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 HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. - "MOTION PICTURE PRODUCERS ANNOUNCE ONLY TALKING PICTURES WILL BE MADE IN FUTURE - SILENT PICTURES ARE FINISHED."  "What a laugh! It doesn't mean a thing!" "They laughed at Edison too. Looks like I'm an assistant to a guy out of a job." "It's a fad!"      Chester Kent (James Cagney) is a stage show producer. You see, silent films often featured a live song and dance before and after the feature in the bigger cities. Well, with the advent of talking pictures, people would rather sit through more talking pictures than just a bunch of guys or gals on stage. The other shoe drops when Chester's wife Cynthia (Renee Whitney) wants a divorce, which Chester gladly obliges of her. After leaving home newly divorced, he stops by a pharmacist for asprin and is surprised how inexpensive it is compared to his usual store. It's because the pharmacist is part of a chain. This gives Chester an idea to get into the talking pictures business by making short musical pieces to play before the features. Oh, and his secretary's friend soon sets her sights on Chester if he ends up getting rich on this new venture. While Singin' in the Rain is probably the more famous classic Hollywood film that turned the cameras on itself, almost two decades before at Warner Bros, Footlight Parade offered a fun view on the new exciting world of talking pictures. We're also treated to Joan BLondell as Nan, Chester's secretary; Ruby Keeler as Bea, a former dancer working as a secretary; and Dick Powell as Scotty, a new protege of Kent's producing partner. This is sort of a combination screwball comedy with all the intricate plot contusions and snappy dialogue, mixed in with one delightful Busby Berkeley dance number after another. Warner cartoon fans will recognize all the songs as frequently reused by the likes of Carl Stalling and others. The first time I saw the film, it was run on Turner Classic Movies. I was instantly enamored with it, surprised I hadn't known about it. Even more fascinating is that it's from 1933, right in the middle of James Cagney's height as a tough guy gangster icon. Except here he's showing his skill at comedy and... well, without spoling anything, you do finally get to see one of his other talents in a much-anticipated way. This also has one of my all-time movie insults: "As long as there's sidewalks, you'll always have a job" as said from one of the female leads to another. Lots of great songs of the early 30s Warner era by Warren/Dubin and like Honeymoon Hotel, Shanghai Lil, and Sitting on a Backyard Fence. I've seen a bunch of these 30s dance musicals like 42nd Street, Gold Diggers of 1933 (and 1935). This is not just the best, it's the one with the most sparkling comedy. There's also plenty of funny bits mocking the new Breen Office (establishment handling the then-brand new Production Code) down to mentioning what's accepted in individual American towns. By the way, this was directed by Lloyd Bacon - who is probably not that well known, but he also directed 42nd Street and a bunch of other 30s Cagney films. But it's Busby Berkeley who's credited alongside him in equal size. The Berkeley numbers are astonishing. You'll immediately recognize a lot of stuff in this movie that's made it to posters, book covers, film clips. It's a breezy 103 minutes long and there's a gorgeous Blu-ray (and digital download) from a restoration off the original nitrate camera negative. You'll rarely see such a glowing and luminous black and white film from the early 30s. Just from looking up a moment ago, it's not on HBO Max at the moment (of course), but one can rent or buy a digital download for just a few dollars (the Blu-ray is only $18, for what's basically a Criterion quality release). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIv4A53jH6s        
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Jan 7, 2023 01:23
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| # ? May 14, 2024 05:01 |
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Man, that was a great movie. Cagney was magnetic; I guess this is one of the prototypical Watch a man be very good at his job movies. The instant they show Scotty has been drinking you know, you just know where this is going, but the buildup's still fantastic.
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Jan 18, 2023 11:13
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Will always remember "A large waterfall splashing on beautiful white bodies!" from this.
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Jan 18, 2023 13:32
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Yeah that was one of the four-or-five points where I got worried the movie was about to get real racist, but it managed to swerve away each time... well, until Shanghai Lil.
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Jan 19, 2023 03:01
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All That Jazz 1933... kinda.. I absolutely adore Footlight Parade. I think it's the best balance of all of Busby Berkeley's movies in terms for comedy/story/musical acts but my opinion sometimes sways to Gold Diggers of '33 as well. If you think you won't like it because it's a 90 year old musical you'd be sorely mistaken. Some of the shot setups and choreography are unreal and being precode, of course, it can get a bit more risque than you'd expect (love the sidewalks line from Blondell) Speaking of Blondell, she's such a firecracker in this thing and Ruby Keeler has a near weapons-grade cuteness to her which helps up the charm and their presence is sorely missed in some of the later Berkeley films. Also, for some reason I really hate Dick Powell and can't stand his face in any of these pictures. I think Busby himself might've reached greater heights in different films, for example Dames is way funnier than any other movie he's involved with and Gold Diggers of '35 is kind of a slog but Lullaby of Broadway at the end is his masterpiece, but Footlight Parade just comes together better than the rest thanks to its cast and energy.
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Jan 20, 2023 19:16
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