Saturday, October 23, 2021

Beauty & Vice

Blatant references to prostitution and hard drug use are just some of the vices depicted in this 1933 Pre-Code Hollywood classic.

From a Busby Berkeley number, "Shanghai Lil" 
First picture is from Berkeley's, "By a Waterfall"

Excellent sound and picture quality along with a great story-line in “Footlight Parade” gave this Blue Ray DVD a solid four-star rating. James Cagney and Joan Blondell, the two headlining actors in this film displayed great chemistry together.



Cagney & Blondell 

Cagney sings and dances extremely well in this movie.

James Cagney & Ruby Keeler

The swimming choreography and execution by the highly talented Busby Berkeley babes is still a cinematic sensation. “Footlight Parade” showcases a lot of low garbed women.   

The Warner Brothers, Merry Melodies cartoons had things they wouldn’t be allowed to show in today’s children’s programming. A cartoon bug in one of the animated shows is seen reading a book on how to make love. In the 1934 cartoon, “Honeymoon Hotel,” a man and woman get in bed together and wink at the audience, and the calendars shows nine months pass, and a then a baby winking at the audience.

I’m not a fan of musicals, but “Footlight Parade” more then worked for me. An awesome Blue Ray to own.

Mark Izzy Schurr    

 

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