This is a terrible mish mash of vaudeville acts, most of them extremely mediocre with almost all the performances worse than the level of high school students. This goes on for two and a quarter hours. Had the Technicolor survived intact, a certain charm may have been retained. As is, it's almost unendurable.
Frank Fay is a lighter version of bumbling Frank Morgan and is thoroughly obnoxious. The Pirate number is stupidity beyond belief. There are many geometric dance patterns, primarily of ladies on stairs or ladders. I wonder if Busby Berkeley got his inspiration from these.
For those who are interested, what follows is a list of the acts, 99% musical, in order of appearance:
OVERTURE; FRENCH REVOLUTION PROLOGUE; MILITARY MARCH, SEMPER FIDELIS; WHAT'S BECOME OF THE FLORADORA BOYS?; PIRATE BAND, LADY LUCK; IF I COULD LEARN TO LOVE; DEAR LITTLE PUP; PING PONGO; LADY LUCK; THE ONLY SONG I KNOW; YOUR MOTHER AND MINE, RECITATIONS; INTERMISSION MUSIC; SINGIN IN THE BATHTUB; YOU WERE MEANT FOR ME; MY SISTER; JUST AN HOUR OF LOVE; LI-PO-LI; ROCKABYE YOUR BABY; DAISY BELL, A HOT TIME IN THE OLD TOWN; IF YOUR BEST FRIEND WON'T TELL YOU; JUMPING JACK; YOUR LOVE IS ALL I CRAVE; RICHARD III SCENE FROM HENRY VI; EXECUTION SCENE; GRAND FINALE: LADY LUCK
The only Technicolor act which survives is the lovely LI-PO-LI, a lilting Chinese fantasy danced by Myrna Loy. There are lovely tones of red, green and blue present.
Winnie Lightner in her two numbers: Ping Pongo and Singin in the Bathtub provides the only talent and pizazz in the entire show - she's all personality. The high point is the John Barrymore speech as Richard III from Shakespeare's Henry VI - when you realize one of the handful of non musical acts is the best in the show, you wonder why they bothered.
This is purely an artifact, just as bad as MGM's vaudeville outing THE Hollywood REVIEW, Paramount's PARAMOUNT ON PARADE and Universal's KING OF JAZZ (the latter surviving intact in red/blue Technicolor). See it not for entertainment, but to realize how shaky the days of early sound were in old Hollywood.
Frank Fay is a lighter version of bumbling Frank Morgan and is thoroughly obnoxious. The Pirate number is stupidity beyond belief. There are many geometric dance patterns, primarily of ladies on stairs or ladders. I wonder if Busby Berkeley got his inspiration from these.
For those who are interested, what follows is a list of the acts, 99% musical, in order of appearance:
OVERTURE; FRENCH REVOLUTION PROLOGUE; MILITARY MARCH, SEMPER FIDELIS; WHAT'S BECOME OF THE FLORADORA BOYS?; PIRATE BAND, LADY LUCK; IF I COULD LEARN TO LOVE; DEAR LITTLE PUP; PING PONGO; LADY LUCK; THE ONLY SONG I KNOW; YOUR MOTHER AND MINE, RECITATIONS; INTERMISSION MUSIC; SINGIN IN THE BATHTUB; YOU WERE MEANT FOR ME; MY SISTER; JUST AN HOUR OF LOVE; LI-PO-LI; ROCKABYE YOUR BABY; DAISY BELL, A HOT TIME IN THE OLD TOWN; IF YOUR BEST FRIEND WON'T TELL YOU; JUMPING JACK; YOUR LOVE IS ALL I CRAVE; RICHARD III SCENE FROM HENRY VI; EXECUTION SCENE; GRAND FINALE: LADY LUCK
The only Technicolor act which survives is the lovely LI-PO-LI, a lilting Chinese fantasy danced by Myrna Loy. There are lovely tones of red, green and blue present.
Winnie Lightner in her two numbers: Ping Pongo and Singin in the Bathtub provides the only talent and pizazz in the entire show - she's all personality. The high point is the John Barrymore speech as Richard III from Shakespeare's Henry VI - when you realize one of the handful of non musical acts is the best in the show, you wonder why they bothered.
This is purely an artifact, just as bad as MGM's vaudeville outing THE Hollywood REVIEW, Paramount's PARAMOUNT ON PARADE and Universal's KING OF JAZZ (the latter surviving intact in red/blue Technicolor). See it not for entertainment, but to realize how shaky the days of early sound were in old Hollywood.