Lipstick & Dynamite, Piss & Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling (2004 TV Movie) User Reviews

Talk about strong female role models!

[memfree · 7/10 · 18 April 2005]

I enjoyed this film by itself, but kept thinking that I'd love to take kids to it, too. Everyone with a child (son or daughter) aged about 10 or above should put up with the sprinkling of profanity and see this film with their progeny. The film reveals a set of REAL women with opinions, personalities, good sides and ... well, not-so-nice sides. It goes without saying that the women are physically impressive in their prime. Beyond that, they maintain their fighting spirit in their old-age.

While it was not a major flaw, the primary failing in this documentary is its lack of form. Early on, the film reveals that it will culminate with a reunion of female wrestlers, there is no particular flow of events in the days leading up to the reunion. It felt a bit haphazard. Still, this can be expected from any film that lets its content be told by interviews with a group of individual subjects -- and there were definite strives taken to introduce various aspects/people with interviews that gave viewers some background before cutting to a segment that would have left the audience confused.

This is a film that can spark much post-viewing conversation, and leaves you feeling somewhat amazed that its participants found such a unique niche for themselves in a time when women were 'supposed' to be dainty and refined. What a wonderful contrast!

Great piece of history!

[grendelkhan · 8/10 · 27 January 2007]

Lipstick and Dynamite is a great documentary, chronicling an obscure and almost forgotten piece of cultural history. We enter the world of of lady wrestling, through the stories of 6 women: the Fabulous Moolah (Lillian Ellison),Mae Young, Ella Waldek, Ida May Martinez, Penny Banner, and Gladys "Killem" Gillem (possibly the greatest ring name of any lady wrestler). These women were top performers in the golden age of wrestling, the 1950's. Wrestling gave them an escape from abusive or deprived pasts, and gave them a chance to see the country and earn a living. They were trailblazers, earning less money than their male counterparts, exploited by promoters, injured in the ring, long trips on the road; but they were survivors and went on to have fulfilled lives in and out of wrestling.

Watching the film, you can't help have respect for these women, not just for their experiences, but also for their talent. Watching clips from old matches, you can see that they "really" wrestled, unlike much of what is presented as women's wrestling today. These ladies worked holds, connected solid shots, and flew around the ring. There was always a sex appeal to the matches, but it was window dressing, not the show. Today, the sexual hook is the show and the wrestling is the window dressing.

The film is marred with the ladies' adherence to the code of "kayfabe", treating their matches as if they were real contests, not athletic performances. Gladys Gillem seems to be the only one who will say she didn't win because she wasn't suppose to. Her job was to put the babyface over; let the hero win. Moolah and Mae Young, especially, seem to be working the director, telling stories that they want told, not necessarily the truth. Outside of the matches, the rest of the ladies seem to be discussing their lives truthfully, but only they know for sure. Whether unvarnished truth or glammed up a bit, their stories are entertaining and they command respect.

The extras on the DVD make for true added value. We get to hear the director's rationale for avoiding the kayfabe subject, stories from some of the male colleagues of the women, and the amazing story of singer Neko Case, who discovered while watching a mix of the film (while preparing a song for the soundtrack) that Ella Waldek was her great aunt. They eventually met at the Toronto Film Festival. The story is told through a radio interview, but it would have been great to see even a brief clip of the two of them together.

Even if you are not a wrestling fan, this a a great story of women who are great role models for generations that followed, regardless of their occupation. They survived troubled pasts to find a way to bring joy and entertainment to thousands of people, raised families in difficult circumstances, and share bonds that few people can understand. Like the women of the All American Girl's Professional Baseball League, they pioneered the roles of women as athletes and performers, in a time when the woman's "place" was in the home.

Flawed, but fascinating...these ladies were pioneers

[milkshakeboom · 8/10 · 21 September 2006]

As a wrestling fan of over 20 years (and someone who's even been inside the business on the independent level), I had a great interest in this documentary. I was pleasantly surprised to learn a LOT that I didn't know while watching this, and moreso, I just have such respect for the "golden age" that it was thrilling for me to see these women, hear these stories, and see them get a spotlight many of them never have gotten before because of the way the business was back in the day.

That said, it's not a flawless documentary. As has been mentioned by others, it's put together in a very choppy way where it seems the film was made, cut, shuffled, reglued and ran through the projector. Suddenly, there we are at the Gulf Coast Reunion where practically everyone who's been interviewed through the movie (and several others) are present. And wow, I thought Sputnik Monroe was dead. ((EDIT 01/26/07-->Sadly, since this comment was written, Sputnik Monroe has passed away.)) My other problem with the film probably won't even be noticed to a lot of people who see this unless they know "the rest of the story" as far as what goes on behind the scenes and "in real life" in the wrestling business. That problem is that some stories aren't quite as factual as they are presented. The biggest example of this is when The Fabulous Moolah is saying how she tried to get a title shot with the woman that beat her in the 1980's, Wendi Richter, but Wendi wouldn't do it and was ducking her. So Moolah says that's why she dressed as The Spider and wound up beating Wendi for the title that way. In reality, Wendi got a big head and wanted a ton of money to resign with the WWF, so the WWF pulled a switch on her and had Moolah dress as Spider and pin her. The referee counted the fall even though Wendi very clearly lifted her shoulders off the mat too! Yes, it was the Montreal screwjob before Montreal. (And if you enjoyed this movie but are not familiar with the Montreal screwjob, I highly recommend "Wrestling With Shadows", check it out on this site!) Moolah, like a few others, have an "old-school" mentality, so it's not always easy to tell when you're hearing fact VS fiction with some stories.

Be that as it may, despite the minor flaws this is a very enjoyable documentary. Any women or men who respect and enjoy strong women, athletics, "old-school", wrestling...hell, just about anyone should see this and they'll probably enjoy it, or at least learn from it and have a definite respect for these women. Definitely recommended!

the way it REALLY was

[colcam · 13 June 2004]

Here's a story we haven't been told repeatedly, a story of the way it really was "way back when."

"Lipstick & Dynamite, Piss & Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling" interviews the rather plain spoken, straightforward women who were the pioneers of women's wrestling, back when it was know as "the girl wrestlers." Anyone who wonders just how far the women's rights movement has actually come needs to watch this, and then be thankful that these 'tough broads' paved the way for women to be what they want, just like men-- and just like men, no matter how stupid the goal, it gets to be their choice.

I want this doc on DVD. Tough, brutal, plain, and worth every moment. .

A wonderfully entertaining film about a fascinating subject

[alanmora · 10/10 · 8 December 2006]

This is one of the most highly entertaining and intriguing independent films I have seen in a long time. The subject matter is fascinating, it's about women wrestlers. In particular, it's about women wrestlers of the 40's and 50's. More specifically this film's main characters are 6 women who worked for the notorious promoter Billy Wolfe. These ladies are the very best in the business...no one can touch them as far as pure athletic talent, feminism and good old fashioned guts and glory is concerned. I was pleasantly surprised that the Fabulous Moolah was in this film as she is quite simply the best female wrestler ever to set foot inside the squared circle. This film puts to shame the scandalous "Bra and Panties" and "Evening Gown" matches that the sexist bookers of modern day currently showcase. These women were WRESTLERS in every sense of the word and the women who are wrestling today (and I use that term VERY loosely) could not hold a candle to them. Even to this day, the 80 plus year old Moolah and her wrestling partner "The Great" Mae Young are still in the ring kicking butt and taking names! What makes this film even more intriguing is the fact that each of these women persevered difficult upbringings, messy marriages, and various forms of violence throughout their rugged upbringings before they had ever even heard of a wrestling ring. The stories behind these ladies are the stuff of legends. These were not your plastic, Playboy-playmate, Barbie knock offs of today...these women were true athletes and pioneers of their time...you MUST watch this film!

These women were great!

[lastliberal · 8/10 · 3 June 2007]

I have never seen a wrestling match with women. I don't know how common it was in the early seventies when I used to see some wrestling on TV when sitting at the bar on Sunday morning, but there was never any on. I have never seen the cuties that wrestle for the WWE now. So, I have nothing to compare, but I was just simply fascinated listening to these women and seeing clips from their matches in the 40s and 50s.

These women were the real thing. They were out there putting their bodies on the line and giving it all they had. Some complained that they were financially abused, but then I see them talk about all the things they could now buy that they couldn't before, so I don't know.

These were athletes in every sense of the word; not bimbo's that are doing it just to titillate.

Left out important players

[jbwphoto1 · 8/10 · 8 October 2005]

For the most part, I enjoyed the movie. It provided more information on the backgrounds and careers of the lady wrestlers than you find on most fan wrestling sites, books and magazines. I am surprised, and a little disappointed, that African American lady wrestlers were not included in this movie. I would think for every roadblock the featured wrestlers encountered, the African Americans would have encountered twice as many- one for sex and another for race. One needs only take a look at the book "Black Stars of Professional Wrestling," by Julian L.D. Shabazz, for names like Dinah Beamon, Mary Horton, Ethel Johnson and so many others. A couple of the ladies in movie did mention wrestling African American ladies. Maybe Ruth Leitman is saving that for her next movie.