Ann Corio
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
ecdysiast
Stripper
A stripper is a professional erotic dancer who performs a contemporary form of striptease at strip club establishments, public exhibitions, and private engagements. Unlike in burlesque, the performer in the modern Americanized form of stripping minimizes the interaction of customer and dancer,...
and actress. Unlike others in her profession, Ann Corio did not have a stage name.
Biography
Born in Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, she was one of fourteen children of parents of Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
immigrants. While still in her teens, Corio's good looks and shapely physique landed her showgirl roles that led to her becoming a hugely popular striptease artist. Working in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, she was a star performer at clubs such as the famous Minsky's Burlesque
Minsky's Burlesque
Minsky's Burlesque refers to the brand of American burlesque presented by four sons of Louis and Ethel Minksy: Abraham 'Abe' Bennett Minsky , Michael William 'Billy' Minsky , Herbert Kay Minsky , and Morton Minsky . They started in 1912 and ended in 1937 in New York City...
and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's old Howard Theatre.
Career
After Mayor Fiorello La Guardia closed down the "bawdy" houses in 1939, Corio made her way to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Between 1941 and 1944 she appeared in several Hollywood "B" motion pictures which featured her in scanty costumes (beginning with 1941 Swamp Woman
Swamp Woman
- Cast :*Ann Corio as Annabelle Tollington*Jack La Rue as Pierre Pertinax Pontineau Briand Broussicourt d'Olivier, aka Pete Oliver*Mary Hull as Lizbet Tollington*Ian MacDonald as Det. Lt...
), the best known of which was perhaps 1942's Jungle Siren
Jungle Siren
- Cast :*Ann Corio as Kuhlaya*Buster Crabbe as Captain Gary Hart*Evelyn Wahl as Frau Anna Lukas*Paul Bryar as Sergeant Mike Jenkins*Milton Kibbee as Dr. Thomas Harrigan*Arno Frey as Herr George Lukas*Jess Lee Brooks as Chief Selangi...
opposite Buster Crabbe
Buster Crabbe
Clarence Linden "Buster" Crabbe was an American athlete and actor, who starred in a number of popular serials in the 1930s and 1940s.-Birth:...
. In 1944 she made Call of the Jungle and Sarong Girl. A year earlier Ms Corio was guest armchair detective on radio's, The Adventures of Ellery Queen
The Adventures of Ellery Queen
The Adventures of Ellery Queen is the title of a radio series and four separate television series made from the 1950s through the 1970s. They were based on the fictional character and pseudonymous writer Ellery Queen.-Radio:...
, on the January 7th episode entitled, "The Adventure of the Singing Rat". With the Second World War on, she became one of the volunteer pinup girls for YANK
Yank
Yank may refer to:* Yank, the Army Weekly, a newspaper for American soldiers during World War II* Yank , the rate of change in force* Yanks, a 1979 film* Short form of Yankee, a slang term for someone of American origin or heritage...
magazine, appearing in the September 3, 1943 issue of the weekly U.S. Army publication.
Corio had a long successful career dancing on stage. In 1965, she put together the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
show This Was Burlesque which she directed and in which also performed. In 1968, she wrote a book using that same title. Her fame was enduring enough that in the 1970s—when Corio was long retired and in her sixties—she twice was a guest on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
with Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
. During this same period, she took This Was Burlesque out on the summer stock circuit for several seasons. In 1981, the show played Broadway at the old Latin Quarter, which was known as the Princess Theatre, and tried to compete with Sugar Babies which was running just a few blocks up the street. In 1985, she mounted the show for the second to last time in downtown Los Angeles, at the Variety Arts Theatre, where it did not have a good run. A year or so later, the show played a dinner theatre in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where it closed for good.
Death
A resident of Cliffside Park, New JerseyCliffside Park, New Jersey
Cliffside Park is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 23,594....
, Corio died at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center is an "acute care teaching hospital affiliated with Mount Sinai School of Medicine" in Englewood, New Jersey, United States....
in Englewood, New Jersey
Englewood, New Jersey
Englewood is a city located in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 27,147.Englewood was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of...
on March 1, 1999, aged 90.
Legacy
She is a member of the Hall of Fame at the Exotic World Burlesque MuseumExotic World Burlesque Museum
The Burlesque Hall of Fame is the name of the burlesque museum located on Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. Formerly known as Exotic World, the museum historically was located on the site of an abandoned goat farm in Helendale, California...
in Helendale
Helendale, California
Helendale is an unincorporated community located in San Bernardino County, California, on historic Route 66 west of the Mojave Freeway, between Barstow and Victorville, in the Victor Valley. It includes the Helendale resort community of Silver Lakes.-History:...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.