Lili St. Cyr
She transformed striptease into a theatrical art of suspense and glamour, becoming the highest-paid burlesque star of the 1940s and 50s.
1918–1999 (age 81)·American model and burlesque performer·Birthday: June 3·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Lili St. Cyr was not merely a dancer; she was an architect of fantasy. Born Willis Marie Van Schaack in Minnesota, she crafted her persona from whole cloth—a name inspired by a racehorse, a pastiche of European aristocracy, and an act that prioritized drama over mere nudity. Her performances at venues like the Florentine Gardens in Los Angeles were meticulously staged productions. She would bathe in an onstage champagne glass, enact scenes from Salome, or perform a slow, agonizingly suspenseful strip behind a semi-sheer screen. This theatricality, combined with her aloof, elegant demeanor, attracted Hollywood celebrities, high society, and relentless police scrutiny. Her multiple arrests for indecency only fueled her fame. Six marriages, including one to bandleader Paul Valentine, played out in the gossip columns. By the time she retired in the late 1960s, eclipsed by changing tastes, she had permanently elevated the craft of burlesque, proving that the tease itself could be a sophisticated, lucrative, and powerful art form.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Lili was born in 1918, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lili Was Born
The biggest hits of 1918
Lili's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1918Born
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Started school
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1931Became a teenager
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Could drive
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1936Could vote
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Turned 21
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1948Turned 30
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 40
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 50
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 60
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 70
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 80
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
1999Died at 81
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
Key Achievements
- Pioneered the "bubble bath" and "classical goddess" acts, turning striptease into narrative theater.
- Was the featured performer at Ciro's on the Sunset Strip, making it a destination for Hollywood's elite in the 1940s.
- Her highly publicized legal battles over obscenity charges helped define the limits of performance art and free expression in mid-century America.
- Authored an autobiography, "The Untold Story of Lili St. Cyr," providing a first-person account of the burlesque era.
Did You Know?
She was an avid reader of philosophy and literature, with a particular fondness for the works of Schopenhauer.
Her sister was actress and model Dorinda Woodward, who sometimes performed with her.
She designed and sold her own line of lingerie, capitalizing on her image as the pinnacle of allure.
Orson Welles was a known admirer and frequent guest at her performances.
“A woman's charm is 50 percent illusion, and illusion is what I sell.”
