Lipstick & Dynamite, Piss & Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling (2004) (TV)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Ruth Leitman

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

Ring legends such as The Fabulous Moolah and Gladys "Kill 'Em" Gillem Long provide candid insights into the history of women's professional wrestling. |

Cast

Gladys Gillem	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler 1942-1962 (as Gladys 'Killem' Gillem)
Lillian Ellison	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler 1949-Present (as Fabulous Moolah)
Mae Young	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler 1940-Present
Ida May Martinez	...	Herself, Girl Wrestling 1952-1959
Penny Banner	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler 1952-1971
Ella Waldek	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler 1952-1971
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lou Albano	...	Himself (archive footage)
Mars Bennett	...	Himself, Promoter
Maria Bernardi	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler
Eric Bischoff	...	Himself (archive footage)
Fred Blassie	...	Himself, Pro Wrestler (archive footage) (as Classy Freddie Blassie)
Janet Boyer-Wolfe	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler (archive footage)
Mildred Burke	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler (archive footage)
June Byers	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler
Rita Cortez-Lee	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler
Darling Dagmar	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler (archive footage)
Judy Grable	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler
Jody Hamilton	...	Himself (as Joe Hamilton)
Joe Hamilton	...	Himself, Manager
Karl Lauer	...	Himself, Promoter
Cyndi Lauper	...	Herself (archive footage)
Marie Laverne	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler
Sara Lee	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler
Diamond Lil	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler
Penny Mitchell	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler
Sputnik Monroe	...	Himself, Pro Wrestler
Gene Okerlund	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jack Pfeffer	...	Himself, Promoter
Wendy Richter	...	Herself (archive footage)
Gypsy Rose	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler (archive footage)
Millie Stafford	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler
Nell Stewart	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler
Tona Touch	...	Herself, Girl Wrestler

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Company:

Nightingale Company, The

Trivia:

Alt-Country singer Neko Case, who performs on the soundtrack, discovered while watching a rough cut of the film that one of the wrestlers, Ella Waldek, is actually an aunt of hers whom she had never met before. They subsequently met for the first time at the film's premiere.

Movie Connections:

Features "WWF Monday Night RAW" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Ballad of a Gink

Talk about strong female role models!

I enjoyed this film by itself, but kept thinking that I'd love to take kids to it, too. Everyone with a child (son or daughter) aged about 10 or above should put up with the sprinkling of profanity and see this film with their progeny. The film reveals a set of REAL women with opinions, personalities, good sides and ... well, not-so-nice sides. It goes without saying that the women are physically impressive in their prime. Beyond that, they maintain their fighting spirit in their old-age.

While it was not a major flaw, the primary failing in this documentary is its lack of form. Early on, the film reveals that it will culminate with a reunion of female wrestlers, there is no particular flow of events in the days leading up to the reunion. It felt a bit haphazard. Still, this can be expected from any film that lets its content be told by interviews with a group of individual subjects -- and there were definite strives taken to introduce various aspects/people with interviews that gave viewers some background before cutting to a segment that would have left the audience confused.

This is a film that can spark much post-viewing conversation, and leaves you feeling somewhat amazed that its participants found such a unique niche for themselves in a time when women were 'supposed' to be dainty and refined. What a wonderful contrast!