profile

    Juliet Prowse

    1936-09-25 (87 years old) in Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India

    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.

    Movies

    poster
    Elvis: #1 Hit Performances
    60 %|Nov 12, 2007
    Music
    poster
    Elvis: #1 Hit Performances & More
    0 %|Nov 12, 2007
    Music, Documentary
    poster
    Night of 100 Stars II
    80 %|Mar 10, 1985
    Comedy, Music, TV Movie, Documentary
    poster
    That's Dancing!
    70 %|Jan 18, 1985
    Documentary, Music
    poster
    Musical Comedy Tonight II
    0 %|Feb 11, 1981
    Music
    poster
    Happy Birthday, Las Vegas
    0 %|Oct 23, 1977
    Music, Comedy
    poster
    Second Chance
    70 %|Feb 8, 1972
    Comedy, Drama, TV Movie
    poster
    Spree
    35 %|Jun 21, 1967
    Documentary
    poster
    Who Killed Teddy Bear?
    63 %|Sep 1, 1965
    Crime, Drama, Thriller
    poster
    Run for Your Wife
    66 %|Apr 29, 1965
    Comedy
    poster
    Dingaka
    60 %|Oct 28, 1964
    Drama, Action
    poster
    The Second Time Around
    61 %|Dec 22, 1961
    Western, Comedy
    poster
    The Right Approach
    0 %|May 17, 1961
    actor
    The Fiercest Heart
    50 %|Apr 30, 1961
    Adventure
    poster
    G.I. Blues
    65 %|Nov 23, 1960
    Comedy, Music
    poster
    Can-Can
    66 %|Mar 9, 1960
    Music, Comedy, Romance
    poster
    The Frank Sinatra Timex Show - To the Ladies
    0 %|Feb 15, 1960
    Music, TV Movie

    Series

    poster
    Murder, She Wrote
    75.75 %|Sep 30, 1984
    Mystery, Crime, Drama
    poster
    Glitter
    45 %|Sep 13, 1984
    Drama
    poster
    The Big Show
    0 %|Mar 4, 1980
    Comedy
    poster
    The Love Boat
    62.59 %|Sep 24, 1977
    Drama, Comedy
    poster
    The Muppet Show
    80.22 %|Sep 5, 1976
    Kids, Comedy, Family
    poster
    Dinah!
    60 %|Oct 21, 1974
    poster
    The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
    53 %|Sep 14, 1973
    Comedy
    poster
    The Name of the Game
    68 %|Sep 20, 1968
    Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
    poster
    The Danny Thomas Hour
    50 %|Sep 11, 1967
    Comedy, Drama,
    poster
    The Carol Burnett Show
    75 %|Sep 11, 1967
    Comedy, Family
    poster
    The Carol Burnett Show
    75 %|Sep 11, 1967
    Comedy, Family
    actor
    Mona McCluskey
    50 %|Sep 16, 1965
    Comedy
    poster
    The Hollywood Palace
    45 %|Jan 4, 1964
    Comedy
    poster
    The Danny Kaye Show
    63 %|Sep 25, 1963
    Comedy
    poster
    Burke's Law
    60 %|Sep 20, 1963
    Drama
    poster
    Burke's Law
    60 %|Sep 20, 1963
    Drama
    poster
    The Mike Douglas Show
    54 %|Dec 11, 1961
    Comedy, Talk
    poster
    Password
    72 %|Oct 2, 1961
    Reality
    poster
    Adventures in Paradise
    57 %|Oct 5, 1959
    Action & Adventure, Drama
    poster
    The Steve Allen Show
    40 %|Jun 24, 1956
    Comedy
    poster
    The Ed Sullivan Show
    65.28999999999999 %|Jun 20, 1948
    Comedy, Talk
    poster
    The Ed Sullivan Show
    65.28999999999999 %|Jun 20, 1948
    Comedy, Talk