Lady of Burlesque


Lady of Burlesque is a 1943 American musical comedy-mystery film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Michael O'Shea. It is a faithful, if sanitized, adaptation of the novel The G-String Murders written by strip tease queen Gypsy Rose Lee.

Plot

The backstage plot concerns the murder of two strippers of a New York City burlesque theatre and the unmasking of the killer.

Cast

Production

The film was produced by Hunt Stromberg, costumes by Edith Head, and filmed on a 21-day shooting schedule on sound stages at RKO's Encino movie ranch.
The film depicted as much as censors would allow with respect to the nature of "bumps and grinds", as well as the slapdash nature of burlesque shows.

Soundtrack

Songs include "Take It Off the E String, Play It on the G String", sung by Stanwyck.

Reception

The film made $2 million and earned a hefty profit of $650,000.
Arthur Lange was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Music Score of a Drama or Comedy Picture.

Gallery