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    

 

Soft Focus Sin From 1934

 

Historic sexuality and violence was displayed upon the masses more than 86-years ago. Film buffs and Claudette Colbert fans will want this Blue-Ray flick in their collection of vintage favorites. The picture and sound clarity is marvelously restored in this remastered classic of 1934s “Cleopatra.”

The bonus features were nothing to jump up and down about, but “Claudette Colbert: Queen of the Silver Screen,” had some enlightening details about the censorship in Hollywood during the antiquated era of movie making. I also learned three fascinating facts about Colbert as a movie actress from watching this bonus feature. This bonus feature also included a scantly clad photo of Colbert in a publicity photo from “Cleopatra.” (Above picture; Claudette Colbert, 1934) 

Colbert, 1934s "Cleopatra." 

The movie itself was nothing spectacular for myself, but I did like the fact of the movies depiction as Julius Caesar as a greedy tyrant, and his murder was justice served in my opinion, and Colbert’s version of “Cleopatra” satisfied my knowledge of the mass murdering Julius Caesar.

Three and a half stars for this movie.

Mark Izzy Schurr