The movie Lipstick and Dynamite, the First Ladies of Wrestling reflects on the history of female wrestling, and spotlights the stories of some of the most incredible women in the history of the sport.
The official website for Lipstick and Dynamite reveals that long before wrestling hit incredible heights of popularity, it was the women that were often the top draw:
“A cornerstone of the success of these promotions was the rise of women’s professional wrestling in the 1940’s and 50’s.”
Wrestlers featured in the film include Ella “The Policeman” Waldek, Gladys “Killem” Gillem, Ida May “The Body” Martinez, “The Great Mae Young”, “The Fabulous Moolah”, and Penny Banner.
“Full of outstanding archival footage of wrestlers like The Fabulous Moolah and Johnnie Mae Young, Lipstick and Dynamite is primarily concerned with the lives of hardship and hard work these superstars of the ring created for themselves. It could have been the sex, money, injuries, and intrigue that dominated their lives on the road, but the competitive passion of these women have for their sport shines through in director Ruth Leitman’s touching portrait of women who lived hard, and fought even harder.”
The following are several reviews of Lipstick and Dynamite, the First Ladies of Wrestling, borrowed from Rotten Tomatoes:
“Sillier than a Stooges eye-gouge and more fun than a drop-kick to the derriere, Lipstick & Dynamite is a hoot of a history lesson. The story of the “first ladies of professional wrestling” is told in their own brassy, sassy, no-holds-barred words. Ruth Leitman’s hilarious film finds a forgotten corner of showbiz history, grapples it and pins it in the most delightful documentary since Supersize Me.”
“You gotta have the angel and you gotta have the heel,” says old-time wrestler Great Mae Young in Ruth Leitman’s fascinating, bawdy documentary about the world of female wrestling from the 1930s to its current incarnation in the WWE. From carnivals to public curiosities, Leitman skims over a whirlwind history of the hellcats who populated this strange and exclusive world. The pioneers, most now in their 70s and 80s, speak their minds on greedy promoters, abusive and jealous husbands and the rivalries between “girls.”