Nai Bonet

Nai Bonet
Born January 1945
Saigon, Vietnam
Years active 1964–1980

Nai Bonet is an Vietnamese belly-dancer, singer and film actress. Born in Saigon to a Vietnamese mother and French father,[1] 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.[2] 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,[3] and she filmed a music video for the song[4] which was featured on Scopitone video jukeboxes.[5]

In the 1970s, Bonet decided to focus exclusively on her acting career, "But I wasn't getting anywhere in pictures," she said in 1978.[6] After conceiving, producing and starring in two film flops (1979's Nocturna and 1980's Hoodlums), Bonet gave up her career.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1964 Diary of a Bachelor Bachelorette
1965 John Goldfarb, Please Come Home Specialty Dancer
1965 The Beverly Hillbillies Second 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

  1. ↑ "Belly Dance -- in Opera'". Tucson Daily Citizen. February 14, 1966.
  2. ↑ "Nocturna - Nai Bonet Biography" (Press release). Compass International, Inc. 1979.
  3. ↑ "Jelly Belly/The Seventh Veil - Rate Your Music". Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  4. ↑ "YouTube - Nai Bonet - Jelly Belly music video". Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  5. ↑ "Scopitones by Artist: A to B". Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  6. ↑ Wilson, Earl (September 30, 1978). "Belly Dancer in Dracula Film?". Daily Intelligencer.

External links