Lady of Burlesque (1943) is an American comedy mystery film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Barbara Stanwyck. The movie is based on the novel The G-String Murders (1941) by burlesque queen Gypsy Rose Lee. The supporting cast includes Michael O'Shea, Iris Adrian, Gloria Dixon, Charles Dingle, Frank Conroy, and Pinky Lee.
Set in the bustling world of a New York City burlesque
house, Lady of Burlesque follows the arrival of Dixie Daisy (Stanwyck),
a talented and brassy performer who quickly becomes the theater’s star
attraction. As she navigates the colorful and often chaotic backstage
environment, Dixie finds herself dealing with a range of eccentric
personalities, from jealous rivals to a persistent comic named Biff Brannigan
(O’Shea) who is determined to win her heart. Despite her initial reluctance to
mingle with her colleagues, Dixie is soon drawn into the tight-knit “family” of
performers who struggle to keep the show running amidst the threat of police
raids and financial instability.
The atmosphere of the Old Opera House turns dark when a
series of mysterious murders shakes the troupe. The victims are strangled with
a peculiar weapon—a silk G-string—which casts a shadow of suspicion over
everyone in the theater, including the stagehands, the musicians, and the
dancers themselves. As the body count rises and the police investigation
intensifies, the once-vibrant theater becomes a maze of secrets and hidden
motives. Dixie, who finds herself personally targeted by the unseen killer, realizes
that she cannot rely solely on the authorities to solve the crime and protect
her friends.
In a race against time, Dixie utilizes her sharp wit and
insider knowledge of the theater to conduct her own investigation. She sifts
through the personal vendettas and romantic entanglements of her coworkers,
trying to unmask the killer before they strike again. The film blends elements
of musical comedy with a tense whodunit mystery, culminating in a high-stakes
trap set by Dixie to lure the murderer into the light. Throughout the ordeal,
the resilience of the performers shines through as they attempt to balance the “show
must go on” mentality with the growing danger lurking in the wings.
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| Iris Adrian and Barbara Stanwyck |
William A. Wellman (1896 – 1975) was an American
film director. He started his directorial career in silent films. Wellman
directed Wings (1927), which was the first film to win the
Academy Award for Best Picture at the 1st Academy Awards ceremony. Wellman
directed two classic films released in 1937: Nothing Sacred and A
Star is Born. Other important films directed by Wellman include Beau
Geste (1939), Roxie Hart (1942), The Story of
G.I. Joe (1945), Yellow Sky (1948), Battleground (1949),
and The High and the Mighty (1954).
Barbara Stanwyck (1907 – 1990) was an American
film star who got her acting start with a supporting role on Broadway in a play
called The Noose (1926). The next year she had the lead in
another Broadway production, Burlesque, which was a huge hit.
She eventually made it to Hollywood, where her success was not immediate.
Director Frank Capra saw something in Stanwyck, and he educated her in
filmmaking and film acting, and the rest is history. Stanwyck was nominated four
times for the Best Actress Oscar—Stella Dallas (1937), Ball
of Fire (1941), Double Indemnity (1945), Sorry,
Wrong Number (1948)—and remains one of the most beloved movie stars
from Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Click HERE to watch the movie on the Internet Archive.
Click HERE to join the online discussion on January 12,
2025, at 6L30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation
and a link to join the discussion on Zoom.
Lady of Burlesque trivia
The Censored Title: The film is based on the 1941
mystery novel The G-String Murders by the famous burlesque star Gypsy
Rose Lee. However, the Hays Office (the Hollywood censors of the time)
found the original title too scandalous for movie marquees. They eventually
settled on Lady of Burlesque, though they still expressed concern about
a "G-string" being used as the murder weapon in the plot.
Stanwyck’s Genuine Skills: Long before she became a
Hollywood icon, Barbara Stanwyck worked as a chorus girl in the Ziegfeld
Follies and other New York nightclubs. Because of this background, she
performed all her own dancing and singing in the film, including impressive
physical feats like a Russian kick dance and full splits—all while wearing high
heels.
A "Lark" for a Legendary Director: The film
was directed by William A. Wellman, who is better known for gritty
masterpieces like Wings (the first Best Picture winner) and The
Ox-Bow Incident. Interestingly, The Ox-Bow Incident was released the
same year; Wellman and Stanwyck reportedly viewed Lady of Burlesque as a
"fun lark" to work on between their more serious projects.
Public Domain Status: Due to a failure to renew the
copyright by the original holder, the film fell into the public domain.
This is why you can find countless versions of it on YouTube, bargain-bin DVDs,
and streaming services. A new 4K Blu-ray restoration from Film Masters with an audio
commentary by our very own Karen Burroughs Hannsberry.
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| The ladies of burlesque |
Discussion questions
1. The “Show Must Go On” vs. The Murder Mystery
Lady of Burlesque is a unique hybrid of a
lighthearted backstage musical and a dark, pulpy whodunit.
- Discussion
Point: Does the film successfully balance these two tones? Do the
musical numbers and comedy routines (like the “Pickle Persuader”) heighten
the suspense by providing a “normal” backdrop, or do they distract from
the urgency of the murders?
2. Dixie Daisy: Agency and Ambition
Barbara Stanwyck’s character, Dixie (born Deborah Hoople),
explicitly mentions her desire to leave burlesque for the “legitimate” stage.
- Discussion
Point: How does Dixie’s ambition influence her actions throughout the
movie? Unlike many “damsel in distress” archetypes of the 1940s, she takes
an active role in the investigation. Does her background as a self-made
performer make her a more effective "sleuth" than the actual
police in the film?
3. The Portrayal of the Burlesque Community
The film depicts the theater troupe as a “little family,”
complete with internal rivalries (like the tension between Dixie and Lolita La
Verne) and deep-seated loyalties.
- Discussion
Point: How does the movie challenge or reinforce 1940s stereotypes
about burlesque performers? Consider the scene where the producer gives
the performers stock in the company—does this suggest a level of
professional respect and solidarity that contradicts the “seedy”
reputation of the industry?
4. Censorship and the “Unseen” Conflict
Because of the Hays Code, the film could not show actual
striptease or use the book’s original title, The G-String Murders.
- Discussion
Point: How does the film use “suggestion” to get around the censors?
For example, consider the costumes or the way the G-string is discussed as
a weapon. Does the censorship actually make the film more creative in its
storytelling, or does it feel like something essential is missing from the
world Gypsy Rose Lee originally described?
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