Les Poupées de Paris

Before they finally made their mark on the small screen, the Kroffts had a massive hit on the stage, which was only open to people over 21 years of age. "Les Poupées de Paris" (The Dolls of Paris) first opened in 1961 at the Kroffts' theatre, which was constructed specifically for the show. With elaborate sets such as an ice-skating rink and a waterfall, and lovely ladies with bare, wooden breasts, the show quickly began to build a reputation. The following year, the show started regularly making the rounds at the World's Fair, beginning in Seattle -- where it was quickly denounced by the Reverend Billy Graham because the "women don't wear bras" (when, in fact, they were topless marionettes). Time Magazine ran an article on the show in July, 1962, and immediately Les Poupées ushered in record-breaking crowds.

The brothers Krofft had befriended a variety of stars during their years on stage, so many of the puppets were modeled after celebrities both officially (Cyd Charisse, Pearl Baily, Gene Kelly, Bing Crosby, a topless Mae West) and unofficially (Boris Karloff, Bela Legosi and... Pelvis Essley!) and they enlisted a who's who of stars to record the songs for the show, which were released on a soundtrack album. Hipster Dad posted an über-rare, R-rated program from the show on his blog which varies quite a bit from the album track listing (presumably, like all things Krofft, the show evolved over time).