Thursday, September 21, 2017

Kansas City Kitty Showing Me the Ropes

THE OLD STRIPPER
A Feature Documentary Film
Directed by Jack Truman
Starring Opal Dockery


KANSAS CITY KITTY SHOWING ME THE ROPES

Kansas City Kitty took me under her wing and showed me the "ropes" of the stripping business. She was an older lady who had been dancing for quite some time. If it had not been for her advice, I would have made a lot more mistakes than I did.

We worked at the Pink Pussy in Kansas City, Missouri as well as the Folly's Burlesk Theater. At the Pink Pussy Cat, we were strippers. At the Folly's Burlesk, I was a stripper and she was
a cashier.

She taught me how to put on pasties - a stiff cloth of material shaped like the nipple that covered only the nipple. We had to wear this because of the Kansas City laws - no nipples could show.

She taught me how to put on the different layers of my outfit - such as G-String first - then G-Strap over that or some sort of clothing that resembled panties.

She sold me my first dancing gown for $10.00. That was a lot for me back then; but it was a good deal. It was a really pretty red, sequin gown trimmed in black feathers. It was the same gown I had seen in many visions when I was married and did not even comprehend what a stripper was. Being a stripper was the furthest thing from my mind back then. But the visions would haunt me, especially, at night when I lay awake and could not go to sleep. Not only would I see myself stripping on a stage in front of a bunch of men; but I would, also, see my children in different states. All this proved to be true.

Kansas City Kitty, also, helped me make life-long decisions concerning my children. I did not know what to do with my children if I went on the road to dance. It was time for John to go to the first grade. She suggested putting him in a military school.
  
That was the best advice I ever got from anyone concerning my children. I just wish I would have kept him in there for his twelve years of school; so does he.

Kansas Kitty Kitty proved to be very helpful in teaching me how to get money out of men. She would make up a story that we were collecting money to get a pizza. The guys would chip in. For some reason, the pizza never did come.

A "guy" that really liked me a lot was going to take me out to spend money on me for such things as clothes and boots. Kansas City Kitty wanted me to get in practice on conning men; so she gave me a list of things for me to get for her. Some of the things were different pieces of material and a bottle of her favorite
perfume - Taboo. I had "the guy" take me to the costume shop. I got the material she wanted. He said, “That looks like material Kansas City Kitty makes her outfits out of.” I was not sure of myself and got really nervous; so I was really afraid to get the perfume. I thought he would catch on to that, too. I did not want her to be mad at me; so I bought the perfume for her myself. This really made her mad. She told me that it was not the perfume that she cared about.  She wanted me to get the “feel” for conning men. I did over the years; and I am glad.

One time before I learned my lessons well from Kansas City Kitty, I went home at a “guy's” apartment and spent the night with him. I told her about it the next day. She said, “Well, what is he going to do for you?” I said that I guessed nothing and that he had offered to give me gas money; but I turned it down. She held her head in her hands explaining to me that I should get things and money out of these guys - and to not let them have anything free.

One night, after I had spent the night with him, he came in the club saying he was looking for his "Little Rose". By then, I finally had decided in my mind what he was looking for was a free piece of ass anytime he wanted. I told Kansas City Kitty, "He looks like an old hound dog lookin' for a bitch dog in heat.” She laughed so much! I think she knew as I did that I had finally seen the light about these guys. From now on, I would be no one else's "Little Rose". At least, not a "free rose".

The first time I went on the road, Kansas City Kitty gave me a necklace with St. Christopher to help protect me. She was a Catholic. I was not; but I felt that it might help me. I wish I still
had it.

Kansas City Kitty was oriental. It was really difficult to see what she looked like because she wore a lot of garb on her face - big dark glasses, big bushy blond hair, and lots of make-up. She would holler from the stage, "I'm a clown!" She twirled the tassels on her breasts; but they were false breasts - I heard - she did not tell me this. I, also, heard that she had received silicone injections and had made them too big which caused her to have them removed. I, also, heard that she had cancer. I guess it was cancer of the breasts.

One thing I did not like about her advice was when she tried to get me to get small amounts of silicone injections. But this is the only thing I remember that was bad advice. Luckily, I had enough "horse-sense" to know that this was not for me.

Kansas City Kitty always encouraged me to start saving money and invest it. She said her relatives had cheated her out of a bunch of money - something to do with a savings she had had with one of the relatives. She had some money saved in a savings and loan under this relative's name. This person had died; and the other relatives kept her part of the money even though they knew it belonged to her. She cautioned me to never invest my money in a savings
and loan.

I really do appreciate all the time Kansas City Kitty took with me to help get me on my feet as a stripper as well as the special interest she took in my personal life with my kids. From the first time she said, “Do you really want to get into it?” - (referring to the stripping business); and I answered, “Yes.” - She showed me the “ropes” and gave me priceless advice on everything. I wish she were alive; so I could say, “Thank you.”


THE OLD STRIPPER
A Feature Documentary Film
Directed by Jack Truman
Starring Opal Dockery




Friday, September 8, 2017

Having My Period on Stage in Syracuse

THE OLD STRIPPER
A Feature Film Documentary
Starring Opal Dockery 


I started my period on stage once in Syracuse, New York. It did not seem to bother the customers. Most were such perverted assholes anyway. Some were not, but even the ones who were not cme there for any "off-the-wall" happenings - like an escape from reality. After the show, I remember that I asked a regular customer to go get me some tampons. I think his name was Howard. I can still remember what he looked like - older and always nice. He said, "I think you need some!"

THE OLD STRIPPER
A Feature Documentary Film
Starring Opal Dockery

Directed by Jack Truman

Saturday, August 19, 2017

THE OLD STRIPPER - A Feature Documentary Film



Jack and I are on the road shooting the feature documentary THE OLD STRIPPER this summer. Started traveling in June. And this is the trip of a lifetime. We're traveling to all 48 states coast to coast nationwide, visiting my dancing cities and states I danced in back in the 1970's and 80's. Plus, we're interviewing burlesque dancers nationwide, young and old. This is going to be a great documentary film.

My son, director Jack Truman, is the only one who can make this movie. He grew up on the road with me on my burlesque circuit.

This is the trip of a lifetime.

THE OLD STRIPPER
A Feature Documentary Film

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Thursday, June 16, 2016

LORI AND I HIDING OUR PAY IN OUR SUITCASES




LORI AND I HIDING OUR PAY IN OUR SUITCASES



When my friend, Lori, and I decided to go to Boston, Massachusetts to strip at the Two O'Clock Club, we were broke. I used the payment that I was going to send off to my son John's military school for our plane tickets. We were able to get a draw at the club when we arrived to get us by for the week until we made some money.

The night we got paid we hid our money in our suitcases. The dressing room was upstairs above the club. We got our suitcases and walked down the stairs. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, we both looked into our suitcases to see if the money was still in them.

What was so funny about this is we had just put the money in the suitcases right before we walked down the stairs. I do not know where we thought it would go. Also, neither one of us knew the other one was going to look in her suitcase. We laughed about it. Our brains were on the same wave length. I guess it had been so long since we had had any money that we wanted to make sure it did not go anywhere.



Monday, June 6, 2016

Giving My Kids to a 'Regular' Family

THE OLD STRIPPER

GIVING MY KIDS TO A “REGULAR” FAMILY

I have always prided myself with the fact that I raised my two kids on my own with no help from anyone. There were many difficult times due to lack of money. There were many happy times. The happy times far outnumbered the difficult times. The whole time my kids were little and needed me was happy - even though we were not as well-off as most.

I always placed their needs and desires above anything and anybody. I know this made them happy; but it, also, made
me happy.

Sometimes during the period that I was raising my kids, a smart-ass would tell me that I should give my children to a "regular"
family – a “home” - a mom and dad situation - and quit dragging them all over the country. But I loved them and still do more than life itself. I could not bare to think about their being with
someone else.

One person who always aggravated me to give my children away was Frenchie, a regular dancer in Detroit. Her boyfriend or husband, I do not know which, was the manager. She was always telling me I should give up my kids. People like her I
hated immediately.

I am just glad that I never did listen to all the ignorant advice such as this. There was never a doubt in my mind that I was doing the right thing by keeping my kids. I was sure of it then; and I am sure of it now.

I tried to teach my kids that a house did not make a home; and when we were together, we were at home no matter where we were. I, also, tried to teach them that when we were apart – me at work traveling and them in their boarding schools – that we were still at “home” in our hearts and minds.

Many tell me this was selfish and maybe it was. But I am able to look in the mirror today and know that I did the best I knew how
and did not give them up.

If I would have given them up, maybe they would have been happier. But I would not go back and change it. I would keep my kids. Maybe I really am a selfish person drowning my selfishness with love. Maybe I was really placing my great desire before my children which was to have them with me. Maybe all the good things I did for them was really for me.






Tuesday, May 31, 2016

George Feeding Chico


THE OLD STRIPPER





GEORGE FEEDING CHICO



Lori Lanier and I were stripping in Cleveland, Ohio. We were going to only be gone a few days for the booking; so we kept our motel room rented in Canton, Ohio because that is where we usually stayed when we were not working. My boyfriend,who was one of the projectionists at the State Burlesk Theater, lived in Canton; so I liked to be around him as much as possible.

The manager at the burlesk theater in Cleveland offered to book us for two weeks. We took the offer. There was only one
problem – Chico.        

Chico was Lori's spider monkey. She had left him in his cage with
enough food and water for the length of time that we would be
gone. But if we stayed for two more weeks, he did not have enough
food and water.
We were not sure what to do. Then we decided to call my boyfriend.
He agreed to take what Lori told him to take - apples - to the motel
and give them to the monkey.

When we got back to Canton it was really funny. George had just
thrown the apples in the cage. He had not cut them up or anything.

He said that he had gone to the desk clerk and told him that he
needed to give the apples to the monkey. The desk clerk told him
that they could not let him in our room without our permission. He
told them, “I don't want in the damn room! Here's the apples! You
give them to the monkey!” They let him in the room I guess they did
not want to feed the monkey!

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Doing My Headstand at the Bar





DOING MY HEADSTAND AT THE BAR



There was a bar right next door to the hotel where I stayed in Syracuse, New York. Some of the girls I was dancing with and I went there occasionally. One night we went there, and I got really crazy.

We were talking about my headstand that I did in my shows. All the guys wanted to see me do it. I told them that I could not do it without a pillow. One guy said, "Here's a pillow!" - as he patted his stomach. I said, "O.K.! I'll try it.”

He laid down on the floor. I used his belly for a pillow and did my headstand. It was really funny!

That night the bar got on fire. The following day I went next door to see the damage. The owner was there. He said, "Well, Wild Star. I guess you just made it too hot over here last night!"