I used to think KING OF JAZZ, Universal's entry into the studio review genre, was the worst, but Paramount tops it. MGM had THE Hollywood REVIEW, the best of the four; Warners had THE SHOW OF SHOWS; Paramount has PARAMOUNT ON PARADE.
Only 1 hour and 19 minutes, 20 seconds of this survives, leaving 21 minutes missing. I believe this is lost Technicolor footage (recently restored by UCLA), featuring four numbers: Dream Girl; Singing in a Gondola; The Gallows Song; and Isadore the Toreador.
What's left has only one redeeming feature and that is Maurice Chevalier in three numbers: History of the Apache (with Evelyn Brent and obviously directed by Lubitsch); One Girl (most likely directed also by Lubitsch) and the Sweeping The Clouds Away finale.
The comedy and musical numbers are from hunger with cheesy sets, forgettable writing and songs, and blah performances. Elsewhere in other reviews here you will find a run down of the numbers and their performers. Perhaps the worst singing is that f Nancy Carroll, although she dances well. Ruth Chatterton even sings better than Carroll, but her number is stupid and beneath her dignity as a dramatic actress.
It's fun to see all four of these, just to marvel at how talentless most all the studios were with the advent of sound and musical savor faire. Only MGM comes out on top.
Only 1 hour and 19 minutes, 20 seconds of this survives, leaving 21 minutes missing. I believe this is lost Technicolor footage (recently restored by UCLA), featuring four numbers: Dream Girl; Singing in a Gondola; The Gallows Song; and Isadore the Toreador.
What's left has only one redeeming feature and that is Maurice Chevalier in three numbers: History of the Apache (with Evelyn Brent and obviously directed by Lubitsch); One Girl (most likely directed also by Lubitsch) and the Sweeping The Clouds Away finale.
The comedy and musical numbers are from hunger with cheesy sets, forgettable writing and songs, and blah performances. Elsewhere in other reviews here you will find a run down of the numbers and their performers. Perhaps the worst singing is that f Nancy Carroll, although she dances well. Ruth Chatterton even sings better than Carroll, but her number is stupid and beneath her dignity as a dramatic actress.
It's fun to see all four of these, just to marvel at how talentless most all the studios were with the advent of sound and musical savor faire. Only MGM comes out on top.