The phrase ‘Blonde Bombshell‘ conjures images of Hollywood legends Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield or Jean Harlow, but all-too-often history tends to overlook one of the great blonde starlets of our time: Liz Renay
The original Queen of Re-Invention, Renay starred in over eighteen films, including John Water’s controversial film ‘Desperate Living‘. Walking out on an abusive marriage, she became an exotic stripper and later served a brief stint in prison due to her personal relationships to notorious mobsters Anthony Coppola and Mickey Cohen. Upon her release, she returned triumphant as an award-winning artist and best-selling author before passing away last year at age 80.
The Burlesque Hall of Fame and the Deitch Projects are paying homage to the late great Ms. Renay with a retrospective exhibit ‘How to Attract Men‘ beginning January 9th at the 76 Grand Street Gallery in NYC that will showcase her original paintings as well as memorable collages, costumes, and artifacts from Ms. Renay’s private collection.
