The Windmill Theatre in

Great Windmill Street Great Windmill Street is a thoroughfare running north–south in Soho, London, crossed by Shaftesbury Avenue. The street has had a long association with music and entertainment, most notably the Windmill Theatre, and is now home to the Ripley ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, was a

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

and revue

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

best known for its nude ''

tableaux vivants A (; often shortened to ; plural: ), French for "living picture", is a static scene containing one or more actors or models. They are stationary and silent, usually in costume, carefully posed, with props and/or scenery, and may be theatrica ...

'', which began in 1932 and lasted until its reversion to a cinema in 1964. Many prominent British comedians of the post-war years started their careers at the theatre.

As the Palais de Luxe

Great Windmill Street took its name from a windmill that stood there from the reign of King Charles II until the late 18th century. In 1909 a cinema, the Palais de Luxe, opened on the site. It stood on the corner of a block of buildings that included the

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

and Lyric theatres, where Archer Street joined Great Windmill Street, just off

Shaftesbury Avenue Shaftesbury Avenue is a major road in the West End of London, named after The 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. It runs north-easterly from Piccadilly Circus to New Oxford Street, crossing Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Circus. From Piccadilly Cir ...

. The building complex incorporates Piccadilly Buildings, an 1897 building which housed the offices of British Mutoscope and Biograph Company, an early producer of films. The Palais de Luxe was one of the first places where early silent films were shown. As larger cinemas were opened in the West End, business slowed and the Palais de Luxe was forced to close. It was re-opened briefly by Elsie Cohen in 1929 when it was briefly the first "art cinema" in Britain showing foreign films. Cohen would re-establish the idea at the Academy Cinema in Oxford Street in 1931.

The Windmill

In 1930,

Laura Henderson Laura Henderson (6 December 1863 – 29 November 1944) born Laura Forster, rose to prominence in the 1930s when, as a wealthy and eccentric widow, she founded the Windmill Theatre in London's Great Windmill Street, in partnership with Vivian ...

bought the Palais de Luxe building and hired F. Edward Jones, an architect, to remodel the interior to a small 320-seat, two-tier (stalls and circle) theatre. It was then renamed the Windmill. It opened on 15 June 1931, as a playhouse with a new play by Michael Barringer called ''

Inquest An inquest is a judicial inquiry in common law jurisdictions, particularly one held to determine the cause of a person's death. Conducted by a judge, jury, or government official, an inquest may or may not require an autopsy carried out by a coro ...

''. Its existence as a theatre was short and unprofitable, and it soon returned to screening films, such as ''

The Blue Angel ''The Blue Angel'' (german: Der blaue Engel) is a 1930 German musical comedy-drama film directed by Josef von Sternberg, and starring Marlene Dietrich, Emil Jannings and Kurt Gerron. Written by Carl Zuckmayer, Karl Vollmöller and Rober ...

'' (1930) starring

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

. Henderson hired a new theatre manager,

Vivian Van Damm Vivian Van Damm (28 June 1889 – 14 December 1960) was a prominent British theatre impresario from 1932 until 1960, managing the Windmill Theatre in London's Great Windmill Street. The theatre was famed for its pioneering ''tableaux vivants'' o ...

, who developed the idea of the Revudeville—a programme of continuous

that ran from 2:30 pm until 11 pm. They began to put on shows with singers, dancers, showgirls, and specialty numbers. The first Revudeville act opened on 3 February 1932, featuring 18 unknown acts. These continued to be unprofitable; in all, the theatre lost £20,000 in the first four years after its opening. Amrit Walia, the co-founder, said: “In the 1930’s Laura Henderson famously broke conventions and challenged norms to create the famous institution known as the Windmill Theatre“.

Windmill Girls

A breakthrough came when Van Damm began to incorporate glamorous nude females on stage, inspired by the

Folies Bergère The Folies Bergère () is a cabaret music hall, located in Paris, France. Located at 32 Rue Richer in the 9th Arrondissement, the Folies Bergère was built as an opera house by the architect Plumeret. It opened on 2 May 1869 as the Folies Trév ...

and

Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Ol ...

in Paris. This coup was made possible by convincing

Lord Cromer Earl of Cromer is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, held by members of the Baring family, of German descent. It was created for Evelyn Baring, 1st Viscount Cromer, long time British Consul-General in Egypt. He had already been cr ...

, then

Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main cha ...

, in his position as the censor for all theatrical performances in London, that the display of nudity in theatres was not obscene: since the authorities could not credibly hold nude statues to be morally objectionable, the theatre presented its nudes — the legendary "Windmill Girls" — in motionless poses as

living statue A living statue is a performer who poses as a statue or mannequin, usually with realistic statue-like makeup, Performances are commonly on the street busking but may also be at events where the artist is paid. A living statue attraction, as a pe ...

s or ''

''. The ruling: 'If you move, it's rude.' The Windmill's shows became a huge commercial success, and the Windmill girls took their show on tour to other London and provincial theatres and

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...

s. The

Piccadilly Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road that connects central London to Hammersmith, Earl's Court, ...

and

Pavilion In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings: * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...

theatres copied the format and ran non-stop shows, reducing the Windmill's attendance.

Tableaux vivants

Van Damm produced a series of nude tableaux vivants based on themes such as

Annie Oakley Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey; August 13, 1860 – November 3, 1926) was an American sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Oakley developed hunting skills as a child to provide for her impoverished family in western ...

mermaid In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. Mermaids are sometimes asso ...

s, American Indians, and

Britannia Britannia () is the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used in classical antiquity, the Latin ''Britannia'' was the name variously applied to the British Isles, Great ...

. Later, movement was introduced in the form of the fan dance, where a naked dancing girl's body was concealed by fans held by herself and four female attendants. At the end of the act the girl would stand stock still, and her attendants would remove the concealing fans to reveal her nudity. The girl would then hold the pose for about ten seconds before the close of the performance. Another way the spirit of the law was evaded, enabling the girl to move, and thus satisfying the demands of the audience, was by moving the props rather than the girls. Ruses such as a technically motionless nude girl holding on to a spinning rope were used. Since the rope was moving rather than the girl, authorities allowed it, even though the girl's body was displayed in motion.

"We Never Closed": World War II

The theatre's famous

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...

"We Never Closed" (often humorously modified to "We Never Clothed") was a reference to the fact that the theatre remained open, apart from the compulsory closure that affected all theatres for 13 days (4 to 16 September) in 1939. Performances continued throughout the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

even at the height of

the Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

. The showgirls, cast members, and crew moved into the safety of the theatre's two underground floors during some of the worst air attacks, from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941. Many of the Windmill's patrons were families and troops, as well as celebrities who came as Henderson's guests. These high society guests included Princesses Helena Victoria and

Marie Louise Marie Louise or Marie-Louise may refer to: People *Marie Louise of Orléans (1662–1689), daughter of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, queen consort of Charles II of Spain *Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel (1688–1765), daughter of Charles I, Landgrave ...

(granddaughters of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

). For a time, on the opening night of every new Windmill show, the Royal Box was always reserved for the Rt. Hon.

George Lansbury George Lansbury (22 February 1859 – 7 May 1940) was a British politician and social reformer who led the Labour Party from 1932 to 1935. Apart from a brief period of ministerial office during the Labour government of 1929–31, he spe ...

, a member of His Majesty's Government. The theatre ran into the occasional problem with male patrons, but security guards were always on the lookout for improper behaviour. One of the more comical off-stage acts was the spectacle of the "Windmill Steeplechase" where, at the end of a show, patrons from the back rows would make a dash over the top of the seats to grab the front rows for the following show.

Postwar years

When Henderson died on 29 November 1944, aged 82, she left the Windmill to Van Damm. During his tenure, the Windmill was home to numerous famous comedians and actors who had their first real success there, including

Jimmy Edwards James Keith O'Neill Edwards, DFC (23 March 19207 July 1988) was an English comedy writer and actor on radio and television, best known as Pa Glum in ''Take It from Here'' and as headmaster "Professor" James Edwards in ''Whack-O!''. Early lif ...

Harry Worth Harry Bourlon Illingsworth (20 November 1917 – 20 July 1989), professionally known as Harry Worth, was an English comedy actor, comedian and ventriloquist. Worth portrayed a charming, gentle and genial character, totally bemused by life, ...

Tony Hancock Anthony John Hancock (12 May 1924 – 25 June 1968) was an English comedian and actor. High-profile during the 1950s and early 1960s, he had a major success with his BBC series ''Hancock's Half Hour'', first broadcast on radio from 1954, ...

Spike Milligan Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Raj, British Colonial India, where h ...

Harry Secombe Sir Harold Donald Secombe (8 September 1921 – 11 April 2001) was a Welsh comedian, actor, singer and television presenter. Secombe was a member of the British radio comedy programme ''The Goon Show'' (1951–1960), playing many characters, m ...

Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...

Michael Bentine Michael Bentine, (born Michael James Bentin; 26 January 1922General Register Office for England and Wales – Birth Register for the March Quarter of 1922, Watford Registration District, Reference 3a 1478, listed as "Michael J. Bentin", mother ...

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the B ...

Bruce Forsyth Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson (22 February 1928 – 18 August 2017) was a British entertainer and presenter whose career spanned more than 70 years. Forsyth came to national attention from the late 1950s through the ITV series '' Sunday Nig ...

Arthur English Arthur Leslie Norman English (9 May 1919 – 16 April 1995) was an English television, film and stage actor and comedian from the music hall tradition. Early life English was born at 22 Lysons Road in Aldershot,'Arthur English, ''Aldershot H ...

, Tommy Cooper and

Barry Cryer Barry Charles Cryer (23 March 1935 – 25 January 2022) was an English writer, comedian, and actor. As well as performing on stage, radio and television, Cryer wrote for many performers including Dave Allen, Stanley Baxter, Jack Benny, Rory ...

. Cryer was "a bottom of the bill" comic at the Windmill, while Forsyth performed as a juvenile performer — a superior post. A number of the most celebrated photographic

pin-up models A pin-up model (known as a pin-up girl for a female and less commonly male pin-up for a male) is a model whose mass-produced pictures see widespread appeal as part of popular culture. Pin-up models were variously glamour models, fashion models ...

of the 1950s and early 1960s also did a stint as Windmill Girls, including Lyn Shaw,

June Wilkinson June Wilkinson (born 27 March 1940 in Eastbourne) is an English model and actress, known for her appearances in ''Playboy'' magazine and in films of the 1960s. One of the world's most-photographed women in the late 1950s and early 1960s, at the he ...

, and Lorraine Burnett. Van Damm ran the theatre until his death on 14 December 1960, aged approximately 71. He left the theatre to his daughter,

rally driver Rally is a wide-ranging form of motorsport with various competitive motoring elements such as speed tests (often called ''rally racing),'' navigation tests, or the ability to reach waypoints or a destination at a prescribed time or average speed. ...

Sheila Van Damm Sheila van Damm (17 January 1922 – 23 August 1987) was a British woman competitor in motor rallying in the 1950s, and also the former owner of the Windmill Theatre in London. She began her competitive driving career in 1950, and won the Coupe d ...

. She struggled to keep it going, but by this time, London's

Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develop ...

neighbourhood had become a seedier place. The Soho neighbourhood of the 1930s and 1940s had been a respectable place filled with shops and family restaurants. The Revudeville shows ran from 1932 to 1964, until the Windmill officially closed on 31 October 1964.

Windmill Cinema

The theatre then changed hands and became the Windmill Cinema (with a casino incorporated in the building), having been bought by the Compton Cinema Group"Windmill International"
Cinema Treasures run by

Michael Klinger Michael Klinger (born 4 July 1980) is an Australian former first-class cricketer, who held the record for the most runs scored in the Big Bash League when he retired in 2019. Until the 2008–09 season, Klinger played for Victoria and for ...

and

Tony Tenser Samuel Anthony Tenser (10 August 1920 – 5 December 2007)Gavin Gaugha"Obituary: Tony Tenser" ''The Guardian'', 13 March 2008 was an English-born film producer of Lithuanian-Jewish descent. He began as the producer of low budget exploitation f ...

. On 2 November 1964, the Windmill Cinema opened with the film ''Nude Las Vegas''. The cinema became part of the Classic Cinema chain in May 1966. On 9 June 1974, the Windmill Cinema closed.

1974 to Present: Multiple Changes

The cinema's lease was bought in February 1974 by nightclub and erotica entrepreneur Paul Raymond. Raymond returned it to a venue for nude shows "à la Revuedeville but without the comic element". The first production at the now renamed Windmill Theatre was a play called ''Let's Get Laid'', which opened on 2 September 1974. and starred

Fiona Richmond Fiona Richmond (born 2 March 1945) is an English former glamour model and actress. She became a British sex symbol in the 1970s for her appearances in numerous risqué plays, comedy revues, magazines and films. She has been described as one of ...

and

John Inman Frederick John Inman (28 June 1935 – 8 March 2007) was an English actor and singer best known for his role as Mr. Humphries in '' Are You Being Served?'', a British sitcom between 1972 and 1985, and was the only actor from that series to featu ...

. A nude dance show called ''Rip-Off'' was the next production at the theatre; this show commenced on 10 May 1976. Paul Raymond re-introduced

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

when he renamed the Windmill ''La Vie en Rose Show Bar'' and opened the venue as a supper club with a laser disco on 16 November 1982. The venue became Paramount City in May 1986, a cabaret club managed for a short duration by Debbie Raymond, Paul Raymond's daughter. A period as a television studio followed — the Sky television programme ''Jameson Tonight'' was produced in the studio. In 1989,

Big Bang The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models of the Big Bang explain the evolution of the observable universe from the ...

performed their Arabic Circus Tour at the Windmill Theatre. In 1994, the former theatre part of the building was leased to Oscar Owide as a

Wild West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

venue which became after a short time an erotic table-dancing club called The Windmill International, run by Oscar Owide and his son Daniel. Until 2009, the Paul Raymond Organisation occupied the Piccadilly Buildings section of the building as their offices. A "gas or electricity explosion" occurred in the male toilets of the Windmill Club on 3 March 2017, causing damage to the adjacent pavement, and leading to a brief evacuation of the building and surrounding area. Oscar Owide died in December 2017. A month later, the Windmill lost its licence because it had been found to have broken the "no touching" requirement between performers and clients. In May 2021, it was announced that the Windmill would reopen as a 350-seat restaurant and bar, with a

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...

Film and stage depictions

There have been four films about or featuring The Windmill: *'' Tonight and Every Night'' (1945), starring

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

, was made in Technicolor, based on Leslie Storm's

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

play ''Heart of the City''. Although the theatre in the film is called "The Music Box", it is a thinly-disguised Windmill, featuring American GIs in attendance during war-torn London, and the theatre's being hit by bombs in the Blitz. The film does not feature a Vivian Van Damm character. However, the theatre is run by May Tolliver, played by

Florence Bates Florence Bates ( Rabe; April 15, 1888 - January 31, 1954), was an American film and stage character actress who often played grande dame characters in supporting roles. Life and career Bates was the second child born to Jewish immigrant par ...

— who could be construed as being Mrs Henderson. There is no hint in this film that the theatre featured nudes. *''

Murder at the Windmill ''Murder at the Windmill'', titled ''Mystery at the Burlesque'' in the United States, is a 1949 British crime film directed by Val Guest and featuring Garry Marsh, Jon Pertwee, and Peter Butterworth. It was shot at Walton Studios and was the ...

'' (1949), called "Mystery at the Burlesque" in the US, is a low-budget exploitation film, and little more than an excuse to feature the Windmill boys and girls performing intercut with a plot about the murder of an attendee. Van Damm auditioned to play himself but was considered "too wooden". It featured marked early appearances for

Diana Decker Diana Decker (born Isabella Charlotte Diana Decker, 9 January 1925 – 4 January 2019), was a British/American actress, singer, and television personality, who was popular from the 1940s to the early 1960s. Early life Decker was born to an Americ ...

Jon Pertwee John Devon Roland "Jon" Pertwee (; 7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996) was an English actor, comedian, entertainer, cabaret performer and TV presenter. Born into a theatrical family, he served in the Royal Navy and the Naval Intelligence Division during ...

, and

. It was the first film for producer Danny Angel, who was married to Van Damm's daughter Betty. *''

Secrets of a Windmill Girl ''Secrets of a Windmill Girl'' is a 1966 British exploitation film directed by Arnold L. Miller. It recounts the road to ruin of a young woman (Pauline Collins) who becomes involved with the striptease scene after becoming a dancer at the Windmill ...

'' (1966) was even more exploitative. It features the first appearance of

Pauline Collins Pauline Collins (born 3 September 1940) is a British actress who first came to prominence portraying Sarah Moffat in '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1971–1973) and its spin-off, ''Thomas & Sarah'' (1979). In 1992, she published her autobiography, ...

, Martin Jarvis,

Dana Gillespie Dana Gillespie (born Richenda Antoinette de Winterstein Gillespie, 30 March 1949) is an English actress, singer and songwriter. Originally performing and recording in her teens, over the years Gillespie has been involved in the recording of over ...

, and some of the former Windmill Theatre dancers including Pat Patterson, Jill Millard, and Sadie Comben. * ''

Mrs Henderson Presents ''Mrs Henderson Presents'' is a 2005 biographical musical film directed by Stephen Frears and written by Martin Sherman. It stars Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Kelly Reilly, and Will Young (in his acting debut). It tells the true story of Laura He ...

'' (2005), a comedy-drama BBC film about the theatre, starring

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...

and

Bob Hoskins Robert William Hoskins (26 October 1942 – 29 April 2014) was an English actor. His work included lead roles in films and television series such as '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978), ''The Long Good Friday'' (1980), ''Mona Lisa'' (1986), ''Who ...

, was critically acclaimed but not a strong commercial success. * ''

'' (2015), a musical comedy based on the film, which premiered at the

Theatre Royal Bath The Theatre Royal in Bath, England, was built in 1805. A Grade II* listed building, it has been described by the Theatres Trust as "One of the most important surviving examples of Georgian theatre architecture". It has a capacity for an audie ...

before a short run in the West End.

Notable performers

Dick Emery Richard Gilbert Emery (19 February 19152 January 1983) was an English comedian and actor. His broadcasting career began on radio in the 1950s, and his self-titled television series ran from 1963 to 1981. Life and career Richard Gilbert Emery was ...

* Joan Jay *

Michael Howard Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne (born Michael Hecht; 7 July 1941) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005. He previously held cabinet posi ...

Jean Kent Jean Kent (born Joan Mildred Field; 29 June 1921 − 30 November 2013) was an English film and television actress. Biography Born Joan Mildred Field (sometimes incorrectly cited as Summerfield) in Brixton, London in 1921, the only child of va ...

Bill Kerr William Henry Kerr (10 June 1922 – 28 August 2014) was a British and Australian actor, comedian, and vaudevillian. Born in South Africa, he started his career as a child actor in Australia, before emigrating to Britain after the Second Wor ...

Alfred Marks Alfred Edward Marks OBE (born Alfred Edward Touchinsky; 28 January 19211 July 1996) was a British actor and comedian. In his 60-year career, he played dramatic and comedy roles in numerous television programmes, stage shows and films. His self- ...

Bill Maynard Walter Frederick George Williams (8 October 1928 – 30 March 2018), better known by his stage name Bill Maynard, was an English comedian and actor. He began working in television in the 1950s, notably starring alongside Terry Scott in '' G ...

Kenneth More Kenneth Gilbert More, CBE (20 September 1914 – 12 July 1982) was an English film and stage actor. Initially achieving fame in the comedy '' Genevieve'' (1953), he appeared in many roles as a carefree, happy-go-lucky gent. Films from this per ...

References

Bibliography

*Picture Post Vol.9 No.3.19 October 1940."Backstage:1940". *Life. Vol.12 No.11 16 March 1942 "London's Windmill Theatre". *Everybody's Weekly .21 December 1946."We Never Closed", by Mackenzie Newham. *John Bull.31 January 1948."But It's All So British", by Dennis Holman. *Illustrated.14 August.1948. "Day Trip for the Windmill". *Illustrated 5 February 1949."Windmill Murder". *Film and Art Reel. Vol.6 No.1 1949 "Have You Been to the Windmill Theatre?" *Film and Art Reel. Vol.6 No.2 1949 "Extracts from the Diary of a Windmill Girl", by Pat Raphael. *Picture Post Vo.30 No.9 2 March 1946."The Windmill Theatre Throws a Party". *Lilliput Vol.26 No.3 Issue No.153.March.1950."All Change at the Windmill " by David Clayton. *Picture Post Vol.52 No.3 21 July 1951 "Non Stop Peep Show", by John Chillingworth. *Illustrated 20 October 1951."Do You See What I See?" *Everybody's Weekly.7 February 1953."Twenty -One Years of The Windmill", by Bryan Bourne. *Illustrated 5 May 1956 "Three Goons for the Price of One, The Windmill Story" by Vivian van Damm. *Radio Times Vol.134 No.1734.1 February 1957."Twenty-Five Years Non-Stop" by Peter Noble. *London Life, July 1958 Photographs of artistes. *The London Week What's on in London.17-3-1961."We Never Closed-The Windmill Success Story". *Modern Man Vol.Xlll No.7-150 January 1964 "Jane Visits London's Breezy Windmill" A U.S. magazine article by Jane Dolinger. *Fiesta Vol.7 No.4 March 1973 "The Windmill". *Yours, May 2004 "We Never Closed" A magazine article by Tony Clayton. *The Soho Clarion, Issue no.136, Spring 2009 "Tonight and Every Night" An article by Maurice Poole. *Allen Eyles and Keith Skone's: London's West End Cinemas 984, second edition 1991 *Earl, John and Sell, Michael ''Guide to British Theatres 1750-1950'', pp. 128 (Theatres Trust, 2000) . *Gavin Weightman ''Bright Lights, Big City: London Entertained 1830-1950''. (Collins and Brown, London 1992) *Jason: "Blonde and Brunette", Chapman and Hall, London,1940. *Vivian van Damm: "Tonight and Every Night", Stanley Paul, London, 1952. *Sheila van Damm: "No Excuses", Putnam, London, 1957. *Sheila van Damm: "We Never Closed", Robert Hale, London,1967. *British Pathe films: Various films of Windmill Theatre events. *BBC Television."Twenty-One Today". London's Windmill Invites you to its twenty-first birthday party, Introduced by Leslie Mitchell. Filmed at the Trocadero Restaurant on 4 February 1953. *BBC Radio. "The Windmill". A radio programme hosted by Kenneth More. Broadcast made on 4 February 1957 for the silver jubilee of the theatre. *BBC Television."The Windmill Years Twenty -Five Years Non-Stop". Introduced by Richard Murdoch. Filmed at the Trocadero Restaurant on 4 February 1957. *BBC Television."This Is Your Life".Ben Fuller the Windmill Theatre Stage Door Keeper.Televised 13 November 1962. *"Dawn in Piccadilly",1962, Documentary film. The cast includes, George Martin, Dawn Maxey, Pat Patterson, Gina Delrina and Keith Lester. *British Movietone "We Never Closed", Story No.89002, Released 5 November 1964. *BBC Television " Panorama": News report produced for the last night of the theatre in 1964. Richard Dimbleby interviews Sheila van Damm, Dickie Grout the Stage Director and Sally Crow a Windmill dancer. *BBC Television: "If It Moves It's Rude: The Story of The Windmill Theatre", 1969. *BBC Radio Woman's Hour."The Windmill- Life in a singing and dancing revue". Jean Picton, Pat Stefton and Barry Cryer talk about working at the Windmill Theatre. Broadcast on 25 November 2005 *The 1949 film, "Murder at the Windmill" was titled "Mystery at the Burlesque" in the U.S.A. *Windmill Theatre Co., Ltd. souvenirs and theatre programmes. *Zsuzsi Roboz 1964 drawings of Windmill Girls in the Tate Collection. *Richard Wortley."The Pictorial History of Striptease".Octopus Books Ltd., London,1976.A later edition was by the Treasury Press, London.. This book has information about the Windmill Theatre. *Men Only.October,1976.Rip Off article. *Men Only.July,1981.Rip Off article. *Old Theatres magazine. Edition no.6,2010."Revudeville".An article by Maurice Poole. *Paul Willetts."Members Only-The Life and Times of Paul Raymond". Serpent's Tail Ltd., London. Published August,2010.. *Remembering Revudeville - A SOUVENIR OF THE WINDMILL THEATRE compiled by ex Windmill girl Jill Millard Shapiro https://www.amazon.co.uk/Remembering-Revudeville-Souvenir-Windmill-Theatre/dp/0992869609 {{div col end

External links

Photos of the Windmill Girls on stage''Remembering Revudeville - Souvenir - Windmill Theatre''
*A collection o
Windmill Theatre press and marketing material
is held by the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

Theatre and Performance Department. Cultural history of the United Kingdom History of human sexuality Body art Erotic dance Nudity in theatre and dance Former buildings and structures in the City of Westminster Former theatres in London Strip clubs in the United Kingdom Nightclubs in London Entertainment in London Theatres completed in 1931 1964 disestablishments in England