- Carol Doda
Carol Doda was a
stripper inSan Francisco, California in the 1960s. In 1964 Doda, still in her teens, made international news when a gynecologist injected silicone into her size-34 breasts, adding 10 inches to what would become known as Doda's ``twin 44s" and ``the new Twin Peaks of San Francisco." [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1999/08/01/PK77901.DTL&hw=Carol+Doda&sn=001&sc=1000] Doda's enhancements were direct silicone injections rather than filled prothesis, a proceedure not practiced today due to concerns about silicone migration within the body. Doda has not reported experiencing significant side effects due to the injections.Topless entertainer
site. Full text:"The Condor; Where it all began; The birthplace of the world's first topless & bottomless entertainment; Topless - June 19, 1964 Bottomless - September 3, 1969 Starring Ms. Carol Doda; San Francisco, California"] Carol Doda worked as a topless waitress"Silicon made topless dancing blossom", Chicago Daily Herald, April 28, 1982, Page 21.] at the Condor Night Club in the
North Beach section ofSan Francisco ."Nudity, Noise Pay Off in Bay Area Night Clubs",Los Angeles Times , February 14, 1965, Page G5.] The club is at the corner of Broadway and Columbus. The large lit sign in front of the club featured a cartoon of her. Her premiere topless dance came on the night ofJune 19 ,1964 . Doda's act began with a grand piano lowered from the ceiling by hydraulic motors; Doda would be atop the piano dancing. She descended from a hole in the ceiling."California Solons May Bring End To Go-Go-Girl Shows In State",Panama City, Florida News, September 15, 1969, Page 12A.] She go-go danced the "Swim" to a rock and roll combo headed byBobby Freeman as her piano settled on the stage. From the waist up Doda emulated aquatic movements like the Australian crawl. She also did the Twist, the Frug, and the Watusi. ["Topless Craze in S.F.--It's a Jungle of Sweaty Gyrations", Los Angeles Times, September 8, 1965, Page C11.] For the topless and waterless Swim Doda wore the bottom half of a black bikini and a net top which ended where a bathing suit generally began. Doda performed 12 shows nightly so that management could keep crowds moving in and out. She was 19 or 20 when she first danced at the Condor. Two months after she started the rest of San Francisco's Broadway was topless, followed soon after by the rest of America.Doda was renowned for her big bust, one of the first well known to be surgically enhanced. Her bust was a size 34B before silicone injections increased her to 44D. She had 44 injections, a large dose of silicone.
Doda became a cultural icon of the 1960s in the USA. She was profiled in
Tom Wolfe 's 1968 book "The Pump House Gang " and appeared that same year as SallySilicone in "Head," the 1968 film created byJack Nicholson andBob Rafelson , and featuringThe Monkees . The movie was produced byColumbia Pictures . ["Movie Call Sheet", Los Angeles Times, March 11, 1968, Page C32.] She appeared in a "Golden Boy" parody withAnnette Funicello ,Sonny Liston , and Davy Jones. ["Monkees Cavort In 'Head' at the Vogue", Los Angeles Times, November 20, 1968, Page G18.]Court appearances
On
April 22 ,1965 Doda was arrested with Gino del Prete, owner of the Condor Club. They were cleared when two judges instructed innocent verdicts. Judge Friedman's memorandum to opposing attorneys read "Whether acts...are lewd and dissolute depends not on any individual's interpretation or personal opinion, but on the sic|con|census of the entire community..." del Prete and Doda were arrested during police raids to stop "bare-bosom" shows in North Beach. ["Topless Suits in Shows OK,Los Angeles Times, May 8, 1965, Page 9.] Peter Mattioli owned the Condor Club by 1967 and Doda still appeared in shows there. ["S.F. Pair Plan Topless Club", Los Angeles Times, April 19, 1967, Page D15.]Doda was a witness during the trial of two all-nude dancers who were arrested for "indecent exposure and lewd and dissolute conduct", in 1969. The defendants were dancers at the Pink Pussy Kat in
Orangevale, California . Presiding Municipal Court Judge Earl Warren, Jr. moved the trial, temporarily, from the courtroom to Chuck Landis Largo club. There Doda performed to live song and dance numbers, along with a movie entitled "Guru You". She was cross-examined by a deputy district attorney about what she hoped to convey to audiences in her act. Doda was dressed in a red miniskirt which had dark blue piping (sewing) and beige boots. She responded that the movie emulates "a satire of pornography...it's to show people the humorous side of sex." Several members of the 10-man, 2-woman jury kept in check their smiles as Doda explained the 17-minute movie. The deputy district attorney opposed asking her to perform, considering it irrelevant to the case. He was overruled by Warren. ["Judge Takes Another Look At 'Dodo's Indecent Dance',"Long Beach Press-Telegram , September 23, 1969, Page 32.]Later career
From the late-1960s through the late-1970s, Doda was the spokesmodel for
San Jose, California television stationKICU-TV Channel 36, then known as KGSC-TV. Filmed from the waist up and wearing clothes which amplified her most prominent physical attributes, she would coo "You're watching the Perfect 36 in San Jose." She would also occasionally appear on-air to do editorial commentary on the issues of the day.In 1982 Doda was again dancing at the Condor three times a night. She was 36 or 37 and performed to rock 'n' roll, blues, and ragtime. Each act was the same, with Doda appearing in a gold gown, traditional elbow-lengthgloves, and a diaphonous-wraparound. Her clothing was removed until shewore only a
g-string and the diaphanous wraparound. In the final portion she was attired in only the wraparound. Her small body looked slimmer without clothes, a perception which was emphasized by the dwarfing effect of her breasts. At the time she was taking dance and voice lessons but had no definite plans for her future.Doda retired from stripping in the 1980s and now runs "Carol Doda’s Champagne and Lace Lingerie Boutique", a
lingerie shop specializing inplus sizes , inSan Francisco . [http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=2825&catid=4 "Valentine's Day shopping guide"] , by Cara Cutter, "San Francisco Bay Guardian ",February 7 ,2007 . Retrieved2007-11-16 .]For several years and, as of 2007, Doda has been singing in several North Beach (San Francisco) clubs, including Amante's and Enrico's Supper Club.
References
External links
*
* [http://www.nndb.com/people/476/000026398/ NNDB listing: Carol Doda]
*
*
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
