Frank Koza Collection > SERIES I: Newsfilm > SUBSERIES VIII: Culture & Leisure

Jada - Mardi Gras

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hakkaotes This is Bourbon Street, New Orleans, with a 1959 Mardi Gras.

Since the Rex Parade is over, this is where all the thousands and thousands of carnival visitors have gone to Bourbon Street to weigh the last sows before 12...

This is Bourbon Street, New Orleans, for the 1959 Mardi Gras.

Since the Rex Parade is over, the thousands and thousands of carnival visitors have joined in the cavalcade on Bourbon Street to go for the last time until Ash Wednesday.

Let's have it, fellas.

Hey, hey, hey! Oh, no, don't throw that.

No, that's all right.

This is Jada, one of the stellar attractions on Bourbon Street.

Jada, how do you feel since the Mardi Gras is over now? Well, I feel like Secretary Dallas must be after one of his whirlwind tours.

I'm all tired.

So you didn't follow through, did you, darling? Yeah.

Starting it over again, will you? Yes.

No, as soon as you get through saying that, that's when you come up with that.

You understand? All right.

All right.

As soon as you get through the bit saying that you feel tired of Dallas coming back and coming back from a whirlwind tour, that's when you kiss me on the side over here.

Do I talk louder than this? Yeah.

You ready for the last? Are you ready? This is Jada, one of the stellar attractions on Bourbon Street.

Jada, how do you feel now that the Mardi Gras is over? Well, I must feel like Secretary Dallas must be after all tired.

This is real fun.

This is fine work if you can get it.

And now back to John Daly in New York.

John Daly! John Daly! You goofed again.

I know.

You got another cue and you missed it.

Where is it now? This is Jada.

This is Jada, one of the stellar attractions on Bourbon Street.

Jada, how do you feel now that the Mardi Gras is over? I feel like Secretary Dallas after one of his whirlwind tours.

This is Jada, one of the stellar attractions on Bourbon Street.

Jada, how do you feel now that the Mardi Gras is over? I feel like Secretary Dallas must feel.

I'm all tired.

This is nice work if you can get it.

And now back to John Daly in New York.

See you, Mr.

Dallas.

Identifier
F.2012-03-0823
Date Of Production
1959
Abstract
Frank Koza interviews infamous burlesque dancer Jada in front of a rowdy group of Mardi Gras celebrators in New Orleans.
Description
A group of intoxicated young men cheer for the camera. Now posing in front of the crowd, newsman Frank Koza patiently waits for them to settle down before starting to speak into his microphone: "This is Bourbon Street, New Orleans, for the 1959 Mardi Gras." He explains that now that the parade is over, thousands of revelers have decended upon the street to continue their party. Koza misspeaks and starts the segment over. The crowd becomes a bit unruly and a police officer pushes them back.

Koza is now joined in front of the group by Jada, a burlesque dancer who started her career on Bourbon Street, who is wearing a low-cut sequined dress and a fur coat. Koza asks her how she feels now that Mardi Gras is over, but the segment must be started over as the crowd hollers and Jada doesn't "follow through" with the plan to kiss Koza on the cheek once she says her line. He repeats his instructions and they begin the segment again, and this time Jada plants a kiss on Koza's cheek, leaving lipstick behind. Koza accuses Jada: "You goofed again!" and they prepare to perform the segment again. Koza and Jada grow visibly frustrated as the drunken spectators continue to interrupt the take. The fifth take is the charm.

Four years later, Jada (Janet Adams Mole Bonney Cuffari Smallwood Conforto Washington [1936-1980]) became the subject of many John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories, as she was a dancer at Jack Ruby's Carousel Club in Dallas at the time Ruby killed Lee Harvey Oswald in 1963. She also starred in the film Naughty Dallas (1964).
Run Time
0:04:39
Format
16mm
Extent
169 feet
Color
B&W
Sound
Optical
Reel/Tape Number
1/1
Has Been Digitized?
Yes
Language Of Materials
English
Element
Negatives
Genre
Journalism
Form
Interviews
Bloopers
Outtakes
Newsreels
Unedited
Subject
Bourbon Street (New Orleans, La.)
Sexuality and culture
Carnival
Alcoholic beverages
Entertainers
New Orleans (La.)
Related Collections
SUBSERIES VIII: Culture & Leisure

Related Places
North America ➜ United States ➜ Louisiana ➜ New Orleans

Main Credits
Koza, Frank (is filmmaker)

Participants And Performers
Jada (is interviewee)
Koza, Frank (is interviewer)

 
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