THIS NEW DOCUMENTARY REPLACES SIGNIFICANT OTHER
- all tickets purchased for Significant Other will be honored for this show
My Life As I Want To Tell It - The Gracie Hansen Story
Written and Directed by Donnie/Donald Horn Narrated by Julianna Jaffe Footage, photos compiled by Donnie/Donald Horn Documentary design and executed by Ian Anderson-Priddy
* Check out the website dedicated to Gracie: https://graciehansen.webstarts.com * the Oregon History Link with a short bio about her life: www.historylink.org/File/9365 *article celebrating her 97th birthday in 2019 [if she would have lived] Happy 97th Birthday Gracie Hansen – Waldina
Streaming begins March 4th through March 20th
GRACIE HANSEN
Gracie Hansen was a housewife from a small town in Washington (Morton) and gained prominence as the “Queen” of Seattle’s ‘62 World's Fair where she operated her Gracie Hansen's Paradise Pavilion right off of "GayWay" (the youth amusement section). Her show 'featured' topless women in Ziegfeld Follies costumes. She wasn't the first to do this, as in 1939 at the San Francisco World's Fair, Sally Rand was featured with her topless cowgirls. But, Gracie said, "I can do it better", and she did! Bob Hope, Carol Channing, and many other celebrities visited her Paradise Pavilion and it became the big hit of the World's Fair. In fact, some say that Seattle's Red-Hot Mama (as she was dubbed as her style was similar to Mae West or Sophie Tucker) saved the World's Fair.
Harvey Dick, who owned the Hoyt Hotel on 6th and SW Hoyt Street (a block away from Union Station in Portland, Oregon) was so impressed with Gracie that he turned a covered parking garage into a world-class showroom that seat 500 people. Before it opened, he christened it the GRACIE HANSEN's Roaring 20's Room. She starred in the room with a variety of people for a little over five years. During that time, such celebrities as Anne Francis, Johnny Carson, The Glenn Miller Band, Les Brown, and His Band of Re-noun, Al Hirt, Count Basie, and the great Duke Ellington either visited or performed there.
In 1970, Gracie took a shot at running for Governor of Oregon - she is believed to be the first woman to do this. She ran against Bob Straub on the Democratic ticket and came in third out of eight- Tom McCall a Republican was re-elected to a second term that year. Gracie, two years later ran for the State Legislature.
Later in life, she fought a battle with diabetes and on January 9, 1985, died during surgery to amputate her right leg in a hospital in Los Angeles.
Biography written by donnie can be purchased at Gracie: Donnie, Donnie: 9781463779443: AmazonSmile: Books
All books are available through Amazon.com or by emailing: boxoffice@trianglepro.org
