TOTUS: Painted Ladies, Dime a Dance Halls and more

Yes, that's Clark Gable, the King of the silver screen. Many of the old westerners featured the Saloon Dance Hall girl. There sole function in real life was to entertain the dusty and I should add often stinking cowboy who came through those swinging doors. Doors that lead to a paradise in those distant days. Whiskey, beer, gambling, dancing and that all important trip to the back room. Today, most of these delights have been outlawed in one form or another, but nevertheless came be found in every town and hamlet across the nation. Below are images of the painted ladies, dance hall queens, taxi dancers (dime a dance girls) and scenes from before and after the Great War and WWII.

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ONE MUST WONDER HOW MANY COWBOYS CROSSED HER THRESHOLD FOR A FAST 'POKE'

JUST WHAT IS SHE TRYING TO TELL US?

THIS ONE LOOKS A LITTLE ON THE YOUNG SIDE!

THE OCCUPATION HAD IT'S DANGERS

VERY OFTEN THERE WAS A SHORTAGE OF WOMEN!

SHE LOOKS PRETTY GOOD

THINGS HAVEN'T REALLY CHANGED THAT MUCH!

WASP WAIST

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It was not the cowboys that packed heat

ANNIE OAKLEY WAS A REAL PERSON AND NOT JUST SOME MYTH

WONDER WHERE THEIR MEN FOLK ARE?

DON'T KNOW WHO THIS GAL IS, BUT NEVER MESS WITH A GIRL WITH A SHOTGUN!

OBVIOUSLY A FAKE BACK DROP, BUT THAT WAS COMMON IN THESE OLD PHOTOS

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Women of the Barbary Coast

I'M SURE MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT THE BARBARY COAST WAS THAT AREA AROUND THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA.

WAITING FOR THE NEXT CUSTOMER

THEY LOOK A LITTLE YOUNG, BUT REMEMBER THERE WERE NO AGE LIMITS BACK THEN. KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE TODAY!

ONE THING FOR CERTAIN, THIS WAS TAKEN EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER HER LATEST TRICK!

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Taxi Dances 1930's -

I suppose 'taxi dancers' have been around in one form or another since the beginning of civilization, but the term didn't come into use until the 1930's or so. I recall my days in service and the time spend aboard the USS Yorktown whose home port was Long Beach, CA. Often when in port on Friday or Saturday night I would go up to L.A. and spend the evening on Spring Street at a local Taxi dance establishment. There you would by your tickets at the door and later give them to the young ladies as you danced with them. No back rooms there. I do recall one girl from New York. Jodie Conte, I became a regular--very regular of her and found myself invited to her small apartment after a few weeks. Don't need to say more. I should add, the Taxi Dance clubs were often referred to as 'Dime a Dance' clubs. Honestly, I can't recall how much I had to pay per ticket back in those days. It didn't seem to matter---it was just Jodie!!!

WAITING TO GET THEIR HANDS ON THE NEXT TICKET. THEY CASHED THEM IN AT THE END OF THE EVENING.

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World War II GI's

YOU WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN IT THEN, BUT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE TURNED OUT TO BE AMERICA'S GREATEST GENERATION.

Germans World War II

DER FUHRER WAS WATCHING

Russians World War II

THE 'REDS' HAD A LOT OF VODKA AFTER THIS

Post World War II Japan

THEY SAY TO THE VICTOR BELONG THE SPOILS

I HAVE LITTLE USE FOR WOMEN WHO WAIVE THE FLAG AS THEIR MEN MARCH OFF TO WAR AND THEN EMBRACE THE VICTORS ON THE OTHER SIDE AS THEIR MEN LAY DEAD IN THE GRAVE. HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND THE GI's PICTURED HERE!

Gimme that Rock and Roll