(89 mins.) Released 1934-05-18
Director: Mitchell Leisen
Stars: Carl Brisson, Victor McLaglen, Jack Oakie, Kitty Carlisle
musical, mystery, romance
originally posted 18 Oct 2017 04:27
Unappealing music, repeated too long. Kitty Carlisle and male lead (Carl Brisson, who starred in a couple of Hitchcock's silents) are operetta-style singers, but Kitty's singing adds to A Night at the Opera (1935), so it's not her fault. (He's no Allan Jones.)
The staging in scene 6, of Live and Love Tonight, with ostrich feather fans for the ocean, where the feathers have white tips (for the wave caps), again shows the lively nature of the feathers (as did Fashions of '34). They are more convincing as water than other fabric substitutes.
At long last, in scene 11, Duke Ellington's Orchestra appears, jazzing up an otherwise painful rendition of Lizst's Second Hungarian Rhapsody, turning it into the Ebony Rhapsody. That's their only number.
The murders are more interesting than the Vanities. Jack Oakie and Victor McLaglen are fun as stage manager and detective. SPOILER: Gail Patrick (private eye) gets murdered. Then the second lead (named Rita), who is blackmailing Eric (Carl Brisson) & family is fatally shot during a tommy gun mowdown of the Ellington band and all others on stage (with blanks, part of the show). Plenty of suspects.
Also intriguing: what does Toby Wing's Nancy want to say to Jack?
Paramount, dir. Leisen; 6
