Lady of Burlesque *** (1943, Barbara Stanwyck, Michael O’Shea, J Edward Bromberg, Iris Adrian, Gloria Dickson) – Classic Movie Review 7,498

Striptease queen Gypsy Rose Lee tried her hand at writing with the 1941 burlesque mystery novel The G-String Murders, which was made into the 1943 musical comedy-mystery movie Lady of Burlesque, starring Barbara Stanwyck as stripper Dixie Daisy.

When strip tease queen turned actress Gypsy Rose Lee’s short-lived film career was in decline, she tried her hand at writing with the 1941 burlesque mystery novel The G-String Murders, which was successful and was made into director William A Wellman’s 1943 musical comedy-mystery movie Lady of Burlesque, starring Barbara Stanwyck.

With her brassy persona fitting exactly into the world of burlesque, Stanwyck is on spunky form and gives even more than her usual fiery performance as Deborah Hoople, aka Dixie Daisy, the striptease lady who strips while singing ‘Take It Off the E-String’ (written by Sammy Cahn and Harry Akst), in this niftily played, entertaining mystery with the emphasis on comedy, plus a little music on the side (also Frank Fenton performs So This Is You, written by Cahn and Akst).

The atmospheric yarn, effectively based on stripper-actress Gypsy Rose Lee’s insider-knowledge novel The G-String Murders, has prime suspect Dixie Daisy (Stanwyck) setting off on a murder inquiry to uncover the real killer at the burlesque theatre after two members of the group of  strippers are killed and the others work together to find out who the killer is before he or she kills again.

Director Wellman keeps it moving along and enjoyable, and conjures up a good flavour of the old New York City burlesque houses. Victoria Faust plays diva Lolita La Verne, Dixie’s rival, and Stephanie Bachelor plays the Princess Nirvena, the former star who had an affair with the boss. James Gunn’s screenplay is a faithful, though sanitised adaptation of the novel, with movie censorship damping the fun.

Lady of Burlesque (1943) with Iris Adrian and Barbara Stanwyck.

Also in the cast are Michael O’Shea as romantic interest Biff Brannigan, J Edward Bromberg as S B Foss, Iris Adrian as worldly showgirl Gee Gee Graham, Gloria Dickson as Dolly Baxter, Charles Dingle as Inspector Harrigan, George Chandler as prop boy Jake, Marion Martin as Alice Angel, Pete Gordon as Officer Pat Kelly, Frank Fenton as Russell Rogers, Pinky Lee as supporting player Mandy, Frank Conroy as ‘Stacchi’ Stacciaro, Lew Kelly as The Hermit, Claire Carleton as Sandra, Gerald Mohr as Louie Grindero, Pinky Lee, Janis Carter, Eddie Gordon, Florence Auer, Eddie Borden, Joan Dale, Joe Devlin, Kit Guard, Bert Hanlon, Louise LaPlanche, Maxine Leslie, Jean Longworth, Lou Lubin, Don Lynn, Sid Marion, Noel Neill, Marjorie Raymond, Joette Robinson, Barbara Slater, Lee Trent, Elinor Troy, Fred Walburn, Isabel Withers, and Beal Wong.

Lady of Burlesque is also known as The G-String Murders and was called Striptease Lady in the UK.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7,498

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Marion Martin and Gloria Dickson in Lady of Burlesque (1943).