[Stevenator_]

I just came across this cabaret singer from the 1950's, and she's a hoot.

From the Wiki ....

Born Ruth Shirley Wohl in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Wallis began her career singing jazz and cabaret standards – with such bands as Isham Jones and Benny Goodman on road tours for a couple of months; but gained fame in the 1940s and 1950s for her risqué, satirical songs that she wrote herself, rife with double entendres.

She started singing in lounges and cocktail bars, where she met her husband Hy Pastman. Eventually it became clear that her novelty songs, which relied mostly upon double entendres, were the most popular. These songs discussed a number of topics that were taboo in 1950s America, such as homosexuality and infidelity.

This is the track listing for "Ruth Wallis' Greatest Hits - Boobs!

"Queer Things"
"Boobs"
"Drill 'Em All"
"Ubangi"
"The Pistol Song"
"He'd Rather Be a Girl"
"Follies Bergere"
"Admiral's Daughter"
"Pizza"
"De Gay Young Lad"
"The Pop-Up Song"
"Cape Canaveral Blues"
"The Army Gave My Husband Back"
"The Dinghy Song"
"Freddie the Fisherman's Song"
"Hawaiian Lei Song"
"The Same Little Yo-Yo"
"Marriage Jewish Style"
"The Bell Song"

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPah0_vjibY

[Teddy]

I just came across this cabaret singer from the 1950's, and she's a hoot.  ....

Thank you for bringing her name and works up.

I agree. I listened a few of her songs . She was very clever in playing with words and double meanings. No wonder that she was very popular.

It is also quite incredible that she wasn't arrested in those quite intolerant days, as she was really much probing the borders of  what was at that very conservative period of time considered acceptable!

-Teddy

[Stevenator_]

I just came across this cabaret singer from the 1950's, and she's a hoot.  ....

Thank you for bringing up her name & works.

-Teddy

You're welcome! The link I provided was the reason for the post, but I got to thinking that maybe some here would be offended. Her lyrics really did hit below the belt!

I did read that when she arrived in Australia for a tour, Airport Customs & Immigration seized her records, which of course made her all the more popular.

I was thinking about her a lot yesterday, tbh. Although I never knew anything about her before, I did used to be closely associated with several burlesque stars of that same era. They used to (skirt) decency laws all the time back then, and quite a few of them were arrested for obscenity violations.

I have sort of a reverence for these women from back then .....