Juliet Anne Prowse (September 25 1936–September 14 1996) was a South African reared American dancer, whose four decade career include stage, television and film but dancing remained her true love. She was known for her striking beauty, sultry smile and famous long legs. Prowse stood nearly 6 feet tall.

Early life

Prowse was born in Bombay and raised in South Africa.

Prowse began studying dance at the age of four. 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 part of "Claudine" in the 1960 Walter Lang film, Can-Can.

Her dancing labeled "immoral" by Nikita Khrushchev

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 Can-Can and after she performed a rather saucy can-can for the Russian leader, he proclaimed her dancing "immoral". Little did Khrushchev know that he was a great press agent, because soon afterwards Prowse was appearing in every magazine cover in the United States. From there, her career took off.^[1]

Film and television career

She met Frank Sinatra on the set of Can-Can and also received good reviews and notoriety for her role. Time magazine didn't necessarily care for the movie but said Prowse was the best thing in it, stating 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." ^[2] She would go on to appear with him and other notable guest 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 guest or Sinatra would adoringly sing to her. ^[3] Prowse and Sinatra announced their engagement in 1962. Soon afterwards, they called it quits, they broke, according to publicity handouts because Prowse wanted to concentrate on her career. Actually, she admitted: "I was as much flattered as I was in love. He (Sinatra) was a complex person, and after a few drinks he could he very difficult."^[4]

Juliet Prowse went on to co-star alongside Elvis Presley in G.I. Blues. During shooting of the film she had a short and intense fling with Elvis, confessing "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." ^[5]

She also had her own NBC sitcom for one season; 1965's Mona McCluskey, which was produced by George Burns. She also did various feature films, including The Fiercest Heart in 1961, and Who Killed Teddy Bear?, with Sal Mineo in 1965.

Although her film and television career didn't make her the big star that everyone predicted, Prowse had a rather philosophical way of looking at it, stating that, "Things generally happen for the best,...I never worry about what happens in my career, because I can always do something else."^[6] Prowse would later go on to headline successful Las Vegas shows, commanding thousands of dollars per week. Stating that Las Vegas was the most demanding place she every worked, she won Entertainer of the Year for the Vegas run of Sweet Charity. She would later show off her famous dancer's legs in a series of lucrative nationwide commercials for L’eggs.

Juliet Prowse was the first guest on The Muppet Show.

In the late eighties, she was mauled by an 80 pound leopard - twice. Once, while filming a scene for Circus of the Stars, in 1989 and later that same year during a promotional stint the same leopard attacked her. However, the latter was much more serious, requiring upwards of 20 stitches to reattach her ear.

Throughout the mid 1980's and 1990's, Prowse hosted the Championship Ballroom Dance Competition on PBS.

Battle with cancer and death

In 1994 she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In 1995, she went into remission and was well enough to tour with Mickey Rooney in Sugar Babies. Unfortunately, the cancer returned, and Juliet Prowse succumbed to the disease on September 14, 1996, just two weeks short of her sixtieth birthday. She was survived by her son and her mother. Her ex-husband, TV actor John McCook, who is the father of her only child, reconciled with her shortly before she died after many years of acrimony.

External links

• Juliet Prowse at the Internet Movie Database

References

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