Lady of Burlesque 1943

At a New York City burlesque theatre, the story centers on Dixie Daisy Barbara Stanwyck—the stage name of Deborah Hoople—who has become an audience favorite for her singing and striptease numbers. Backstage she navigates a web of mixed interactions: some performers are catty and jealous, while others are warmer, especially Gee Gee Graham Iris Adrian, whose friendship stands out amid the bustle. Nearby, Biff Brannigan [Michael O’Shea] keeps trying to win her attention, but Dixie keeps him at arm’s length, wary from past experiences with comics.

During a police raid on the theatre for violating “public decency” laws, backstage lights go out and a desperate struggle unfolds—someone tries to strangle Dixie but a quick-thinking stagehand intervenes. The theatre’s owner-producer, S.B. Foss J. Edward Bromberg, bails the performers out and then secures their loyalty by offering each a share in the company to keep them from quitting. The night’s tension deepens when Lolita La Verne [Victoria Faust] is found strangled with a g-string after a violent argument with her gangster boyfriend Louie Grindero [Gerald Mohr], and the missing murder weapon becomes a central clue. As the police begin to probe, a cloud of suspicion rises around many people connected to the show—including Dixie herself.

The investigation spirals further when the coroner reveals that Lolita’s death was due to poison, and Biff confesses that he had hidden the g-string after someone slipped it into his pocket, a development that lands him briefly in custody before new evidence shifts the case. Then, during a live comedy skit, the body of another rival, Princess Nirvena [Stephanie Bachelor], falls out of a prop, confirming another strangulation with a g-string and widening the circle of suspects. Inspector Harrigan [Charles Dingle] leads the inquiry and even recommends shutting down the theatre for safety, but Dixie refuses to let fear dictate the fate of her colleagues.

In a rallying moment, Dixie addresses the staff with a stirring appeal, reminding everyone that they now hold ownership stakes in the company and must stand together. She remains on site as the others depart for the night, and the aged stagehand Stacchi [Frank Conroy] appears, confessing to the murders and making a failed attempt to strangle Dixie. The police and Biff rush in to intervene, and it unfolds that Dixie and her friend Gee Gee had been plotting a trap for the killer. Biff adds crucial context, revealing that Stacchi was actually Lolita’s grandfather, driven to a rage against burlesque performers by years of resentment.

With the killer unmasked and the motive laid bare, the crisis collapses into a resolution: Biff proposes to Dixie, and she accepts, cementing a new chapter for the troupe. The curtain falls on a tale of backstage politics, perilous affection, and a community that chooses solidarity in the face of danger.