The Mighty Mannequin

May 29, 2007 1:13 PM

Joan Rhodes, strong woman. Born ca. 1920 in England, as Josie Terena, ‘Joan Rhodes became famous in the 1950s and 60s as a strong woman,’ sometimes billed as The Mighty Mannequin. ‘She performed in cabaret, variety and vaudeville, stunning audiences with her amazing feats of strength. She could bend heavy steel bars that no man in the audience could even dent, she could break six-inch nails with her hands, and she could tear the 1000 page London phone book not merely in half, but into quarters.’
posted by misteraitch (9 comments total)

How to tear a phonebook in half
posted by LordSludge at 1:18 PM on May 29, 2007

I’d not heard of Ms Rhodes until seeing her interviewed on a British chat-show yesterday, promoting her forthcoming autobiography Coming on Strong, which had been provisionally (and I think better) titled Men I Picked Up.
posted by misteraitch at 1:21 PM on May 29, 2007

Phew! Is it hot in here, or is it just me?

Seriously, cool post: lots of meety content. Thanks!
posted by serazin at 1:40 PM on May 29, 2007

"meety"? What's with me?
posted by serazin at 1:42 PM on May 29, 2007

Totally loved it.

Tons of questions - so I kinda hope we hear more of her if she's promoting her book - like did she ever seriously consider anything outside the blonde bombshell novelty circuit? And does her strength appear to be off the charts by modern standards?

Who was the UK chat show interviewer, misteraitch?
posted by Jody Tresidder at 1:57 PM on May 29, 2007

Jody: she was on yesterday’s New Paul O’Grady Show.
posted by misteraitch at 2:04 PM on May 29, 2007

Goddess.
I am impressed, and a little excited.
posted by Iron Rat at 2:29 PM on May 29, 2007

Anybody else flash on the Bond villain Zenia Onatopp from Goldeneye?
posted by pax digita at 9:19 PM on May 29, 2007

Xenia Onatopp
posted by LordSludge at 1:51 PM on May 30, 2007