Product Description

A former opera house reopens for business as a burlesque theatre, with Dixie Daisy the prize attraction. Although popular with the customers, she is not so popular with her rivals for the shows top spot, Princess Nirvena and Lolita De Verne. When they are murdered, Dixie Daisy is the prime suspect, but she sets out to find the real killer and clear her name

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28146 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-10-25
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Formats: Black & White, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 90 minutes

Synopsis
When a burlesque theatre opens, Dixie Daisy is catapulted into the limelight as she becomes the star attraction. When her rivals for the top-spot are found murdered, Daisy is the prime suspect, and so embarks on a mission to clear her name...

Customer Reviews

Play it on the G-string
Since "Lady of Burlesque" is based on a Gypsy Rose Lee novel called the "G-String Murders," you can't exactly expect this to be too smart or classy.

But this old Barbara Stanwyck movie is kind of fun to watch -- not only is there a genuinely baffling murder mystery, but there are lots of over-the-top costumes, silly characters, and a street-smart heroine who doesn't let anyone push her around. Oh yes, and the guys will love the jiggle.

At the Grand Ol' Opry, Dixie Daisy (Barbara Stanwyck) is the star burlesque attraction -- she sings, dances, jiggles, and manages not to get embroiled in the backstage catfighting. But soon things take a nasty turn: snotty stripper Lolita is found -- poisoned and strangled with her own G-string. (What a way to go) Perhaps even worse, autocratic Russian diva Princess Nirvena returns to the stage, nudging Daisy off it.

Both the police and Dixie begin investigating who might have killed the dead woman. When Nirvena is found strangled onstage, the Ol' Opry faces indefinite closure. And Dixie begins to uncover a web of blackmail, adultery, suicide and family hatred -- and a very shocking reason why someone has been murdering the girls.

Despite being set in an old burlesque club, don't expect lots of skin. I've seen picnics with a higher sex factor. Instead, the filmmakers had more fun with the murder mystery angle, Stanwyck wittily rejecting a smooth Irish comedian, and the ambitious strippers brawling and verbally slicing each other. It's deliciously catty.

The murder mystery is a pretty solid one, with plenty of suspects and some police chases, only to lose steam near the finale. But the script is tight: the dialogue is as spicy as the 1940s censors would allow, and it's full of snappy one-liners("When I dress for a date with you, it'll be a suit of armor and brass knuckles!"). And the scriptwriters had some fun, with the comics frustrating the cops.

Barbara Stanwyck plays Lee's alter ego, and she does an excellent job. Her Daisy is a street-smart, independent girl who is still warm-hearted and loyal. A few characters -- like the idiot blonde Gee Gee (Iris Adrian) -- are more than a little annoying, but the majority of the supporting cast is solid.

Though "Lady of Burlesque" gets a bit silly at times, it has a solid cast and solid script, making for some fun light entertainment.

Terrific!
I think that the last reviewer must be quite young, I have never known anyone who didn't love this film. Stanwyck, the most versatile of all the Legendary actresses proves here that she hadn't forgot her showgirl roots. She jitterbugs, turns cartwheels, and does the splits. She also gives a great rendition of Sammy Kahn's, "Take it off the E string, play it on the G". She has great support from the wisecracking Iris Adrian, and the lisping Marian Martin. Watch it, you will LOVE it, that is if you have a sense of humour!

Bad
The film is set in a theatre and is a backstage "whodunnit?". After 45
minutes, we start to see a story develop when one of the Burlesque
girls is murdered, but by that stage I was fed up with the film. After
the murder, the film continues to be annoying despite a second murder.
The men are mainly portrayed as jokers and the women swap comments at
break-neck speed in that "wise-crack" style, ie, too fast. Its just all
rather tiresome - the dialogue isn't that funny and sometimes you can't
understand what they are saying.

Judging from what we see of the show that the guys & girls put on for
audiences (Stanwyck singing a very flat song, some lame comedy sketches
and some wooden dancing by Stanwyck), this is a very 3rd-rate group of
entertainers.

Other irritations include the Princess Nirvena (Stephanie Bachelor) who
affects a terrible Russian accent throughout her performance and the
constant references to the world of burlesque as being wild and crazy
by the police inspectors. We see no evidence of this. The only funny
moments come from the girls reactions as a whole in the dressing room.

Its one to avoid.