The Body Merchant: The Story of Earl Carroll

by Ken Murray

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0378056859
• ISBN13: 9780378056854
• Release Date: January 1976
• Publisher: Ward Ritchie Press
• Length: 243 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Entertaining life

Earl had his share of set backs but not much stopped the show from going on. There is a lot of humor here and the author keeps the book rolling along. In the middle of prohibition Earl throws a wild party with a naked girl in a tub filled with champagne. One by one the men line up to dip their glasses in the bubbly lowering it sip by sip. She herself is quite drunk and at one point prompts the male patrons "guess what I am doing!" then she passes out. Overall well written a lot of fun and earl seems like a heck of a guy!

The Sexy Side of Vaudeville

Earl Carroll, by his own admission, called himself a "mental nudist." This simply meant he appreciated nudity, not for himself, but the nudity of beautiful women. In his time, he probably did more to promote nudity in entertainment than anyone in showbiz. Carroll was famous for his all-girl reviews, which he called Earl Carroll's Vanities. When impresarios like Florenz Ziegfeld presented the public with scantily clad showgirls in his Follies, Carroll presented nude showgirls. In fact, he insisted all his applicants audition totally naked on stage, while he (and others) watched from a few rows back, wearing his signature faded blue smock and beret. The man paid the price for his daring. He often ran afoul of the obscenity laws and ended up in jail a time or two but his glib tongue usually served to keep the review as it was. His only concessions to the anti-nudity crowd were flesh-colored "pasties" to cover the women's nipples, and a small rectangular patch that covered the vaginal cleft. Otherwise, the women were usually totally bare. The audiences that flocked to see his shows proved the success of this strategy. Carroll did do some hard time for an unfortunate party he threw involving a nude woman bathing in a tub of champagne. He wasn't convicted on obscenity charges but because of the alcohol he served during Prohibition! Author Ken Murray, a vaudeville and Broadway performer himself, avoids sensationalism for the most part and presents a frank, unvarnished portrayal of the man he dubbed "The Body Merchant." No mistake can be inferred by the reader that Carroll was in any way a nudist. He was a sensual, often licentious man who viewed women as commodities to be exploited for their (nude) beauty. Nevertheless, Carroll provided a classy, upscale review and floor show that left audiences wanting more. His fortunes rose and fell several times until, at a peak period in his life, his run was cut short by his untimely death. That death, in itself, was as sensational as the man's life. The Body Merchant is good reading for its insight into our culture from the beginning to the middle of the Twentieth Century - when it really meant something to be "A Carroll Girl."

This is the only complete life tale of Earl Carroll in print

This is the only complete life tale of Earl Carroll in print. The book is a great collection of personal experiences with Mr. Carroll and second hand acounts of his life. Many of the big names in entertainment from the early 20th century crossed paths with Earl and are discussed in the text.The book does a great job covering his life from a geeky stage hand to one of the countries most important production showman. A great read.