Sally Rand

Sally Rand
Rand in 1937
Born
Helen Gould Beck

(1904-04-03)April 3, 1904
DiedAugust 31, 1979(1979-08-31) (aged 75)
Other namesBillie Beck, Helen Gould Beck, Hattie Helen Gould Beck
Occupation(s)Burlesque dancer
Vedette
Actress
Years active1925–1979
Spouse(s)Thurkel Greenough (1941–?)
Harry Finkelstein (1949–1950)
Fred Lalla (1954–1960)[2]
Children1

Sally Rand (born Helen Gould Beck; April 3, 1904 – August 31, 1979)[3] was an American burlesque dancer, vedette, and actress, famous for her ostrich-feather fan dance and balloon bubble dance. She also performed under the name Billie Beck. Rand got her start as a chorus girl before working as an acrobat and traveling theater performer. Her career spanned more than forty years, appearing on stage, screen and in television. Through her career she worked alongside Humphrey Bogart, Karl Malden, and Cecil B. De Mille. She was a trained pilot and briefly dated Charles Lindbergh.

  1. ^ Shteir, Rachel (1 November 2004). Striptease: The Untold History of the Girlie Show. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-19-512750-8. "Born Harriet Helen Beck in Elkton, Missouri, in 1904...
  2. ^ "Receives Divorce". Mattoon Daily Journal-Gazette.
  3. ^ Born April 3, 1904, per SSDI under the name Helen Beck; SS#349-10-3000. According to the 1920 U.S. census, her parents were William F. and Lillie Beck, and she had a younger brother, Harold; the family was then residing in Jackson County, Missouri, not Hickory County.