Footlight Parade
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Dick Powell, Frank McHugh, James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby KeelerDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: NTSC
Running Time: 103 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-03-21
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Movie Reviews of Footlight Parade
Movie Review: Top notch Berkeley
Summary: 5 Stars
At the height of the Depression, Warner Brothers scored a hat trick with 3 memorable films in a year - "42nd Street", "Golddiggers of 1933" and "Footlight Parade". Each was unique: the sombre coarseness and desperation of the first, the Depression theme and comedy of the second and the optimism of the third with reference to Roosevelt's New Deal. "Footlight Parade" in particular had a sting in its tail which could be summed up in two words - James Cagney. Cagney has quickly established his reputation as a gangster but his vaudeville training was on display for the first time in "Footlight Parade" and audiences were charmed and dazzled.
Cagney plays the producer of Prologues, live musical numbers to be shown on stage in theatres before the main feature. Joan Blondell, who complimented him perfectly, is his right hand girl. Their skill with the dialogue and obvious rapport is infectious. Other Warners regulars are on hand. Ruby Keeler plays a mousy secretary who removes her glasses to become a star and plays with tongue in cheek which is rarely acknowledged. She is funny and charming. Dick Powell is the usual love interest opposite Keeler and he is underrated, playing with that cheeky quality which always suggested a much wilder libido than appeared on the surface. Hugh Herbert has an hilarious part as a censor and it is obvious that Warners are having a crack at the Hays Code and its ineffectual and hypocritical presence. There are other great supporting actors but hilarious Ruth Donnelly is a standout as a "sponsor" of talent. Her encounter with Keeler at a lunch counter is very funny.
The film climaxes with 3 musical numbers, all of which suggest Busby Berkeley's pre-occupation with sex. "By a Waterfall" is a visual spectacle of water babies and one can see the roots of Berkeley's water ballets with Esther Williams 20 years later. "Honeymoon Hotel" shows couples preparing for bed in a a hotel and would probably have incurred judicious cutting a year later when the Hays Code was imposed. "Shangai Lil" is the one where Cagney taps with Keeler. It is a pity the dance is so short, for they light up the screen briefly. The sets of a Shanghai dive and the depiction of drugs and prostitution are fascinating.
The print of the film is excellent and the DVD has some extraordinary extras. There is a competent documentary on the film and particulary the songwriters Dubin and Warren. There are 2 short films, focusing on radio and vaudeville. The radio stars are not so good, though Baby Rose Marie grew up to be a big star and you may remember her on the Dick Van Dyke show. The vaudeville short is a keyhole glimpse into a form of entertainment that film eventually killed. The acts are pretty good once you overcome any resistance to the medium. One, in particular, has dancing cuties on a stairway of bells and just when you begin to think how corny, the sheer skill and charm of the act come through. It must have been a blast on a live stage. Finally, there are 2 excellent Merry Melodies based on 2 of the hit songs from the film. The combination of fun drawings and the superb orchestrations make for great entertainment.
The DVD is great value, particularly if it is purchased as part of the Busby Berkeley Set.
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