This very bizarre film combines elements of a murder mystery with those of a backstage musical--with some uniquely spectacular numbers. Carl Brisson and Kitty Carlisle star as two members of the Earl Carroll Vanities whose plans to marry are thwarted by a jealous Gertrude Michael. Critic John Chierichetti writes, "Murder at the Vanities...pushed the limits of bawdiness and nudity farther than they would go in any American film until the 1960s. In the opening number, 'Where Do They Go,' a fantastic spectacle unfolds...and the stage is transformed into a giant dressing table decorated with nudes.... The film's most famous number, 'Sweet Marijuana,' features Gertrude Michael moaning a lament about a lost lover and the marijuana that will 'bring him back to me although it's just a fantasy'...."