(93 mins.) Released 1930-09-30
Director: Thornton Freeland
Stars: Eddie Cantor, Ethel Shutta, Paul Gregory, Eleanor Hunt
Busby Berkeley ... dances and ensembles staged by
originally posted 26 Sep 2017 21:12
I scanned the IMDb listing before watching, and apparently this is the first appearance of the Goldwyn Girls, which included Lucille Ball at some point. But here, the famous ones are Betty Grable, Paulette Goddard and Ann Sothern. (Wow, wikipedia lists Jane Wyman as a GG, too, but not in this film. I recognize 4 others in their list! Grable is an amazing story of persistence; she didn't hit stardom until her 34th film, Down Argentine Way (1940), and by 1947 she was the highest paid star.) OMG, she was only 13 in this film, but NOT necessarily playing that age. She's the "star" of the opening number. I think Paulette had a Louise Brooks haircut in the Stetson number; I didn't see Ann Sothern in 2 viewings; I think I saw Virginia Bruce twice.
.
Ah, satisfaction: the dances and ensembles are staged by my fave, Busby Berkeley! This is his first film credit in IMDb. Lots of high-angle and overhead shots. His military close-order drill experience is always evident. You should see how he has the dancers do a "wave" in the opening number.
.
Also, this is a 2-strip Technicolor movie, and the print looks pretty good most of the time.
.
The plot is thin, and the resolution of the "interracial love" is disappointingly facile.
.
Goldwyn, dir. Freeland [+BB]; 6
(Yes, the G in MGM is the same Goldwyn as this. This is Goldwyn's post-merger new production company, which would also make a lot of films with D.Kaye.)
