JIm Bailey

[makewayforducklings]

I watched the Here's Lucy episode with him the other night. If it wasn't for that episode I never would have heard of him.

[C L A U D E]

I watched the Here's Lucy episode with him the other night. If it wasn't for that episode I never would have heard of him.

That's the problem with watching OLD shows, most of the stars on them are gone or forgotten.  he was one of the best female impersonators around, at that time.

[Irene Kampen Tripp]

Charles Pierce was pretty good....

[Annaleigh]

He is absolutely great! I really do adore this work. Talented in impersonating and a talented man in general.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

That's the problem with watching OLD shows, most of the stars on them are gone or forgotten.  he was one of the best female impersonators around, at that time.

Still is...around, that is. 

[C L A U D E]

Still is...around, that is. 

Great, but come to think of it, only he and Charles became truly famous, right?

[Lucyilove]

Great, but come to think of it, only he and Charles became truly famous, right?

 

I only know Charles Pierce by the photos of him on the net with stars who attended his shows or the like, was he ever on television? I don't think he was famous with the general public beyond people who go to shows.  I think Jim Bailey was bigger, wasn't he in the mainstream Vegas clubs? And of course guest starring on HL shows he was pretty famous for his era.

 

Have you heard of this guy called TC Jones?  Apparently he was a little before them and big in the 1950s and 1960s.  I saw a 1963 Jayne Mansfield movie awhile back called PROMISES PROMISES and TC Jones has a supporting part as a hairdresser and at one point he dons wigs and imitates Bette Davis and Tallulah Bankhead so I was pretty sure he must have been a female impersonator outside of the movie and looked him up and apparently he was very much the Jim Bailey of the 1960s, even on tv a couple times in dramatic shows including I believe Wild, Wild West.  I think he was on Broadway, too.

[leenorman]

I only know Charles Pierce by the photos of him on the net with stars who attended his shows or the like, was he ever on television? I don't think he was famous with the general public beyond people who go to shows.  I think Jim Bailey was bigger, wasn't he in the mainstream Vegas clubs? And of course guest starring on HL shows he was pretty famous for his era.

 

Have you heard of this guy called TC Jones?  Apparently he was a little before them and big in the 1950s and 1960s.  I saw a 1963 Jayne Mansfield movie awhile back called PROMISES PROMISES and TC Jones has a supporting part as a hairdresser and at one point he dons wigs and imitates Bette Davis and Tallulah Bankhead so I was pretty sure he must have been a female impersonator outside of the movie and looked him up and apparently he was very much the Jim Bailey of the 1960s, even on tv a couple times in dramatic shows including I believe Wild, Wild West.  I think he was on Broadway, too.

 

Born Thomas Craig Jones in Pennsylvania. A character actor, he specialized in cross-dressing and deranged behaviour. 

Born:  10/26/20 - Dies:  9-25-71

 

[Luvsbway]

Deranged? That's a strong word choice.

[C L A U D E]

Deranged? That's a strong word choice.

A man dressing up in women's clothes was considered deranged BACK THEN, LOL!   Now it's considered NORMAL weirdness. 

[C L A U D E]

I only know Charles Pierce by the photos of him on the net with stars who attended his shows or the like, was he ever on television? I don't think he was famous with the general public beyond people who go to shows.  I think Jim Bailey was bigger, wasn't he in the mainstream Vegas clubs? And of course guest starring on HL shows he was pretty famous for his era.

 

 

Didn't Lucy have a great story about Charles?  She was at his show, noticed a light was out and knew they were going to have to redo the whole entrance, man, this woman was a pro!

[C L A U D E]

 

Have you heard of this guy called TC Jones?  Apparently he was a little before them and big in the 1950s and 1960s.  I saw a 1963 Jayne Mansfield movie awhile back called PROMISES PROMISES and TC Jones has a supporting part as a hairdresser and at one point he dons wigs and imitates Bette Davis and Tallulah Bankhead so I was pretty sure he must have been a female impersonator outside of the movie and looked him up and apparently he was very much the Jim Bailey of the 1960s, even on tv a couple times in dramatic shows including I believe Wild, Wild West.  I think he was on Broadway, too.

Don't recall, might have been a mite young for that, i'll look him up though.  Yes, you're right, you never saw them on mainstream television, the only famous cross dresser in the early days of television was Uncle Miltie.  Although Bill did do it one time on I Love Lucy, LOL!

[makewayforducklings]

Bugs Bunny dressed like a girl a few times.

[C L A U D E]

Bugs Bunny dressed like a girl a few times.

And I think he once had a fling with the Road Runner.

[Lucyilove]

Deranged? That's a strong word choice.

 

I'm sure she is just quoting someone's description of the type of roles he played, not a personal remark.  I looked this guy up on IMDb and he acted on WILD WILD WEST and ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR and several movies so he probablyoften played deceitful characters in drag to commit crime or something like that on those shows.  And wow, so shocked to read he was doing female impersonation on the Ed Sullivan and Steve Allen shows in the 1950's.  That had to be a first.

[C L A U D E]

I'm sure she is just quoting someone's description of the type of roles he played, not a personal remark.  I looked this guy up on IMDb and he acted on WILD WILD WEST and ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR and several movies so he probablyoften played deceitful characters in drag to commit crime or something like that on those shows.  And wow, so shocked to read he was doing female impersonation on the Ed Sullivan and Steve Allen shows in the 1950's.  That had to be a first.

Yeah, back in the day when talk shows were entertaining, informative and a joy to watch from start to finish, not a five minute interview of pre arranged banter that never says anything meaningful.

[Irene Kampen Tripp]

Watch Charles Pierce on youtube....and Flip Wilson was pretty good as a chick too.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

I'm sure she is just quoting someone's description of the type of roles he played, not a personal remark.  I looked this guy up on IMDb and he acted on WILD WILD WEST and ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR and several movies so he probablyoften played deceitful characters in drag to commit crime or something like that on those shows.  And wow, so shocked to read he was doing female impersonation on the Ed Sullivan and Steve Allen shows in the 1950's.  That had to be a first.

But those were the days of Christine Jorgensen, so ....perhaps not as shocking as you'd think! Not the norm but ....maybe not so shocking!

[Lucyilove]

But those were the days of Christine Jorgensen, so ....perhaps not as shocking as you'd think! Not the norm but ....maybe not so shocking!

 

True, but I think even more with Milton Berle and SOME LIKE IT HOT the general public felt female impersonation was just comedy and not necessarily rooted in alternative sexuality, perhaps naively at times.   As far as Christine Jorgensen, it's kind of amazing to me how the general public seemed to accept and understand transsexuality in the 1950s-1970s much more than it did homosexuality back then.  I can remember seeing Christine on most of the talk shows in the 1970s and you would have never seen an openly gay person on them unless it was something ilke DONAHUE and then it wasn't a famous person.  I've also read some articles on Christine in old magazines  from the 1950's and again it's remarkable how considerate and courteous they are,  never disputing she was female and complimenting her on her looks, fashion sense, etc.  Try finding an article on gays and lesbians as flattering in old mags, the things in Confidental and the rags of yore are stunningly nasty. Now since the 1990's at least things have been reversed and the press is much nicer to gay personalities while the transsexuals are now the ones to get the negative remarks and such, I think that might have started with the Jerry Springer exploitative-type talk shows. 

[C L A U D E]

Watch Charles Pierce on youtube....and Flip Wilson was pretty good as a chick too.

True, but Flip only did one character, Geraldine, hilarious, loved her.

[C L A U D E]

True, but I think even more with Milton Berle and SOME LIKE IT HOT the general public felt female impersonation was just comedy and not necessarily rooted in alternative sexuality, perhaps naively at times.   As far as Christine Jorgensen, it's kind of amazing to me how the general public seemed to accept and understand transsexuality in the 1950s-1970s much more than it did homosexuality back then.  I can remember seeing Christine on most of the talk shows in the 1970s and you would have never seen an openly gay person on them unless it was something ilke DONAHUE and then it wasn't a famous person.  I've also read some articles on Christine in old magazines  from the 1950's and again it's remarkable how considerate and courteous they are,  never disputing she was female and complimenting her on her looks, fashion sense, etc.  Try finding an article on gays and lesbians as flattering in old mags, the things in Confidental and the rags of yore are stunningly nasty. Now since the 1990's at least things have been reversed and the press is much nicer to gay personalities while the transsexuals are now the ones to get the negative remarks and such, I think that might have started with the Jerry Springer exploitative-type talk shows. 

All true, I lived through that era.  It was SHOCKING to people though, she was a FIRST, sort of like the pregnant man we had a while back.  Remember the reaction Phil Donahue got when he cross dressed on his show or even Matt Lauer for this Halloween as a Pamela Anderson type?