Aziza Sa'id's FAQ - Dancers in the Movies B

Movie Title Dancer Description

Babes in Bagdad    (1952) Paulette Goddard, Gypsy Rose Lee

Bagdad    (1949) Maureen O'Hara, Paul Christian, Vincent Price. Hollywood Arabian Nights Costume Extravaganza, beautiful costumes, lush sets. Several really bad dance scenes, some Ok group dances - Aziza Sa'id
An Arabian princess returns from her British boarding school to learn that her father had been murdered and their fortune plundered. She then embarks on a quest to discover the truth and gain vengeance on the perpetrators.

Barbarian Queen    (1986) The ubiquitous Sybil Danning stars as sort of a Amazon warlord, I guess. The dancing sequences are better than the movie is--in what almost *always* seems to be the case. - Paul B

Barefoot in the Park Mooshka (1967) starring Jane Fonda, featuring belly dancing
There's also a short restaurant scene with a dancer in it.

In yet another Hollywood enterprise not featuring fake dancers, an unknown, presumably Armenian (I'm going by style here) dancer has a substantial sequence in "Barefoot in the Park" with Jane Fonda and Robert Redford. .    -- Cartesio

Beau Geste    1966 version with Doug McClure & Leslie Neilsen

Before Sunrise Bilge Jeschim Shows a belly dancer for less than a minute and Julie Delpy's character explains that it is actually a birth dance meant to aid a woman in childbirth. "...belly dancing...in an elegant, non-campy way..."
"In the film starring Ethan Hawk, 'Before Sunrise,' there was a nice long shot of a dancer performing streetside in Italy at dawn. It was nice to see a kind of respectful apreciation for the dancer for a change in major motion pictures out of Hollywood.If you haven't seen it check it out and tell me what you think." --Jenny

"The dancer who that part was originaly written for was Z-Helene of Austin. The screen writer (whose name escapes me at the moment) is student of Helene's here in Austin. From what I heard, the producers were too cheap to fly her to Europe for the filming, and used a "cheaper" local dancer instead." --Lanora Davidson

Beloved Valerie Rushmere (1998) Valerie Rushmere as the Arabian Nights Dancer

Betty Grable movies     "...Speaking of Betty Grable a couple of her movies have middle eastern themed musical numbers. In Tin Pan Alley she does a duet with Alice Faye that also includes dancing by the Nickolas Brothers. The song is the 'Sheik of Araby'. Another movie takes place on a carnival runway and doesn't have Betty Grable dancing but has her sabotaging the dancers who work for a rival. "By the way one last thing the Bailey book describes the ideal showgirl of 1935 as being 5'4", 120 lbs, and 34-26-35." --Sadira

Billy Jack     There are a few seconds of a rather famous California belly dancer, with her snake, in the movie "Billy Jack". In one of those "only in California" stories, she was walking along with a dancer friend and the snake when they happened upon a movie being filmed. Somebody with the film liked their look, and she ended up in the scene . . . she's not listed in the credits, and I won't reveal her name.

Black Swan     (1942) starring Maureen O'Hara; featuring a belly dancer in a tavern

Blackout Moky
Manouschka Guerrier
Dennis Hopper film. Moky of the Mideastern Dance Exchange Troupe appeared.

Blood of the Vampire Muriel Allen (1958) Gypsy Dancer

Bloodsucking Pharaohs in Pittsburgh     (1991)

Blue Knight, The     1973 TV movie starring Willliam Holden & Lee Remick

Bluebeard's Eighth Wife Gloria Swanson (1923) starring Gloria Swanson. This is the "Mummy Dance" sequence.

Boarding School     starring Nastassja Kinski, featuring belly dancing, Fabiana Udenio stripping, and Veronique Delbourg banana dancing!!!

Bolero Bo Derek [U.S., 1983/4] Bo Derek belly dances. She actually took lessons from Shareen El Safy for this; the movie also shows glimpses of other belly dancers. I know, I know bomb city. But the bellydancing is superb-and Bo herself is not bad at it. Bo Derek (!) does a dance duet with a pro dancer, and-no surprise-is a better dancer than actress. The picture is terrible, but the dancing is worthwhile.

Brass Bottle, The Kamala Devi (1965) Pre-"Jeanie" Barbara Eden and Tony Randall find a brass bottle, with the requisite genie inside. The dancer is terrific.

Bringing Up Baby     "To use Morocco's terminology, I saw something vaguely resembling Oriental dance the other night. I was watching "Bringing Up Baby" for the Nth time and, towards the end of the film, where everyone is searching for Baby (the leopard), there's a scene at a circus. The sound of a kanoun (ney?I can never keep these things straight) was heard, playing something that evoked "Music of the Hahbi'ru" to my SF Bay Area ears. Then I saw it: shadowy figures swaying to and fro, waving their snake-y arms. Left me chuckling: Shades of the "hoochie-coochie" discussion in this 1938 film!" -Pat

Bye Bye Brazil     Odd comedy, has a costume reference to ME dance- Betty Faria, Jose Wilker

Movie Title	Dancer	Description
Babes in Bagdad		(1952) Paulette Goddard, Gypsy Rose Lee
Bagdad		(1949) Maureen O'Hara, Paul Christian, Vincent Price. Hollywood Arabian Nights Costume Extravaganza, beautiful costumes, lush sets. Several really bad dance scenes, some Ok group dances - Aziza Sa'id An Arabian princess returns from her British boarding school to learn that her father had been murdered and their fortune plundered. She then embarks on a quest to discover the truth and gain vengeance on the perpetrators.
Barbarian Queen		(1986) The ubiquitous Sybil Danning stars as sort of a Amazon warlord, I guess. The dancing sequences are better than the movie is--in what almost always seems to be the case. - Paul B
Barefoot in the Park	Mooshka	(1967) starring Jane Fonda, featuring belly dancing There's also a short restaurant scene with a dancer in it. In yet another Hollywood enterprise not featuring fake dancers, an unknown, presumably Armenian (I'm going by style here) dancer has a substantial sequence in "Barefoot in the Park" with Jane Fonda and Robert Redford. . -- Cartesio
Beau Geste		1966 version with Doug McClure & Leslie Neilsen
Before Sunrise	Bilge Jeschim	Shows a belly dancer for less than a minute and Julie Delpy's character explains that it is actually a birth dance meant to aid a woman in childbirth. "...belly dancing...in an elegant, non-campy way..." "In the film starring Ethan Hawk, 'Before Sunrise,' there was a nice long shot of a dancer performing streetside in Italy at dawn. It was nice to see a kind of respectful apreciation for the dancer for a change in major motion pictures out of Hollywood.If you haven't seen it check it out and tell me what you think." --Jenny "The dancer who that part was originaly written for was Z-Helene of Austin. The screen writer (whose name escapes me at the moment) is student of Helene's here in Austin. From what I heard, the producers were too cheap to fly her to Europe for the filming, and used a "cheaper" local dancer instead." --Lanora Davidson
Beloved	Valerie Rushmere	(1998) Valerie Rushmere as the Arabian Nights Dancer
Betty Grable movies		"...Speaking of Betty Grable a couple of her movies have middle eastern themed musical numbers. In Tin Pan Alley she does a duet with Alice Faye that also includes dancing by the Nickolas Brothers. The song is the 'Sheik of Araby'. Another movie takes place on a carnival runway and doesn't have Betty Grable dancing but has her sabotaging the dancers who work for a rival. "By the way one last thing the Bailey book describes the ideal showgirl of 1935 as being 5'4", 120 lbs, and 34-26-35." --Sadira
Billy Jack		There are a few seconds of a rather famous California belly dancer, with her snake, in the movie "Billy Jack". In one of those "only in California" stories, she was walking along with a dancer friend and the snake when they happened upon a movie being filmed. Somebody with the film liked their look, and she ended up in the scene . . . she's not listed in the credits, and I won't reveal her name.
Black Swan		(1942) starring Maureen O'Hara; featuring a belly dancer in a tavern
Blackout	Moky Manouschka Guerrier	Dennis Hopper film. Moky of the Mideastern Dance Exchange Troupe appeared.
Blood of the Vampire	Muriel Allen	(1958) Gypsy Dancer
Bloodsucking Pharaohs in Pittsburgh		(1991)
Blue Knight, The		1973 TV movie starring Willliam Holden & Lee Remick
Bluebeard's Eighth Wife	Gloria Swanson	(1923) starring Gloria Swanson. This is the "Mummy Dance" sequence.
Boarding School		starring Nastassja Kinski, featuring belly dancing, Fabiana Udenio stripping, and Veronique Delbourg banana dancing!!!
Bolero	Bo Derek	[U.S., 1983/4] Bo Derek belly dances. She actually took lessons from Shareen El Safy for this; the movie also shows glimpses of other belly dancers. I know, I know bomb city. But the bellydancing is superb-and Bo herself is not bad at it. Bo Derek (!) does a dance duet with a pro dancer, and-no surprise-is a better dancer than actress. The picture is terrible, but the dancing is worthwhile.
Brass Bottle, The	Kamala Devi	(1965) Pre-"Jeanie" Barbara Eden and Tony Randall find a brass bottle, with the requisite genie inside. The dancer is terrific.
Bringing Up Baby		"To use Morocco's terminology, I saw something vaguely resembling Oriental dance the other night. I was watching "Bringing Up Baby" for the Nth time and, towards the end of the film, where everyone is searching for Baby (the leopard), there's a scene at a circus. The sound of a kanoun (ney?I can never keep these things straight) was heard, playing something that evoked "Music of the Hahbi'ru" to my SF Bay Area ears. Then I saw it: shadowy figures swaying to and fro, waving their snake-y arms. Left me chuckling: Shades of the "hoochie-coochie" discussion in this 1938 film!" -Pat
Bye Bye Brazil		Odd comedy, has a costume reference to ME dance- Betty Faria, Jose Wilker