This was the week that was: Lewd and rude

Today On this day in 1972 a gig by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention at the Albert Hall in London was cancelled because of the "obscene lyrics" in one of their numbers. (Only one?)

Tomorrow At the 1893 Four Arts Ball at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, an artist's model named Mona performed the first strip tease. Troops were mobilised to quell the student riot that was triggered off by her subsequent prosecution and fine.

Wednesday Glenn Miller received the first gold disc in 1942 for his "Chattanooga Choo Choo", although the first real million-seller was probably Caruso singing "On with the Motley" from I Pagliacci. In 1988 John Gielgud trod the boards in The Best of Friends, with the longest role played by an 83-year-old.

Thursday Burt Reynolds (above), the footballer-turned-actor-turned-first male nude centre spread in Cosmopolitan, was born, in 1936. He pops up, as it were, in the recent film about blue-movies, Boogie Nights.

Friday The music hall mega-star Marie Lloyd was born in 1870. Her repertoire included "She'd Never had her Ticket Punched Before" and "A Little of What you Fancy does you Good". A little of what she fancied got her divorced twice for adultery.

Saturday Georges Rouault, one of the few painters with four contiguous vowels, died in 1958. Beginning as a glass engraver, he switched to painting prostitutes, clowns and - purely imaginary, of course - evil lawyers.

Sunday The first night of The Importance of Being Earnest was the place to be seen in 1895, but pretty soon being caught in the audience of an Oscar Wilde play was about as fashionable as being a Euro MP caught in Customs with gay porn. If it's any consolation to the ghosts of the Bugs Moran gang, who were shot in Chicago 70 years ago, the St Valentine's Day Massacre inspired a great opening scene for Some Like it Hot.