This is a new documentary which focuses on two developments on the fringes of American cultural history: the evolution of topless dancing, and parallel to that, the origins of the breast enhancement industry. Carol Doda was the nationally recognized pioneer in both areas, and her name, although obscure today, was once familiar across the country. Her fame led to an affair with Sinatra; an acting role in a 1968 film (“Head”) featuring the Monkees; and a profile in “The Pump House Gang,” a famous collection of Tom Wolfe essays.
The pitch:
A documentary set in San Francisco in 1964 when Carol Doda became the first dancer to go topless and in the process, became a tourist attraction second only to the Golden Gate Bridge.
The trailer:
If you’re really interested in “The Put-Together Girl,” as Tom Wolfe called her, the great Joe Bob Briggs wrote an excellent overview of this film and the cultural trends behind it, drawing on his own personal interaction with Carol and the North Beach scene.
