Janette Boyd

Janette (Janet) Boyd was a Las Vegas Showgirl and Lead Performer for 29 years. She was also a model for world renowned artist Julian Ritter. Julian painted the Silver Slipper Collection which hung at the Silver Slipper Casino from 1950 - 1988, owned by Howard Hughes. Janet first posed for Julian Ritter in 1972 for the Iconic Portrait, 'Janet', which became the largest selling Nude Portrait in the world when published by International Art Publishing in Detroit, MI.. Janet was Julian's favorite model and posed for him through the years, lastly for Ritter's renowned 'Las Vegas Fantasy' in 1984. Her early professional career began in Orange County, California at The Melodyland Theatre. Lying about her age (16) she performed for Frederic Apcar, topless, in Vive Les Girls. Choreographed by the legendary Ron Lewis. Janet worked with other legendary Producers such as Harold Minsky and Barry Ashton. Before she would turn 21, Apcar cast Janet in his upcoming spectacle, 'Casino de Paris', which would open for the first time ever outside of Paris at the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas. Apcar took Janet to Paris to train and to perform onstage in the original Casino De Paris. Her Gowns, Costumes, Shoes, Furs, and Jewels were all custom made for her in Paris. Janet had been Julian Ritter's model and muse for many years and for a period was known as the most photographed woman in Las Vegas. Having been photographed numerous times by photographers such as Robert Scot Hooper and Rollie Hendrickson, and for every magazine around from Fabulous Las Vegas to Playboy (4 times). Janet was the subject of two Playboy articles by Dan Greenburg, and one of the Featured Dancers in the 1986 Documentary "Stripper", Co-Produced by Geof Bartz and Directed by Jerome Gary. Janet Boyd was the Lead Showgirl in Bal du Moulin Rouge at the Hilton International and in a 29 year career Janet performed in an extensive array of shows, including; 'Casino de Paris' at the Dunes, the 'Wonderful World of Burlesque' at the Silver Slipper Casino, 'Folies Bergere' at the Tropicana, 'Lido de Paris' at the Stardust, and the first show in Las Vegas billed as a"Girl-Girl" show, 'Double Exposure' at the Fremont Hotel. She had lots of First, including her eye popping show as "Astradella", at the Silver Slipper Casino. Today, Janet Boyd lives in Southern California, is married to Larry Williams. an Internationally respected Estate and Tax Attorney. She is now Vice President of the Long Beach Shakespeare Company. Janet continues to promote and fundraise for the Company, as well as speaking at various functions around the country. What one might expect of a Nude Las Vegas Showgirl, is not what one might get when talking about Janet Boyd. She was, and remains today, an Iconic figure of the Glamour and Beauty of Old Las Vegas.