Lady of Burlesque - this week at the Chauvel Cinematheque

Lady of Burlesque USA/1943/B&W/90mins/16mm/NFVLS Dir: William A. Wellman.
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Michael O'Shea, J. Edward Bromberg, Charles Dingle, Frank Conroy.

Based on the novel The G-String Murders by the famed striptease artist Gypsy Lee Rose, this backstage mystery-comedy has Stanwyck as a burlesque queen who also arbitrates frequent disagreements between the chorus girls. This well mounted independent production by a veteran ex-Metro producer has an authentic backstage atmosphere and is directed at a fast pace by Wellman. It also attracted an Oscar nomination for the song, "Take it off the E-string, Play it on the G-string" performed by Stanwyck while dancing a 'strip' number.

Also on the program:

Take Off USA/1972/B&W/10mins/16mm/ NFVLS Dir: Gunvor Nelson. A feminist satire on striptease that confounds conventional voyeuristic expectations.

“A grim and funny cosmic satire.” June M. Gill, Film Quarterly

and

The Stripper USA/1960/1min/16mm/NFVLS Dir: Siew Hwa Beh.