As rowdy as its subjects, this crowd-pleasing flick celebrates the overlooked "girl wrestlers" of the '40s and '50s. Women like Gladys "Killem" Gillem wrestled women, men, alligators and bears at the dawn of this spectator sport. She and women like her, unafraid of losing a few teeth and breaking a few ribs, hit the road to make new lives for themselves at a time when most women stuck to the kitchen. Hired by post-war carnival promoters as sideshow attractions, they inadvertently flaunted feminism in the ring, while remaining entrenched in the era's stifling sexism outside the ropes. From Ida May Martinez, now a prison nurse, to The Fabulous Moolah, still a top promoter, the women reflect on the ups and downs of their incredible lives, reconciling their wild and flamboyant youth with the realities of growing older.

[ close this window ]