The G-String Murders
Encyclopedia
The G-String Murders is a 1941 detective novel written by famed American
burlesque
performer Gypsy Rose Lee
. There have been claims made that the novel was in fact written by Craig Rice
but others have suggested that there is enough documented evidence in the form of manuscripts and correspondence to prove Lee wrote at least a large portion if not the whole of the novel herself under the tutelage of editor/friend George Davis
with some essential guidance from her good friend Rice. The novel has also been published under the titles Lady of Burlesque and The Strip-Tease Murders. Set in a burlesque theater, Lee casts herself as the detective who solves a set of homicides in which strippers in her troupe are found strangled with their own G-strings.
In 2005, Feminist Press of the City University of New York
republished the book as one of its Women Write Pulp series.
, New York
.
In a world populated by strippers, comics and costume salesman. A world where crime is part of the norm and where women struggle to earn a living and have gangster boyfriends.
The narrative is a "wise-cracking" and humorous tale of murder in a burlesque house, and with the unusual weapon of the title.
, directed by William Wellman, starring Barbara Stanwyck
as "Dixie Daisy" (the Lee character), Michael O'Shea
as her romantic interest, and Pinky Lee
, among many notable supporting players. It is a fairly faithful, if bowdlerized, representation, but notable for the addition of music and songs, including "Take it off the E string, play it on the G string" sung by Stanwyck. The film attempts to show what the censors of 1943 would allow it to show with respect to the precise nature of "bumps" and "grinds", and the slapdash nature of burlesque shows.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
burlesque
American burlesque
American Burlesque is a genre of variety show. Derived from elements of Victorian burlesque, music hall and minstrel shows, burlesque shows in America became popular in the 1860s and evolved to feature ribald comedy and female striptease...
performer Gypsy Rose Lee
Gypsy Rose Lee
Gypsy Rose Lee was an American burlesque entertainer famous for her striptease act. She was also an actress, author, and playwright whose 1957 memoir was made into the stage musical and film Gypsy.-Early life:...
. There have been claims made that the novel was in fact written by Craig Rice
Craig Rice (author)
Craig Rice was an American author of mystery novels and short stories, sometimes described as "the Dorothy Parker of detective fiction." She was the first mystery writer to appear on the cover of Time Magazine, on January 28, 1946.- Early Life :In 1908, Mary Randolph Craig reluctantly interrupted...
but others have suggested that there is enough documented evidence in the form of manuscripts and correspondence to prove Lee wrote at least a large portion if not the whole of the novel herself under the tutelage of editor/friend George Davis
George Davis (editor)
George Davis was an influential American fiction editor and minor novelist.-Early life:After an early period in Chicago, Davis spent much of his twenties as an expatriate in Paris.-The Opening of a Door:...
with some essential guidance from her good friend Rice. The novel has also been published under the titles Lady of Burlesque and The Strip-Tease Murders. Set in a burlesque theater, Lee casts herself as the detective who solves a set of homicides in which strippers in her troupe are found strangled with their own G-strings.
In 2005, Feminist Press of the City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
republished the book as one of its Women Write Pulp series.
Plot summary
Gypsy Rose Lee narrates her way through a tale of a double murder, backstage at the "Old Opera" burlesque theatre on Forty-Second StreetForty-Second Street
Forty-Second Street is the title song from the 1933 movie of the same name.Music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, the song was published in 1932. It appears in the backstager Warner Bros...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
In a world populated by strippers, comics and costume salesman. A world where crime is part of the norm and where women struggle to earn a living and have gangster boyfriends.
The narrative is a "wise-cracking" and humorous tale of murder in a burlesque house, and with the unusual weapon of the title.
Characters in "The G-String Murders"
- Gypsy Rose Lee—herself, narrator
- Lolita LaVerne—stripper
- Gee Gee Graham—stripper
- Biff Brannigan—comedian
- Siggy—costume salesman
Literary significance and criticism
"Anyone keen about sex in fiction will admire this workmanlike job for its account of a performing group, its use of technicalities—if that's the word—about stripping, and its handling of the clues by a likeable lieutenant.... This is one of a handful of books about backstage murder that are tolerable. It is not made worse by being told in the first person, or by a bit of sentimental lovey-dovey between the narratrix and one of the cast of characters."Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The novel was filmed in 1943 as Lady of BurlesqueLady of Burlesque
Lady of Burlesque is a 1943 American mystery film starring Barbara Stanwyck and Michael O'Shea, based on the novel The G-String Murders written by famous strip tease artist Gypsy Rose Lee...
, directed by William Wellman, starring Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...
as "Dixie Daisy" (the Lee character), Michael O'Shea
Michael O'Shea (actor)
Michael O'Shea , was an American character actor whose career spanned from the 1940s-1960s. O'Shea was born in Hartford, Connecticut...
as her romantic interest, and Pinky Lee
Pinky Lee
Pincus Leff , better known as Pinky Lee, was an American burlesque comic and host of a children's television program, The Pinky Lee Show, in the early 1950s.-Biography:...
, among many notable supporting players. It is a fairly faithful, if bowdlerized, representation, but notable for the addition of music and songs, including "Take it off the E string, play it on the G string" sung by Stanwyck. The film attempts to show what the censors of 1943 would allow it to show with respect to the precise nature of "bumps" and "grinds", and the slapdash nature of burlesque shows.