Faith Bacon
| Faith Bacon | |
|---|---|
Bacon in the late 1920s
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| Born |
Frances Yvonne Bacon July 19, 1910 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | September 26, 1956 (aged 46) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Resting place | Wunder's Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Dancer, actress |
| Years active | 1928–1956 |
| Known for | Burlesque dancing |
| Spouse(s) | Sandford Hunt Dickinson (m.19??–1956) (her death) |
Faith Bacon (July 19, 1910 – September 26, 1956) was an American burlesque dancer and actress. During the height of her career, she was billed as "America's Most Beautiful Dancer".
She was born Frances Yvonne Bacon in Los Angeles, California to Francis Page Bacon and his wife Charmion, who wed in September 1909. The couple divorced several years later.
Bacon's career in burlesque began in the 1920s in Paris. In a 1930 interview, Bacon stated she decided to become a dancer when she visited Paris despite never having had any training. While in Paris, she met Maurice Chevalier and later premiered in his revue. During her career, she used bubbles, flowers and fans in her nude dance routines.
After returning to the United States, Bacon appeared on Broadway in Earl Carroll's Vanities from August 1928 to February 1929. She went on to dance in Fioretta and Earl Carroll's Sketch Book, in 1929 and 1930, respectively. In July 1930, she appeared as a "principal nude" in another production of the Earl Carroll's Vanities. She initially performed a routine in which she stood nude and motionless onstage while lights "played over" her body. At the time, indecent exposure laws prohibited dancers from moving while appearing nude onstage. According to Bacon, she and Carroll tried several different tricks to get around these laws before finally coming up with the idea of the fan dance. The dance was an immediate hit.
On July 9, 1930, police raided the New Amsterdam Theatre and arrested Bacon, Earl Carroll and other cast members for "giving an indecent performance". Although the show underwent some changes after the raid, Bacon continued to perform the fan dance. However, Earl Carroll stated that Bacon wore a "chiffon arrangement" during the performance and was not fully nude. In August 1930, a grand jury decided against indicting Bacon, Carroll and her fellow cast members.
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