FOOTLIGHT PARADE FULL MOVIE HOW TO
FOOTLIGHT PARADE FULL MOVIE MOVIE

Also among the ranks of the exploiters is her brother Charlie ( Hugh Herbert), the namby pamby who lists off all the censorship rules that Kent is violating with his show, and among the allies is Francis ( Frank McHugh), a whiny but inventive stage director. In the background, young crooner Scotty Blair (Dick Powell) is trying to romance Bea Thorn (Ruby Keeler), but Bea is convinced that Scotty is the gigolo of Harriet ( Ruth Donnelly), one of the backers who are benefiting from all of Kent’s hard work. She’s more than happy to burn the midnight oil with him (and is probably willing to do a lot more than that for him), but she has an unfortunate house guest, Vivian (Claire Dodd), whose cheeky pretensions get Kent in the gut (and other notable organs).Īnd that’s just the main plotline. Kent’s only relief is his secretary, Nan (Joan Blondell). It’s a job that demands constant creativity and an absolutely maddening workload for Kent, much to the delight of his embezzling bosses (who include Guy Kibbee, shaking like a bowlful of maniacal glee). Seeing an opportunity insomuch that live action staged prologues are still going strong, Kent dreams up the idea of creating a large rotating troupe of performers who travel to different cities to dance before showings, replacing each other week after week. He’s playing Chester Kent, a theatrical producer who’s looking at his job drying up as talking pictures storm their way into the American conscious. Up until then, we have the story of a man luckily it’s James Cagney so we know we’re in for a treat.

It has some of the most deliriously dazzling choreography and feats of visual bravado you may ever see in a motion picture, with enough moments of over-the-top excess that you can sometimes hardly believe you’re seeing it.īut, of course, they save that until the last thirty minutes of the picture.

And Blondell’s ultimate kiss-off line to a romantic rival: “As long as they have sidewalks, you’ve got a job!”įootlight Parade is a gem of a film, containing slapdash and dizzying bursts of comedy and music.Dick Powell to his new darling Keeler on their upcoming tour, “We’ll make love in 40 cities!”.That last number, since this is 1933 and patriotism is running high, we’re treated to the American flag, Franklyn Roosevelt, and the National Recovery Act (NRA) logo.The film’s final musical is “Shanghai Lil”, which has, oh, prostitution, yellow face, and a bevy of beautiful white women reclining in an opium den on satin sheets.Also, more water nymphs than you can shake a water nymph at. Another number is “By A Waterfall”, which involves Ruby Keeler dancing through Dick Powell’s dreams, with an implication of being naked.A choice line: “Bridal suites are never very idle!” There’s more eyebrow waggling here than in many later Groucho Marx movies. There’s a musical number called “Honeymoon Hotel”.“Send a new boy and girl out right away and make sure they aren’t in love with each other. On losing a pair of performers in a traveling show.One of the film’s gold diggers (unfortunately, she missed being in that film by a few months) is almost caught by her fiance reading from a magazine called “Naughty Stories”.A police officer, popping in on a rehearsal: “Seeing all these girls gives me a lot of ideas.”.James Cagney, quickly switching topics from the theater to women: “Never mind the outline… I think I got a new one!”.Blondell accidentally puts her stockings on the wrong legs at one point.

FOOTLIGHT PARADE FULL MOVIE HOW TO

On a director learning how to mimic a cat’s movements: “I’ve done everything but sleep with him!” Cagney’s response: “Then sleep with him!”.During a rather cutesy number about cats dancing and singing under the moon, he protests the subsequent arrival of their offspring: “We can’t have kittens in 39 cities!” He also turns out to be a mewling idiot who’s also a hypocrite: “I’m showing Miss Rich what you can’t do in Kalamazoo!”

FOOTLIGHT PARADE FULL MOVIE MOVIE

The film has Hugh Herbert as the theatrical production company’s censor, and the movie takes great glee in mocking his inanity.

Joan Blondell to a romantic rival: “I know Miss Bit– I mean, Miss Rich.”.

It’s a musical! There’s singing, dancing, and legs, legs, LEGS!.

Footlight parade full movie