A fading Broadway entertainer takes a job as a domestic to get background for a part in a new musical.A fading Broadway entertainer takes a job as a domestic to get background for a part in a new musical.A fading Broadway entertainer takes a job as a domestic to get background for a part in a new musical.
Photos
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaGrace Hayes and Peter Lind Hayes, who play mother and son in this short, were mother and son in real life.
- SoundtracksSweet Music
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Al Dubin
Played during the opening credits
Also performed by Peter Lind Hayes in the opening scene
Featured review
Be careful...if you watch this short your brain might just explode!!!
Times have certainly changed and today much of what's in older films is seen as politically incorrect and insulting. Often, I think folks make too much out of this, as you cannot censor a film just because of a bit of offensive content. However, in the case of "Maid for a Day", I could certainly understand someone feeling irritated with it....and if their heads exploded while they watched!
The offensive part involves a flashback where you see a stage production. The actors are all white and playing black characters but the REALLY offensive part is the curtain...complete with giant stereotypical black men with watermelons on it! Yep....it is pretty nasty!
So is the short still worth seeing? Well, first, if you cannot look past the offensive start of the film, probably not (and I'd hate to hear about your brain exploding!). And second, well, the short is pretty crappy otherwise. Like many Vitaphone shorts, the plot is scant and it's mostly a review of songs and dance numbers. Some of them are very good (the bizarre cigarette dance was actually very good) and some (the godawful impersonations) were not. Overall, view at your own risk....and if you skip it, you won't be missing much.
The offensive part involves a flashback where you see a stage production. The actors are all white and playing black characters but the REALLY offensive part is the curtain...complete with giant stereotypical black men with watermelons on it! Yep....it is pretty nasty!
So is the short still worth seeing? Well, first, if you cannot look past the offensive start of the film, probably not (and I'd hate to hear about your brain exploding!). And second, well, the short is pretty crappy otherwise. Like many Vitaphone shorts, the plot is scant and it's mostly a review of songs and dance numbers. Some of them are very good (the bizarre cigarette dance was actually very good) and some (the godawful impersonations) were not. Overall, view at your own risk....and if you skip it, you won't be missing much.
helpful•45
- planktonrules
- Nov 5, 2019
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Broadway Brevities (1935-1936 season) #25: Maid for a Day
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime21 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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