STARLET OF THE WEEK: Inga Neilsen

Being an fan and biographer of 60s starlets it should come as no surprise that the standout moment for me in Funny Girl, which I just saw recently, is NOT Barbra Streisand but the gals who play the Ziegfeld Girls especially in the ornate production number, "His Love Makes You Beautiful." As the curtain rises, twelve beautiful showgirls (including Brettina Brenna, Alena Johnston, and Christine Williams) dressed as scantily clad brides begin to descend a staircase holding their bouquets. When they stop the camera closes in on the face of the Winter Bride played by knockout Inga Neilsen who is wearing an elaborate crystal beaded headdress that accentuates her cheekbones as she recites the following:

"The winter bride is typified
by Christmas frost and fairies.
And though the weather's changable
her virtue never varies."

Then the camera pulls back and the audience is treated to Inga's six foot curvaceous body, if that floats your boat, as she exits to the left to make room for the springtime brides.

Inga did lots more in the sixties including A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and In Like Flint. More to come on her and Thordis in my new book.