Footlight Parade (1933)

100% of critics liked it
(8 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(1,005 ratings)

The last--and to some aficionados, the best--of choreographer Busby Berkeley's three Warner Bros. efforts of 1933, Footlight Parade stars James Cagney as a Broadway musical comedy producer. Cagney is unceremoniously put out of business when talking pictures arrive. To keep his head above water,… More The last--and to some aficionados, the best--of choreographer Busby Berkeley's three Warner Bros. efforts of 1933, Footlight Parade stars James Cagney as a Broadway musical comedy producer. Cagney is unceremoniously put out of business when talking pictures arrive. To keep his head above water, Jimmy hits upon a swell idea: he'll stage musical "prologues" for movie theatres, then ship them out to the various picture palaces in New York. Halfway through the picture, Cagney is obliged to assemble three mammoth prologues and present them back-to-back in three different theatres. There are all sorts of backstage intrigues, not the least of which concerns the predatory hijinks of gold-digger Claire Dodd and the covetous misbehavior of Cagney's ex-wife Renee Whitney. Joan Blondell plays Jimmy's faithful girl-friday, who loves him from afar; Ruby Keeler is the secretary who takes off her glasses and is instantly transformed into a glamorous stage star; Dick Powell is the "protege" of wealthy Ruth Donnelly, who makes good despite this handicap; Frank McHugh is Cagney's assistant, who spends all his time moaning "It'll never work"; and Hugh Herbert is a self-righteous censor, who ends up in a censurable position. The last half-hour of Footlight Parade is a nonstop display of Busby Berkeley at his most spectacular: the three big production numbers, all written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, are "By a Waterfall", "Honeymoon Hotel", and "Shanghai Lil", the latter featuring some delicious pre-code scatology, a tap-dance duet by Cagney and Keeler, and an out-of-left-field climactic salute to FDR and the NRA! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 44 min.
Directed By: Lloyd Bacon, Llyod Bacon
Written By: Manuel Seff, James Seymour
Genres: Romance, Musical & Performing Arts, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Sep 30, 1933 Wide
On DVD: Mar 21, 2006

Critic Reviews

Chris Cabin, Filmcritic.com
generates laughs at a criminal rate
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Not the best of the Berkeley Warner musicals, but close.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Stella D

fun and funny musical with cagney and dick powell. mindblowing busby berkeley numbers in the second half. the last one includes an opium den. also i think joan blondell called claire dodd a bitch :O
jay n

Everybody is full of boundless energy and the musical numbers are truly awesome.
Jennifer X

Out of Busby Berkeley's early trifecta this is easily his weakest of his plots, but the most imaginative of the musical numbers. But give me the gritty, earthy tap dancing to ridiculous water-sprite synchronized swimming anyway. Doesn't James Cagney remind you of Orson… More
Out of Busby Berkeley's early trifecta this is easily his weakest of his plots, but the most imaginative of the musical numbers. But give me the gritty, earthy tap dancing to ridiculous water-sprite synchronized swimming anyway. Doesn't James Cagney remind you of Orson Welles sometimes?

Cast

            James Cagney as Chester Kent

            Joan Blondell as Nan Prescott

            Ruby Keeler as Bea Thorn

            Dick Powell as Scotty Blair

            Guy Kibbee as Silas Gould

            Ruth Donnelly as Harriet Bowers Gould

            Claire Dodd as Vivian Rich

            Hugh Herbert as Charlie Bowers

            Frank McHugh as Francis

            Arthur Hohl as Al Frazer

            Gordon Westcott as Harry Thompson

            Paul Porcasi as George Appolinaris

            Billy Barty as Mouse/Little Boy

            Herman Bing as Fralick the music director

            Hobart Cavanaugh as Title-Thinkerupper

            George Chandler as Drugstore attendant

            Jimmy Conlin as Uncle

            Marlo Dwyer as Chorus girl

            Philip Faversham as Joe Farmington

            William Granger as Doorman

            Roger Gray as Sailor-Pal in "Shanghai Lil" Number

            Fred Kelsey as House detective

            Donna La Barr as Chorus Girl

            Dorothy Lamour as Chorus

            Sam McDaniel as Porter

            William V. Mong as Auditor

            Lee Moran as Mac the Dance Director

            Donna Mae Roberts as Chorus girl

            Barbara Rogers as Gracie

            Marjean Rogers as Chorus girl

            Harry Seymour as Desk Clerk in "Honeymoon"

            Billy Taft as Specialty dancer

            Juliet Ware as Miss Smythe

            Renee Whitney as Cynthia Kent

            Charles C. Wilson as Cop

            Pat Wing as Chorus girl

            Duke York as Sailor on Table in "Shanghai Lil" Number

            Charles Lane as Hotel detective in the "Honeymoon Hotel"-number

            Dave O'Brien as Chorus boy

            John Garfield as Sailor Behind Table

            Busby Berkeley
            
            Lloyd Bacon
            
See full cast