Review of Footlight Parade (1933) by Mary Kathryn P — 23 Jun 2013

Here is another Busby Berkeley spectacular from Warner Brothers. This time, Jimmy Cagney plays the musical theatre impresario who is on the ropes, struggling to stay in business against competition from the new rage of "talkies" that has eliminated the audience for musicals.

So, he creates "prologues" (basically song and dance numbers) to run before the film and he rolls these out across the country using performing "units". Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell are here to sing and dance and there is the usual bevy of showgirls.

Oddly, the Berkeley numbers are saved for the final 30 minutes and they are pretty great (and somewhat lewd) as usual; all symmetrical designs formed by arms and legs and shot from above to look like flowers and even patriotic symbols.

Cagney can dance (as later displayed in Yankee Doodle Dandy) but I still prefer Gold Diggers of 1933.