Teresa Wright Mrs. Miniver 1943

The premise of the film “The Imperfect Lady” centers on Teresa Wright’s character (Millicent Hopkins) being shamed by society and her family for being a burlesque dancer who, in the Victorian Era of the 1800s (the time of this film), was classified as a sex worker.

In the puritanical era of the 1800s, society labeled any and all performers to be sex workers, be they actors, dancers, or singers. This is because, during the Victorian era, society considered a woman’s public display of skills on stage to be vulgar.

Historical scholars have written that throughout history, sex work has been associated with many types of dance, even ballet. Maria-Elena Buszek writes in “Representing ‘Awarishness’: Burlesque, Feminist Transgression, and the 19th-Century Pin-up” that in the Victorian era, society viewed a paid female performance as being closely associated with prostitution.

Back to the plot of the movie: Millicent falls in love with a politician but is worried about how her “scandalous” line of work as a dancer will affect his career. Her father has already cut her off for pursuing such an amoral line of work. One night, people mistake her for a prostitute outside the theater! How will she explain all these events to the man she loves?

To read more about other Oscar-winning actresses playing characters working in the sex trade industry, please continue perusing Oscar Hookers