Movie Movie (1978)
9/10
Double Delight
4 December 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I have to agree with the majority of comments posted here on the two counts (sorry about that) that this will be a joy to buffs of Hollywood's Golden Age and those - presumably now thin on the ground - who actually grew up in the 1930s and by definition attended double bills like this one on a regular basis. Essentially the two 'formula' films linked here are perfect examples of their respective genres with the padding removed so that in 50 minutes we get every cliché of the Boxing film and the Musical, specifically the types served up by the brothers Warner which also reminds us how universal plot points were even in widely different genres; for example in Dynamite Gloves, Joey Popchick is delivering sandwiches to a gym when he is scorned by the title contender and promptly dumps him on his ass - cue trainer to come in with, 'say, kid, you know who that was'. etc, Popchick, natch, has no desire to turn pro, UNTIL he discovers his sister needs $25,000 for an operation in Vienna to save her sight. In Baxter's Beauties of 1933 we get the same situation with the twist that the accountant brought in to audit the books happens to be a fledgling songwriter whose appearance coincides with the leading lady's jettisoning of the existing score and demanding a new one. Both films build on these clichéd starts and keep right on going. The era that is being sent up is a little before my time but nevertheless I loved it. Sue me.
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