Lady of Burlesque

It's common knowledge that Barbara Stanwyck could play anything, but one of her quirkiest parts has to be Dixie Daisy, the brusque, gutsy, sassy, titular Lady of Burlesque. Some might think portraying a sexy dancer at a seedy New York City theater might be a stretch for Stanwyck, but the four-time Oscar nominee got her start as a chorus girl on Broadway and brings that experience to this risqué role. She sings (though she's no threat to Judy Garland), shimmies, bumps and grinds as much as the censors would allow, does the splits, performs cartwheels, and trades quips with the comics in this rollicking backstage comedy. And if that isn't enough, she's also both a suspect and a detective when a couple of fellow chorines are found dead in the communal dressing room.

Based on The G-String Murders, a novel by Gypsy Rose Lee - who knew more than a little bit about the burlesque milieu - Lady of Burlesque deftly mixes laughs with mystery and suspense. (A famous striptease artist, Lee would later pen her autobiography, which would spawn the legendary Broadway musical Gypsy in 1959 and a blockbuster movie adaptation in 1962.) Though it paints a highly sanitized picture of burlesque - no one removes any clothing, the jokes are antiseptically clean, and any lewd gyrations are only hinted at - the film's slinky costumes and raucous atmosphere provide enough flavor to give us the gist of what this very popular form of entertainment was all about. Sadly, producer Hunt Stromberg ditched the titillating title of Lee's book (he reportedly claimed a survey revealed most Americans had no idea what a g-string was), but the censors somehow permitted the wispy undergarment to remain the murder weapon.

An independent production that was shot quickly on a shoestring (g-string?) budget, Lady of Burlesque takes place entirely within the dilapidated theater's walls. That lends both authenticity and claustrophobia to the tale, which chronicles the efforts of Daisy, the troupe's new headliner, to clear her name and find a killer whose motive is unclear. Unpopular with her castmates, many of whom resent her elevated status, Daisy must also navigate the minefield of bloated egos, bitter rivalries, and ceaseless bickering in the cramped dressing room, which often looks and sounds more like a henhouse. Daisy can dish it out, but she can take it, too, and sticking to her like glue, whether she likes it or not, is the alternately annoying and endearing Irish comic Biff Brannigan (Michael O'Shea). Daisy initially gives the hopelessly smitten Biff the brush-off, but of course, he melts her defenses as tensions begin to rise.

Lady of Burlesque marked the fifth and final collaboration between Stanwyck and director William A. Wellman, a four-time Best Director Oscar nominee and an Oscar winner for his original story for 1937's A Star Is Born. A huge Stanwyck admirer, Wellman shows off his star in the best possible way, but also embraces the offbeat material, adopts just the right madcap tone, maintains a brisk pace throughout, and adroitly manages the ensemble cast of brassy, brazen burlesque dancers who snipe, snarl, cackle, and crack wise in a cacophonous symphony throughout the film.

Stanwyck looks beautiful in her slinky Edith Head gowns, but doesn't let the glamor keep her from exhibiting a blue-collar attitude and speaking in her native Brooklyn-ese. She also sings for herself. (Yes, you read that right.) Her raw rendition of the clever, bouncy tune "Take It Off the E-String, Put It on the G-String" is both spirited and slightly cringe-worthy, but hey, isn't that kind of the point? Daisy is performing in a burlesque hall, after all, not Broadway's Belasco Theater. She's on the D list trying to work her way out of the theatrical gutter and gain some respect, and Stanwyck transmits that tough-minded attitude with typical aplomb. Her role may not be taxing, but it's unique - at least for her. It's a change-of-pace, kick-up-your-heels (literally!) kind of part, and therein lies its appeal. It's pretty safe to say you've never seen Stanwyck like this.

O'Shea makes his film debut here, and he and Stanwyck enjoy a comfortable rapport. Though he never made much of a splash in Hollywood, the energetic O'Shea exudes plenty of Irish charm and makes a believable low-level, low-talent comedian. Charles Dingle, best known for playing the wily Ben Hubbard opposite Bette Davis' bitchy Regina in the excellent screen adaptation of Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes, shines as the police inspector investigating the murders, and a flamboyant group of chorus girls led by Iris Adrian, Gloria Dickson, and Marion Martin (nicknamed "Hollywood's Blonde Menace") spice up and rough up the proceedings.

Lady of Burlesque is not a great film, but it's a fun Stanwyck departure that mixes music, murder, comic mayhem, and a touch of romance while saluting a bygone form of risqué entertainment. Stanwyck looks like she's having a ball, and her contagious enthusiasm bolsters the appeal of this madcap curio.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
Lady of Burlesque arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case inside a sleeve. A 12-page booklet with an essay by Susan King and both color and black-and-white photos is tucked inside the front cover. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4, and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu without music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.

Now this is a bona fide restoration! My lukewarm reaction to Film Masters' recent remastered editions of the previously released Kansas City Confidential and The Red House made me a tad skeptical regarding the label's highly touted release of Lady of Burlesque, but this 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer struck from a 4K scan of 35mm archival elements is truly something to see! Vibrant, bursting with fine detail, and boasting supreme clarity and contrast, this dazzling rendering maintains a lovely film-like feel as it faithfully honors the beautiful cinematography of Robert De Grasse, who received his sole Oscar nomination for the screwball comedy Vivacious Lady five years before.

The original grain structure remains intact and nicely augments the dingy setting. Blacks are rich, whites are bright and stable, and a wide grayscale helps define the textures of the gaudy costumes and accoutrements. Shadow delineation is quite good and sharp close-ups flatter Stanwyck and all of her burlesque cronies. Though several missing frames throughout the presentation (surely a byproduct of the movie's decades-long relegation to the public domain) disrupt the film's fluidity, no other defects could be detected. The source is clean and free of any nicks, marks, dirt, or scratches. This transfer is leaps and bounds ahead of any previous Lady of Burlesque rendering and will surely thrill Stanwyck's legion of fans.

The audio also has been remastered, but the results aren't quite as good as the video. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track sounds a bit hollow and tinny at times, which makes some of the dialogue difficult to comprehend, especially during rapid-fire exchanges and scenes with lots of commotion. Arthur Lange's music score garnered the film's only Oscar nomination, and a wide dynamic scale handles all of its brassy highs and lows with ease. Sonic accents are crisp and no age-related hiss, pops, or crackle intrude.

Just a couple of extras adorn the disc.

• Audio Commentary by Karen Burroughs Hannsberry
• Theatrical Trailer (HD, 90 seconds) - The film's original preview looks pretty spiffy as well.

An often overlooked jewel in Stanwyck's glittering cinematic crown, Lady of Burlesque bounces along, thanks to its motley crew of colorful characters, Wellman's brisk direction, and the spunk and spirit of its magnetic leading lady. The stunning restoration by Film Masters completely revitalizes this once neglected title that fans of Stanwyck and Golden Age Hollywood should welcome back with open arms. Highly Recommended.