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person_profile-Juliet Prowse

Juliet Prowse Died at age: 59

Actor | Producer

Fullname:

Juliet Prowse

Date of Birth:

Sep 25, 1936

Country of birth:

British India

Died:

Sep 14, 1996

Biography of

Juliet Prowse

    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.

Photos of

Juliet Prowse

Photos ( 5 Photos

Filmography of

Juliet Prowse

Found 19 Movies in total

Elvis: The King of Rock 'n' Roll

Herself (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 2007

Elvis Through the Years

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 2007

... 2003

... 2001

... 1985

That's Dancing!

From 'Can-Can' (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1985

... 1981

... 1977

Second Chance

Martha Foster ( Actor )

... 1972

Spree

Self ( Actor )

... 1967

Who Killed Teddy Bear?

Norah Dain ( Actor )

... 1965

Run for Your Wife

Jenny ( Actor )

... 1965

Dingaka

Marion Davis ( Actor )

... 1964

The Second Time Around

Rena Mitchell ( Actor )

... 1961

The Right Approach

Ursula Poe ( Actor )

... 1961

G.I. Blues

Lili ( Actor )

... 1960

Can-Can

Claudine ( Actor )

... 1960

The Frank Sinatra Timex Show - To the Ladies

Self - Singer / Dancer ( Actor )

... 1960

... 1959