I think this could have been a contender except for the black & white photography, the silly costumes, the lack of nudity and graphic violence, and no CGI..........just think of all the computer-generated scarecrows you could have in the "Making Hay" number!
I'm curious why people apply current canons of taste to movies (or music) from the 20s and 30s so they can put them down as being inferior to what we have now. I'm almost (but not quite) ashamed to admit I enjoyed this film. Marion Davies, a wonderful comic talent in "The Patsy" and "Show People" is mostly delightful to watch here, proving in her Fifi D'Orsay impersonation that her gift at mimicry wasn't just visual. Even her dancing is fun--she's not Eleanor Powell (who is?), but at least she can dance a routine in a single take and not require an editor to build a performance out of 40 frame clips. She is also intensely likable--even when performing in Blackfeet I was charmed by her.
Crosby, of course, held the patent on this kind of easy charm and likability, and I can't think of another musical of this period where I felt cheated when some of the songs ended too soon--the title song, "Beautiful Girl" and especially "Temptation." In addition to showcasing his iconic baritone, this film gives some of the earliest glimpses of the excellent dramatic actor who would appear in films later in his career.
D'Orsay, Ned Sparks, Stu Erwin and the Radio Rascals all provide moments of fun, even if the cumulative effect is sometimes too much of a good thing. If you are willing to meet the film halfway, I think you will find it a well-spent hour and a half.
I'm curious why people apply current canons of taste to movies (or music) from the 20s and 30s so they can put them down as being inferior to what we have now. I'm almost (but not quite) ashamed to admit I enjoyed this film. Marion Davies, a wonderful comic talent in "The Patsy" and "Show People" is mostly delightful to watch here, proving in her Fifi D'Orsay impersonation that her gift at mimicry wasn't just visual. Even her dancing is fun--she's not Eleanor Powell (who is?), but at least she can dance a routine in a single take and not require an editor to build a performance out of 40 frame clips. She is also intensely likable--even when performing in Blackfeet I was charmed by her.
Crosby, of course, held the patent on this kind of easy charm and likability, and I can't think of another musical of this period where I felt cheated when some of the songs ended too soon--the title song, "Beautiful Girl" and especially "Temptation." In addition to showcasing his iconic baritone, this film gives some of the earliest glimpses of the excellent dramatic actor who would appear in films later in his career.
D'Orsay, Ned Sparks, Stu Erwin and the Radio Rascals all provide moments of fun, even if the cumulative effect is sometimes too much of a good thing. If you are willing to meet the film halfway, I think you will find it a well-spent hour and a half.