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"Sidney Lust girls." Circa 1919, two of Washington, D.C., movie theater owner Sidney Lust's chorus girls, seen earlier out of costume. National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. View full size.
Seems to me that in the early part of the century, the girl-watchers preferred the meatier ones, unlike today. I remember my father saying he liked "something to hang onto." I also have some old posters from that era advertising weight-gaining tonic to make you pleased with "your husband's proud gaze." Standards have changed.
Your memory is right. Starting in the late 60s, the Lust Theaters ran what would be called "soft core" porn today, but was on the edge for movie theaters of the day. Lots of bare breasts, shower scenes, and other "suggestive" situations. No male nudity or full female nudity.
They went to this format because the Lust houses were primarily in declining areas and had lost the family or "date night" trade. By the mid-70s, they had moved into the hard core porn then flourishing, and eventually all closed down as their locations came to be seen as too dangerous for most pornophiles.
Did this fellow's chain of theaters eventually -- say, by the late 70s -- begin showing only "adult" movies? I grew up in DC and seem to remember that his listings were always in the smaller print next to the regular theaters.
These two hadn't been girls for a long time.
We see these two so often maybe they should be the Official Shorpy Girls.
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