Nai Bonet is a producer, screenwriter, actress, singer, and belly-dancer. Born Christine Shapazian on January 6, 1939 in Saigon, Vietnam. Bonet began her professional career at age 13, when she headlined as a belly-dancer in a show at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.[1] She began appearing in films in 1964 (frequently portraying a belly-dancer), as well as in television, commercials, variety shows, her photos adorned several album covers and she continued to appear as a night club headliner. In 1966 she released the novelty song Jelly Belly,[2] and she filmed a music video for the song[3] which was featured on Scopitone video jukeboxes.[4]
Nai Bonet | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christine Shapazian January 6, 1939 Saigon, Vietnam |
| Years active | 1964–1980 |
In the 1970s, Bonet decided to focus exclusively on her acting career, "But I wasn't getting anywhere in pictures," she said in 1978.[5] After conceiving, producing and starring in two film flops (1979's Nocturna and 1980's Hoodlums), Bonet gave up her career.
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Diary of a Bachelor | Bachelorette | |
| 1965 | John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! | Specialty Dancer | |
| 1965 | The Beverly Hillbillies | First Harem Girl | Episode: The Sheik |
| 1965 | Boeing Boeing | Air India Stewardess | uncredited |
| 1966 | The Spy with a Cold Nose | Belly Dancer | |
| 1967 | Devil's Angels | Tanya | |
| 1973 | Soul Hustler | Helena | |
| 1973 | The Soul of Nigger Charley | Anita | |
| 1977 | The Greatest | Suzie Gomez | |
| 1977 | Fairy Tales | Sheherazade | |
| 1979 | Nocturna | Nocturna | a.k.a. Nocturna: Granddaughter of Dracula |
| 1980 | Hoodlums | Loretta | a.k.a. Gangsters |
References
edit- ^ "Nocturna - Nai Bonet Biography" (Press release). Compass International, Inc. 1979.
- ^ "Jelly Belly/The Seventh Veil - Rate Your Music". Retrieved 2011-06-27.
- ^ "YouTube - Nai Bonet - Jelly Belly music video". Retrieved 2011-06-27.
- ^ "Scopitones by Artist: A to B". Retrieved 2011-06-27.
- ^ Wilson, Earl (September 30, 1978). "Belly Dancer in Dracula Film?". Daily Intelligencer.