Florence Brady, the star of this Vitaphone variety-style short subject, has quite a voice and at the time she made this film, had come off a recent starring role in Earl Carroll's Vanities -- Carroll was in competition with Florenz Ziegfeld's follies, not that Ziegfeld ever seemed to notice. She sings three songs and certainly 'Here Comes the Showboat' is delivered very engagingly.
However, looking at this film makes it clear why some people never made the transition to film. I kept thinking that something was wrong with the print, as if the nitrate was intermittently losing its shape, and then I thought the lens it was shot through was distorted.... but it turned out that Miss Brady kept shaking her head, and given the extreme roundness of her face, it seems to be distorting the shape.
Still, the songs are delivered very engagingly, even if their sentiments are sometimes shockingly old-fashioned to the sheltered inhabitant of the 21st Century.
However, looking at this film makes it clear why some people never made the transition to film. I kept thinking that something was wrong with the print, as if the nitrate was intermittently losing its shape, and then I thought the lens it was shot through was distorted.... but it turned out that Miss Brady kept shaking her head, and given the extreme roundness of her face, it seems to be distorting the shape.
Still, the songs are delivered very engagingly, even if their sentiments are sometimes shockingly old-fashioned to the sheltered inhabitant of the 21st Century.
