King of Burlesque
“Gay as the Great White Way”
Synopsis
Warner Baxter plays the ambitious producer of a burlesque show who rises to the big time on Broadway. Alice Faye is the loyal burleycue singer who helps make Baxter a success. His head turned by sudden fame, Baxter falls under the spell of a society woman (Mona Barrie) who has theatrical aspirations of her own. She marries Baxter, then convinces him to produce a string of "artistic" plays rather than his extravagant musical revues. The plays are flops, and the woman haughtily divorces Baxter. Faithful Alice Faye, who'd gone to London when her ex-beau was married, returns to the penniless Baxter. She and her burlesque buddies team up to pull Baxter out of his rut and put him on top again.
Top Cast
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Warner Baxter
Kerry Bolton
Alice Faye
Pat Doran
Jack Oakie
Joe Cooney
Mona Barrie
Rosalind Cleve
Arline Judge
Connie
Dixie Dunbar
Marie
Gregory Ratoff
Kolpolpeck
Herbert Mundin
English Impresario
Fats Waller
Ben
Nick Long Jr.
Anthony Lamb
Kenny Baker
Arthur
Charles Quigley
Stanley Drake
Al Shaw
Lew Henkle
Sam Lee
Gus Keefe
Andrew Tombes
Slattery
Shirley Deane
Phyllis Sears
Harry 'Zoup' Welsh
'Spud' La Rue
Claudia Coleman
Belle Weaver
Release History & Theatrical Window
January 3, 1936
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Sidney Lanfield
- Screenplay & Story
- Harry Tugend, Gene Markey
- Original Score
- Cyril J. Mockridge
- Original Title
- King of Burlesque
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 30m
- Production Studios
- 20th Century Fox
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Sidney Lanfield
Harry Tugend, Gene Markey, James Seymour
Cyril J. Mockridge
J. Peverell Marley
Ralph Dietrich
Department Leadership Roster
Sidney Lanfield
Director
Gwen Wakeling
Costume Design
Ralph Dietrich
Editor
J. Peverell Marley
Director of Photography
Harry Tugend
Screenplay
Gene Markey
Screenplay
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for King of Burlesque.
Featured In Curated Collections
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Frequently Asked Questions About King of Burlesque
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is King of Burlesque about?
Warner Baxter plays the ambitious producer of a burlesque show who rises to the big time on Broadway. Alice Faye is the loyal burleycue singer who helps make Baxter a success. His head turned by sudden fame, Baxter falls under the spell of a society woman (Mona Barrie) who has theatrical aspirations of her own. She marries Baxter, then convinces him to produce a string of "artistic" plays rather than his extravagant musical revues. The plays are flops, and the woman haughtily divorces Baxter. Faithful Alice Faye, who'd gone to London when her ex-beau was married, returns to the penniless Baxter. She and her burlesque buddies team up to pull Baxter out of his rut and put him on top again.
Who directed King of Burlesque?
King of Burlesque was directed by Sidney Lanfield.
Who stars in King of Burlesque?
The principal cast of King of Burlesque includes Warner Baxter, Alice Faye, Jack Oakie, Mona Barrie, Arline Judge.
When was King of Burlesque released and how long is it?
King of Burlesque was released in 1936 with a total runtime of 1h 30m.
Who composed the musical score for King of Burlesque?
The original motion picture soundtrack for King of Burlesque was composed by Cyril J. Mockridge.
What is the age rating and content advisory for King of Burlesque?
King of Burlesque holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).