Lady of Burlesque (1943)

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

James Gunn (writer)
Gypsy Rose Lee (novel)

Release Date:

1 May 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Music | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

GIRLS and GAGS! MUSIC and MIRTH!

Plot:

Sassy Dixie Daisy is the hot new attraction at a former opera house that's been turned into a burlesque theater...

Plot Keywords:

Theater | Burlesque | Grandfather Granddaughter Relationship | New York City | Rivalry

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Barbara Stanwyck	...	Deborah Hoople, aka Dixie Daisy
Michael O'Shea	...	Biff Brannigan
Iris Adrian	...	Gee Gee Graham
Charles Dingle	...	Inspector Harrigan
J. Edward Bromberg	...	S.B. Foss
Frank Conroy	...	'Stacchi' Stacciaro
Victoria Faust	...	Lolita La Verne
Gloria Dickson	...	Dolly Baxter
Marion Martin	...	Alice Angel
Frank Fenton	...	Russell Rogers
Stephanie Bachelor	...	The Princess Nirvena
Pinky Lee	...	Mandy
Eddie Gordon	...	Officer Pat Kelly
Janis Carter	...	Janine
Lou Lubin	...	Moey, the Candy Butcher
Gerald Mohr	...	Louie Grindero
Bert Hanlon	...	Sammy
Claire Carleton	...	Sandra
George Chandler	...	Jake, stagehand
Lee Trent	...	Comic
Don Lynn	...	Comic
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Florence Auer	...	Policewoman (uncredited)
Valmere Barman	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Ted Billings	...	Man in Audience (uncredited)
Eddie Borden	...	Man in audience (uncredited)
Carol Carrolton	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Gerry Coonen	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Kernan Cripps	...	Cop (uncredited)
Joan Dale	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Joe Devlin	...	Detective (uncredited)
Mary Gail	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Virginia Gardner	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Kit Guard	...	Hank, stagehand (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Cop in Courtroom Skit (uncredited)
Oscar 'Dutch' Hendrian	...	Beer Keg Deliveryman (uncredited)
Dave Kashner	...	Cossack (uncredited)
Lew Kelly	...	The Hermit (uncredited)
Louise La Planche	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Maxine Leslie	...	Dancer (uncredited)
George Lloyd	...	Fingerprint Technician (uncredited)
Jean Longworth	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Sidney Marion	...	Joey, Comic (uncredited)
Frank Moran	...	Beer Keg Deliveryman (uncredited)
Noel Neill	...	(uncredited)
Bob Perry	...	Theater Night Watchman (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Charlie, Bartender (uncredited)
Marjorie Raymond	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Joette Robinson	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Barbara Slater	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Elinor Troy	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Fred Walburn	...	Messenger boy (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Man in Audience (uncredited)
Isabel Withers	...	Teletype operator (uncredited)
Beal Wong	...	James Wong, Waiter (uncredited)

Directed by
William A. Wellman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
James Gunn		writer
Gypsy Rose Lee		novel "The G-String Murders"

Produced by
Hunt Stromberg	....	producer

Original Music by
Arthur Lange

Cinematography by
Robert De Grasse		(as Robert de Grasse)

Casting by
Robert Stirling		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Joseph B. Platt

Art Direction by
Bernard Herzbrun

Costume Design by
Natalie Visart

Makeup Department
Hollis Barnes	....	hair stylist: Ms. Stanwyck (uncredited)
Nina Roberts	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Robert Stephanoff	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Joseph C. Gilpin	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sam Nelson	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Eloise Jensson	....	art titles (uncredited)

Sound Department
Charles Althouse	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Edith Head	....	costumes: Dixie

Editorial Department
James E. Newcom	....	supervising editor

Other crew
Daniel Dare	....	dance director (as Danny Dare)

Production Companies

• Hunt Stromberg Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Astor Pictures Corporation (1952) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Image Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD) (VHS)
• Troma Team Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• S. P. I. C. (1947) (France) (theatrical)
• Bach Films (2009) (France) (DVD)
• Englewood Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (1997) (Canada) (VHS)
• Miracle Pictures (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (video)
• Reel Media International (2005) (worldwide) (TV)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Roan Group, The (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Tapeworm Video Distributors (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• United American Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• VCI Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Striptease Lady (UK)
The G-String Murders

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Sweden:15

Company:

Hunt Stromberg Productions

Trivia:

Craig Rice, mystery writer from the 1940s and roommate of Gypsy Rose Lee, ghost-wrote "The G-String Murders" for her.

Quotes:

Biff: What's the matter with comics?
Dixie: I went into show business when I was seven years old. Two days later the first comic I ever met stole my piggy bank in a railroad station in Portland. When I was 11 the comics were looking at my ankles. When I was 14 they were...just looking. When I was 20 I'd been stuck with enough lunch checks to pay for a three-story house. Naw, they're shiftless, dame-chasing, ambitionless...

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Lady in Question Is Charles Busch (2005)

Soundtrack:

So This Is You

Stanwyck Takes it Off The E-String and Plays it on The G-String

Director William A. Wellman gives us Lady of Burlesque a boisterous whodunit played out in an old burlesque theatre. Based on Gypsy Rose Lee's novel The G-String Murders theres plenty of humor surrounding the murders with wisecracks left and right. Theres some bumps and grinds but no stripping due to the movie code at that time. Of course we have the wonderful Barbara Stanwyck here who dazzles us with some neat song and dance routines. Also a lovely bunch of beauties in scanty costumes including gum snapping Gee Gee (Iris Adrian), troubled Dolly (Gloria Dickson), gorgeous Alice (Marion Martin), Lolita (Victoria Faust) and Princess Nirvena (Stephanie Bachelor) both delightfully bitchy. Theres also Michael O' Shea and Pinky Lee involved in the mystery and humor at the old former opera house. So "Take It Off The E-String, Play It On The G-String" (song) and have a good time. Oscar nominee for Best Score.