Barbara Stanwyck … Sings
Actress Barbara Stanwyck began her career at the very young age of 16 in the chorus line for Ziegfeld. Her dominating stage presence and acting ability quickly led her to Broadway, and ultimately caught the attention of film director, Frank Capra. Stanwyck quickly became a Hollywood icon, starring in Night Nurse with Clark Gable and William Wellman’s adaptation of Edna Ferber’s, So Big! In 1933, Stanwyck provoked controversy with her good looks and smokey sexuality in the pre-code classic, Baby Face. In 1937 she starred in the title role of the Hollywood classic, Stella Dallas and won her first Academy Award nomination.
In 1943, after her success with Henry Fonda in Meet John Doe, Stanwyck and William Wellman again teamed up to adapt the Gypsy Rose Lee novel G-String Murders for the screen. The film was retitled to Lady Burlesque and was a success, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Music Score. The role allowed Stanwick to tap into to her burlesque roots and perform this excellent Sammy Cahn hit, Take it Off the E-String.