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South African actress and dancer Juliet Prowse. Photo outsourced from

Top 10 Facts about Juliet Prowse

Juliet Anne Prowse was born on September 25, 1936, in Bombay, British India. She was a dancer and actress whose career included film, television and stage.

She was well known for her attractive legs and her height made her the best ballerina dancer, successfully dancing in nightclubs and on stage, earning thousands of dollars.

Here are top 10 facts about Juliet Prowse.

1. Juliet Prowse Was Raised in South Africa

Juliet was born in Bombay, British India, to an English father and South African mother. Her father passed away  when she was three years old.

After World War II, her mother returned to South Africa with her and her brother, where she was raised and started studying dance a year later at the age of four.

Juliet trained as a ballerina with Johannesburg鈥檚 Festival Ballet when she was 14. Her ballet career was successful by her height, 5 feet 8 inches.

2. A Talent Agent spotted her in A Club

In her twenties, Juliet was dancing at a club in 麻豆APP when she was spotted by a talent agent and eventually signed.

She starred a role of Claudine in the Waiter Lang Film can-can (1960). She missed a few opportunities to go to Hollywood because she was under contract.

3. Juliet was a dancer

Juliet Prowse with male dancers in The Jonathan Winters Show. Photo from

Juliet started learning  to be a dancer from the age of 4. She was attending the Royal Academy of Dance. When she was 14, she was deemed too tall to enter the world of ballet.

Later she signed as a chorus dancer with the London palladium and started her dancing career as a dancer in European nightclubs.

When she was 22, she was recruited by the 20th-century Fox at the urging of choreographer Hermes Pan, considered her one of the world鈥檚 best dancers.

Throughout mod the 1980s and 1990s, Prowse hosted the championship Ballroom Dance Competition on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

4. Juliet Prowse Was Signed for Movie Roles

Hollywood choreographer Hermes Pan spotted her and signed to a role in the movie Can-can (1959). This movie made Juliet capture the international spotlight.

Nikita Khrushchev, a soviet leader, visited the set of the file Can-can for the Russian leader; he proclaimed her dance immoral.

The denouncing brought Prowse considerable attention in the United States. From there, her career accelerated and raised to fame with her dancing and acting skills.

She met Frank Sinatra on the set of Can-can. Time didn鈥檛 rate the can-can movie highly but declared Prowse the best thing in it.

In 1959 Juliet appeared in Frank Sinatra’s show with Sinatra and other famous guests such as ,The Hi-Lo鈥檚, Ella Fitzgerald, Hermione Gingold, Peter Lawford,, Red Norvo and Nelson Riddle.

In 1960 Prowse co-starred alongside Elvis Presley in G.I Blue and also made a brief cameo appearance in the metro-Goldwyn mayor documentary film, Elvis: That鈥檚 the way it is in 1970 as an interview audience member about to attend Elvis Presley鈥檚 opening night show at the international hotel in Las Vegas on August 10, 1970.

5. Juliet Las Vegas Show Was Successful

Juliet’s film and television career didn鈥檛 make her as big a star as she predicted; Prowse had a rather philosophical way of looking at it. She said, 鈥淭hings generally happen for the best. —I never worry about what happens in my career because I can always do something else鈥�.

Later her Las Vegas shows were successful in getting his salary. Juliet stated that Las Vegas was her most demanding place ever. She later won Entertainer of the year for the Vegas run of sweet charity.

6. Juliet Prowse Relationship

Juliet Prowse & Elvis Presley. Photo outsourced from

In 1959 Juliet had an affair with an American singer, actor and producer, Frank Sinatra. Sinatra admired her so much that he described her as 鈥渢he sexiest dancer I鈥檝e ever seen鈥�.

Sinatra and Prowse announced their engagement in 1962, and soon afterward, they broke up. Prowse quit the engagement because she wanted to concentrate on her career.

Prowse later admitted, 鈥淚 was as much flattered as I saw in love. He (Sinatra) was a complex person and after a few drinks, he could be very difficult鈥�.

In 1960 she also dated the sensation singing and actor Elvis Presley during the shoot of G.I Blues. She once said, 鈥淓lvis and I had an affair. —We had sexual attraction like two healthy young people, but he was already a victim of his fans. We always met in his room and never went out鈥�.

Juliet got married to Eddie James in 1969 but later divorced in 1970. After their divorce, she started dating television actor John McCook.

John McCook got informally married to Juliet in 1972 and had only one child, Set. Sadly, their son died on September 14, 1996.

7. Juliet Is Known for Her Attractive Legs

Juliet had arguably the best legs since Betty Grable after her death. Juliet used to show off her famous dancer鈥檚 legs in a series of Lucrative nationwide commercials for several advertisers, including Legg鈥檚 hoslery and Mannington flooring.

During her 1970s L鈥檈ggs, Pantyhouse commercials, at least every hour, she would fly across a television show off a fantastic pair of endless long, unbelievably shapy legs.

As one watched the show, you could see her give a quick kick of her high-heeled feet and shocking leg, extending well beyond her beautiful redhead and casually smile and say, 鈥淎s a dancer, my legs are my fortune鈥�.

8. Juliet Prowse’s Film Career Was Not a Success

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Her film career didn鈥檛 soar as high and long as she and many predicted, but she found lasting success in television specials, stage, musicals and nightclubs, regularly getting paid thousands of dollars a week.

9. Juliet Won an Award

Her career was successful and she was awarded an award for her outstanding dancing skills. She won Entertainer of the year for the Vegas run of Sweet Charity.

10. She Was Diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer

1994 was a sad year for Juliet after she was discovered with pancreatic cancer. In 1995 she at least felt better and was well enough to tour with Mickey Rooney in Sugar Babies.

Cancer eventually returned and died on September 14, 1996, eleven days before her 60th birthday. She died at her home in Holmby Hills, spokeswoman Marcia n. Groff said.