Margie Hart

Voluptuous, flame-haired Margie Hart would find semi-fame as a burlesque dancer in New York during WWII. One of eight children born to a farmer, the Missouri-born entertainer who was christened Margaret Bridget Bryan left home young and found work as a chorine at age 16 in Chicago, then studied "exotic dancing" at the Garrick Theatre in St. Louis once she was of age. Changing her name to the more burlesque-friendly "Margie Hart" while working the burlesque circuit, she was billed "The Poor Man's Garbo" as she didn't sing, dance or even talk but just quickly stripped...and quite well. In New York she entertained at New York's Minsky's Gaiety and caused quite a stir. Often times during her act she would often bring the house down...literally...as the joints she performed in were often raided. While performing her 1942 "Wine, Women and Song," in fact, many a business closed thanks to her "overzealous" acts of indecency. Margie's infamous court cases caught the eyes and ears of Hollywood and she was brought West to star in her own movie by Monogram, Lure of the Islands (1942). Playing an Irish native girl named Tana O'Shaughnessy, her acting skills were rather laughable and the movie was lambasted by the critics. This film would prove to be her first and last. Getting the last laugh, an undaunted Margie persevered, taking a sudden interest into actually going "legit." She changed her name to "Bridget Hart," took singing and acting classes, and started to find work appearing in both light comedies and heavy dramas, including "Cry Havoc" in 1943, followed by "Red, Hot and Blue," "Light Up the Sky" and "Rain," the last as Sadie Thompson. Married twice with two children, Margie later tried to make ends meet by opening a dress shop and buying, fixing up and reselling old buildings in the Los Angeles area. She met former USC football player John "Big John" Ferraro in the mid 1970s. He eventually became Los Angeles City Council's president. and the couple finally married in 1982. Margie suffered an aneurysm and paralyzing stroke shortly after the marriage. Again undaunted, the former ecdysiast continued to be the bawdy, lovably outrageous "Molly Brown" of the Los Angeles elite circuit, holding large parties and fundraisers for her husband at their Bel-Air house. Margie's health declined sharply in the 1990s and the 86-year-old died on January 30, 2000 in Los Angeles Her husband died a year later of cancer.