Lipstick & Dynamite Trailer (2005)

Chicago, IL: Before Hulk Hogan, The Rock, and the stars of Vince McMahon’s WWE took pro wrestling to new heights in American culture, pro wrestling was a small, relatively disorganized network of small time promoters, con-men, and over-the-top characters who brought their unique brand of showmanship to audiences around the nation. A cornerstone of the success of these promotions was the rise of women’s professional wrestling in the 1940’s and 50’s. Lipstick and Dynamite is a look into the lives of the women who made their living on the professional wrestling circuit.

Full of outstanding archival footage of wrestlers like The Fabulous Moolah and Johnnie Mae Young, Lipstick and Dynamite is primarily concerned with the lives of hardship and hard work these superstars of the ring created for themselves. It could have been the sex, money, injuries, and intrigue that dominated their lives on the road, but the competitive passion of these women have for their sport shines through in director Ruth Leitman’s touching portrait of women who lived hard, and fought even harder.