Review of Footlight Parade (1933) by Robb T — 02 Aug 2008

[font=Arial Black]SEXY and SURREAL pre-code pulchritude from Busby Berkeley. Cagney the killer pushes stagebound grapefruits in the faces of producers with no vision. Lubed nubile Ruby Keeler calms the beast in Jimmy with her secret tap dancing codes, rhythmically timed to make him her eternal slave, and their show a BIG hit! The By A Waterfall and Shanghai Lil production number extravaganzas have showered cinematic gold over audiences for 70 years. [/font].

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[font=Arial Black]The first explores the connection between nearly naked lesbian pool coupling and synchronised swimming in a humongous outdoor bath constructed on a soundstage, the latter is an in tempo crawl through an opium den in China, with Cagney and Keeler tapping out warnings that their world is about to crumble. Sure enough, by the end of the number, the feds have shown up with their troops, announcing the power of the oncoming Hays Office with their scary BIG guns. Cagney and Keeler exit in military drag designed to keep their careers alive for the rest of their lives under the veiled watchful eye of J. Edgar Hoover - the King of Jazz. [/font].