Daily Archives: October 22, 2014

Lady of Burlesque
Directed by William A. Wellman
Written by James Gunn from the novel by Gypsy Rose Lee
1943/USA
Hunt Stromberg Productions
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Biff: What’s the matter with comics?

Dixie: I went into show business when I was seven years old. Two days later the first comic I ever met stole my piggy bank in a railroad station in Portland. When I was 11 the comics were looking at my ankles. When I was 14 they were…just looking. When I was 20 I’d been stuck with enough lunch checks to pay for a three-story house. Naw, they’re shiftless, dame-chasing, ambitionless…[/box]

This is a reasonably entertaining low-budget mystery/comedy with the always excellent Barbara Stanwyck in the title role.

Dixie Daisy (Stanwyck) is the newest headliner in a pretty sedate burlesque show.  She has grander ambitions and a life-long grudge against comics.  Naturally, she is pursued by one, Biff Branigan.  When Dixie is attacked back stage and other burlesque artistes start being strangled with their own G-strings, she and Biff become allies in solving the crimes.

This one has a little bit of everything – snippets of burlesque acts (the camera discretely changes focus during the bumps), plenty of backstage banter and catfights, romance, and of course the mystery.  Stanwyck is good as the hard-nosed Dixie.  She’s an enthusiastic dancer if not the world’s greatest singer.

Lady of Burlesque was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture.

Stanwyck and company sing and dance to “The G-String Song”

Son of Dracula
Directed by Robert Siodmak
Written by Eric Taylor from a story by Curt Siodmak
1943/USA
Universal Pictures
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Count Dracula: [as his coffin is burning] Put it out! Put it out, I tell ya’![/box]

First we get Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein’s Monster.  Now it’s Lon Chaney, Jr. as Dracula. What were they thinking?

Katherine Caldwell (Louise Albritton) is a “morbid” believer in the occult.  She is eagerly expecting a visit from Count Alucard (Chaney) to her Southern plantation home. Everybody associated with her, including fiance Frank, takes an instant disliking to him.   Katherine marries him any way.  Her family hires vampire expert Prof. Lazlo (J. Edward Bromberg) to help out.  Double crosses and mild horror ensue  With Evelyn Ankers as Katherine’s sister.

The highlight of this film is some excellent low-key shots by future film noir master Siodmak.  Otherwise, it is pretty lame.  Chaney is even more unlikely as Hungarian count that he was a the son of an English lord.

Trailer