Coccinelle remembers Sabrina

Confidential, September 1962

'Coccinelle' was the stage name of a famous 1960s transsexual actress and performer.

She met Sabrina in Australia.

More information on Coccinelle

If you're really keen, you can download the entire Confidential magazine article about Coccinelle (PDF, 3.7MB).

Shortly after reaching Australia, Lee Gordon launched me on a whirlwind of dinners and parties.

One of those evenings I met Sabrina, the English starlet, a publicity wonder whose career is entirely built on a chest a la Jayne Mansfield ... multiplied by three.

Monumental!

When Francis danced with her he had to shout to make himself heard, he was that far away!

Sabrina ... Hmmm. Another typical show business story. I thought she was a good friend. One day, while shopping in a big store, I discovered some marvelous strass* imported from Austria. I bought some, tried it out, saw that it would make an out-of-this-world stage outfit. That evening, I happened to mention it to Sabrina.

When I went to the shop next day to place my order, zut! — would you believe it? Not a smidge left.

Sabrina had got there before me and bought out the stock. Fortunately, the charming owner re-ordered more for me and had it flown in from Vienna.

Norma Sykes — you know her as Sabrina - was another visitor to the club** I starred in.

*Strass - apparently, is a crystal imitation gemstone that "can be used for a creative make up on the eyes, to imitate a piercing, enhance a tattoo, create a shiny pattern on the body or enhance the nail polish."

** The club was Le Carrousel de Paris - a Parisian cabaret most famous for its 1950s revues of cross-dressing and trans performers such as Coccinelle. (From Wikipedia)