| DVD: www.amazon.com thefilmarchive.org Lady of Burlesque (also known as The G-String Murders and in the UK, Striptease Lady) is a 1943 American mystery film starring Barbara Stanwyck and Michael O'Shea, based on the novel The G-String Murders written by famous strip tease artist Gypsy Rose Lee (with ghost-writing assistance from mystery writer Craig Rice). The plot concerns the murder of two strippers, backstage of a New York burlesque theatre and the detection of the killer. The film is a faithful, if sanitized due to the censorship of the time, adaptation of the original novel, although Gypsy Rose Lee, who appears as a character in her own book, is here renamed "Dixie Daisy" (Stanwyck). Michael O'Shea plays her romantic interest, comedian Biff Brannigan, and Iris Adrian portrays a showgirl. Pinky Lee, a burlesque comic in real life, is another notable supporting player, as is Gerald Mohr as villain Louie Grindero. The film depicted as much as the censors would allow with respect to the precise nature of "bumps" and "grinds", and the slapdash nature of burlesque shows. Songs include "Take it off the E string, play it on the G string", rendered by Stanwyck. Barbara Stanwyck (July 16, 1907 -- January 20, 1990) was an American actress. A film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra. After a short but ... |
