There’s no business like her business

Costa Mesa’s Elizabeth Van Dreel is 78, but she hardly looks the

part.

Van Dreel has led what some would consider a glamorous life. She

has worked as a showgirl, an actress, a model, a dancing and modeling

instructor, and she even dabbled in home decor and real estate.

After leaving her small town in the Midwest at age 17, she headed

for Chicago where she started modeling in fashion shows and took

dance lessons at the Arthur Murray studio. This quickly led to a

dancing career that brought her to California.

Van Dreel worked with some of the biggest names in show business

in the ‘50s, such as Johnny Carson, Jimmy Durante and Mickey Rooney.

She decided to retire from show business several years ago, and

she has spent the past 25 years as a caregiver to sick friends and

family members.

The Daily Pilot’s Lindsay Sandham recently sat down with Van Dreel

to hear about her adventures in show business.

So you grew up in Wisconsin and then moved to Chicago ...

I started modeling. I went to a modeling school and started doing

fashion shows. Then I went to Arthur Murray’s studio when he started

teaching dancing. I had a couple of titles -- one was “Miss $10 a

minute.” Two photographers sued one another over my services.

What do you mean two photographers sued one another over your

services?

One said [the other] monopolized my services and he wanted to use

me, and they were suing one another for $500,000. So it made a lot of

front-page publicity.

So how did you wind up in California?

Well, I worked at Chez Paree in Chicago. That’s when they added

showgirls and I was the first showgirl that Dorothy Dorben put on. We

were called the Dorothy Dorben Adorables. And so I worked for her --

that was in the early ‘50s -- then she transferred to California, and

she asked me to go with her. We went to the Biltmore Bowl, which was

the Biltmore Hotel in downtown L.A. So I worked for her as a line

captain. That means you train the girls for the routines. You learn

and then you train them.

So you must have some pretty crazy stories from that time you

spent as a showgirl in the ‘50s?

It was an interesting time in my life. It was hectic. We never

made a lot of money because people didn’t in those days.

And you did some movie work?

I joined SAG [the Screen Actors Guild] and SEG [the Screen Extras

Guild], and I did a lot of stand-in work also. You stand in for them

[actors] for all the lighting and everything before they take the

shots -- you know, while they’re in make-up -- and you do all the

rehearsing for them and then when they come on the set you show them

where their moves are.

So Ellessa was your stage name?

Ellessa and Betty I also used. For acting, I used Ellessa, and

Betty I used for standing-in and for extra work and for dancing.

Elizabeth, I used for teaching modeling, because it sounds more

formal. I taught all of the different types of classes including

dancing at the modeling studios.

How long have you been in Costa Mesa?

I’ve been here now two years. I tried to retire here about 20

years ago, and for the last 25 years, I’ve been taking care of my

family and they’re all gone now. I was their caregiver. I have had

friends that have been ill, and I have gone to stay with them.

Have you been able to officially retire?

I’m retired, but I still do volunteer work.

What was the last show business work you did?

The last one was working in “[The] Towering Inferno.” I played a

San Francisco socialite.

Out of all the work you’ve done, what was your favorite?

I think working in nightclubs and in movies because it was such a

vast experience working in so many different pictures. One of the

funniest things, I was working at Universal Studios on the back lot.

I had time in between, so I lay down under a tree. And suddenly I was

getting so hot and I couldn’t imagine why, so I opened my eyes and

someone had moved the tree -- it was a prop. I thought that was

amusing at the time.

What are some of the differences you’ve noticed between Hollywood

when you got started and the way it is now?

It was much more proper. We could not show cleavage at all. We

would have to put a scarf on our neckline because it just wasn’t

acceptable. It was very structured and in very good taste, and I

thought it was a wonderful time to actually be in the business. I

wouldn’t enjoy working in it now.