The Great Britton Brought Brains, Glamour And Command To Burlesque
A very merry birthday salute to Sherry Britton, one of the grand women of American burlesque and a performer who carried the nickname “The Great Britton” with complete authority.
Born Edith Zack on July 28, 1918, Britton became a major attraction during burlesque’s golden age in the 1930s and 1940s. Her stage image blended glamour, wit and precision rather than treating striptease as something disposable or anonymous.
Britton also entertained American troops during World War II and was named an honorary brigadier general by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in recognition of that work. Yes, the burlesque star had rank.
THE GREAT BRITTON
Burlesque History With Brains And Glamour
Revisit the women who shaped classic burlesque, explore vintage television and dig deeper into Sherry Britton’s remarkable stage life.
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Sherry Britton Was More Than A Headlining Burlesque Star
Her career stretched beyond the nightclub stage. Britton appeared on Broadway in Peer Gynt and Drink to Me Only, toured in stage productions and later earned a college degree from Fordham University while in her sixties.
That range is part of what makes her story so compelling. She was a woman who understood spectacle, but she also refused to let the world decide that spectacle was the only thing she could offer.
Joan Rivers Welcomed Sherry Britton And Vivian Vance To “That Show”
The vintage clip comes from That Show, Joan Rivers’ New York daytime talk series that aired from 1968 to 1969. The episode centered on dancers and brought Britton together with another television queen: Vivian Vance, forever beloved as Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy.
Seeing Britton and Vance share the same television space is its own little historical collision—burlesque, Broadway, classic sitcoms and Joan Rivers all sitting at one table before anyone thought to call it content.
Watch Sherry Britton’s “That Show” Appearance On TikTok
INYIM’s TikTok clip revisits Britton’s rare daytime television appearance alongside Vivian Vance.
