden age of entertainment, turning her sights on the lost stories of Sally Rand and Faith Bacon―icons who each claimed to be the inventor of the notorious fan dance.

Some women capture our attention like no others. Faith Bacon and Sally Rand were beautiful blondes from humble backgrounds who shot to fame behind a pair of oversize ostrich fans, but with very different outcomes. Sally Rand would go on to perform for the millions who attended the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago, becoming America’s sweetheart. Faith Bacon, the Marilyn Monroe of her time––once anointed the "world's most beautiful woman"––would experience the dark side of fame and slip into drug use.

It was the golden age of American entertainment, and Bacon and Rand fought their way through the competitive showgirl scene of New York with grit and perseverance. They played peek-a-boo with their lives, allowing their audiences to see only slivers of themselves. A hint of a breast? A forbidden love affair? They were both towering figures, goddesses, icons. Until the world started to change. Little is known about who they really were, until now.

Feuding Fan Dancers tells the story of two remarkable women during a tumultuous time in entertainment history. Leslie Zemeckis has pieced together their story and―nearly one hundred years later― both women come alive again.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook

320 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2018

About the author

I have a popular Instagram account highlighting bestselling authors and their writing tips. I wrote the best selling FEUDING FAN DANCERS and BEHIND THE BURLY Q, GODDESS OF LOVE INCARNATE. ON IG @lesliezemeckis. FFD is about Sally Rand and Faith Bacon, showgirls from the 1930s. I am also an actor and award-winning documentarian. Sign up for my newsletter at www.lesliezemeckis.com

follow me on bookbub: https://bit.ly/3KrWppZ

Reviews

[Russell Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was barely out of high school in the mid-1960s, I saw Sally Rand do her famous fan dance. I was enraptured. This woman, then in her sixties, was absolutely beautiful (and, of course, I was seeing a totally nude woman on stage, something I probably never thought I’d see.) All these years later, I still think of Sally Rand. So when I saw Leslie Zemeckis’s book Feuding Fan Dancers: Faith Bacon, Sally Rand, and the Golden Age of the Showgirl, I knew I wanted to read it. The title alone promised a wild ride, a fun look at two showgirls, one I’d seen, the other I’d never heard of. I have to say, I am even more impressed with Sally Rand after having read this book. She would have been a fitting subject for a biography dedicated to her alone, for I felt I wanted to see more about her storied life. I am glad I got to know Faith Bacon, and again, she, too, would have been a great basis for a stand-alone biography, for she was not only outrageous but her life was tragic. But that feud? It barely comes to a tempest in a teapot, and I felt cheated by Zemeckis. This author, I decided, had chosen a sensational title when her book centered more on the two women and less on that feud which, in the book, amounts to very little. Yes, Bacon felt Rand had stolen the idea of the fan dance from her, but she never really did much about it—or at least not much is related here. No, this book is notable for its portrait of Sally Rand, a woman who aspired to be an actress but found she had to keep doing her dances in order to make a living. And yet, in the end, she also found she loved doing her dances and continued doing them until her death at age 75. There is a wonderful description of a reporter’s wonder at this old woman transforming herself into a youthful illusion. That was worth reading the entire book for. I’m sorry Bacon’s life ended tragically, but Rand led hers to the fullest and beyond.

[Marijah · Rating 1 out of 5]

If this book is ever re-released after spending time with an editor, I would happily try reading it again. Between the grammar errors and poor usage choices (for example switching indiscriminately between using a person's first name and last name to reference them), this book is a wonderful concept that was poorly executed. It has an interesting core idea and some really amazing research but the writing needs refinement. I do think a simple review by a strong editor would make all the difference in the readability of this book.

[Freya West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched, fun read about two showgirls and their rise (and decline) in fame. Not only paints a picture of the fan dancers, but gives great context to the times and the relative "importance" of showgirls and adult entertainment at the time. Highly recommend if you're into Hollywood history style stuff!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, well researched, well written and so honest!

[Mademoiselle_jn · Rating 2 out of 5]

L'histoire de ces deux femmes était intéressante et donne une toute autre vérité à la vie derrière les strass et les paillettes des showgirls d'hier et sans doute d'aujourd'hui, MAIS c'était un calvaire à lire...entre les erreurs de syntaxe, celles de grammaires et les changements intempestifs de noms/prénom et alias difficile de s'y retrouver...j'ai vraiment peiné à terminer!

[Jess]

DNF. I was super interested in the story and rivalry but it was hard to keep up with on audiobook. Maybe I'll try to read it in print later on.

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished Feuding Fan Dancers. Leslie Zemeckis, you have outdone yourself. You loving inscribed the history and story of their lives and this era. So beautifully written and done so precisely. I didn’t want to miss a moment or beat. I didn’t want their stories to end. Some moments made me laugh out loud like her obsession with hats and the scratching of each others fannies. Other moments had me on the verge of tears during Faiths demise. Brava!
For women everywhere, thank you, thank you!!

[The Headless Horror · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have heard about Sally Rand and Faith Bacon for ages, but I always wondered what kind of relationship there was between the two, if any. Leslie Zemeckis answers this question with “Feuding Fan Dancers,” a bewitching account of America’s original fan dancers! I highly recommend!!!

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the author herself for sending me a free copy of The Feuding Fan Dancers! This book is a very fun and readable non-fiction account of two of the nations first burlesque dancers. It made a nice change of reading pace for me and I really enjoyed it!

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a book about a small obscure piece of history, and I love a showbiz biography. This manages to combine the best of both. The amount of research that has clearly gone into this is astonishing. Yet it remains an easy, entertaining read.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very interesting book.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super interesting life stories of two lifelong entertainers. Women DID NOT have it easy in the early 20th century.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because one side shows a woman who would live infamously in the spotlight. While the other path led to darkness, and another forgotten beautiful face

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to absolutely love this book, since I lived in Glendora for years and still have many ties there. Sally Rand is immortalized at the local history museum and is our celebrity of sorts. Buuuuut.......
I can not stand spelling and grammatical errors in published works and I found quite a few. One that was particularly glaring, was of a scenario where women were lying about the grass outside, “waiving fans”. I had to read it a few times to make sure I didn’t screw up the meaning myself. Nope. “Waiving” I stead of “waving”, makes a big difference.

The writing was very perfunctory, without panache and very contradictory at times. One sentence would state how bad life was for the dancers, while the next sentence would state how much work they had and how much money they were bringing in. It was confusing.

The subject matter was good, but the presentation could have been better.

[Marci Darling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zemeckis has proven she is a master (or mistress!) historian and leading scholar on the history of burlesque dancers and marginalized women. Shining a light on the stories of these women reveals so much about the fleeting nature of beauty, celebrity, and these women who forged their own paths. I loved reading about Sally Rand's courage and audacious choices that made her the leading showgirl of her time. I had never heard of Faith Bacon, and I loved learning about a new showgirl and how these two women owned their sexuality and paved the way for the current generation of burlesque dancers. You will laugh, you will cry, you will be fascinated and titillated. Pour yourself a glass of champagne and use a feather as a book mark as you settle into a fabulous, and important story.

[Dominique Daoust · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the topic of showgirls super interesting, both Sally and Faith having many parallels in their lives and careers that really made me feel for them.

But I listened to this as an audiobook and it came across quite stiff and clunky. The small chapters kept alternating between little stories about Sally then Faith and they would end abruptly. Despite the word “feuding” being in the title of the book, their lives didn’t seem to intersect all that much.

Overall, I found the content of this book entertaining but I wish it would have been presented in a more organized manner.

[ElizaBeth Comencant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmmm. The reasons I found it hard to connect with this book are my fault, not the authors. It's a fascinating history of the burlesque, and, in particular, the two main dances discussed, Sally and Faith. What I struggled with was the sheer number of names and people to keep straight. If you are interested in history, it's a great read - but next time I think I will take notes as I read.

[Monica Canducci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. The way the lives and challenges of these two ladies are narrated and intertwined made me feel like a witness. I was not fond of this genre but this book made me change my mind. After reading this book Leslie Zemeckis became one of my favorite writers - and for sure my favorite for this genre.

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this fast-paced biography of Sally Rand and Faith Bacon - two pioneers of burlesque and how their lives both paralleled and parted over the years. I look forward to reading more burlesque history and this was a deep narrative into the hustle of the artform during the early 20th century. Great read!

[Maryann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of this book was quite entertaining and interesting. That time in history when fan dancing was popular was a whole different era in America.
The book did drag a bit, and really, told me more than I wanted to know.

[Rebecca Nagrodski · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting..... but it became way too confusing to separate the stories of Faith Bacon and Sally Rand. By the end, this book only made me want to find separate books about each of them so I could better understand.

[Cindie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a good book, however the last few chapters seemed to repeat information as if just filling out the book.

[Amy Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting story

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life of a showgirl...
glamor, wealth, fame....
but also hard work, money problems, struggle

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the writing style and looking up the people and music mentioned in the book. I may not get around to doing this, but it would be fun to watch the movies mentioned in the book, become a little more familiar with the people mentioned, and then listen to the audiobook (or read it again).

[Christie Santo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Artfully crafted tale of two golden age gals that reads like you’re watching a film. An I found the psychological comparison fascinating, two women who perform, and feud, over a similar fan dance, yet come from different backgrounds and have different mindsets and personalities.