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Edgar Ulmer's baroque masterpiece is the pinnacle of expressionism of Hollywood, a beautiful melding of gothic antiquity and modernity in the shadow of World War I. Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff square off in theirfinest film together as decades-old nemeses who meet for a fateful showdown on the very battlefield where Karloff's devilish dark priest sacrificed his own army and framed Lugosi's good doctor for the crime. Karloff plays the most evil character of his career, a mesmerizingly demonic architect (inspired by the notorious real-life Satanist Aleister Crowley) who stole Lugosi's wife and daughter and built his shrinelike home, a stunning piece of Bauhaus-inspired glass and steel architecture, on the graves of his victims. His intensity and hypnotic understatement is a revelation, a genuine monster in human guise far more insidious and evil than the creatures of Universal's more famous horror classics. Lugosi delivers his finest performance ever as a Van Helsing-like hero whose simmering hatred and rage finally boils over into madness and sadistic revenge. A pair of silly American honeymooners become but two more pawns in their game of vengeance. John Mescall, who shot the gorgeous Bride of Frankenstein, beautifully delivers eerie unease and sinister imagery, from the Caligari-like black church of slanting beams and slashing shadows to the tomb of glass-lined caskets displaying victims held in suspended animation. One of the finest horror films to emerge from Universal's golden age of horror. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (26)

A Great Psychological Thriller
Bella Lugosi and Boris Karloff team up into the psychological thriller "The Black Cat." Bela lugos plays a mysterious character named Dr. Vitus Verdegast, who has an interesting past. David Manners and Julie Bishop play a young couple on their way to a nice vacation. When these three passengers on a bus get into a accident. The three are led to the friend of Dr. Verdegast, Hjalmar Poelzig who is played by Boris Karloff. A bitter hatred is discovered between these to once friends. Hjalmar is discovered to be a priest in a satanic cult who has evil plans for his new guests. The atmosphere of the movie is a mix of classic horror and Art Deco. It's held to this atmosphere with terrific lighting and great sets. The mansion was filled with sharp edges and rounded circular objects. Also a spiral-staircase to the dungeon like rooms below was installed to give it homage to classic horror. Costumes were also very well done giving Mr. Poelzig a very intriguing look of mystery. This dialog was most important and well done to incite fear and suspense in to the film. Lugosi does a great job showing the unusual psyche of his characters fear of cats and his scheming mind. Karloff's character was well portrayed as an evil satanic priest who kills without a thought of even ones he loves. Overall the movie is a great psychological thriller that is very intriguing and pokes at your thoughts.

Even Ailurophobes Should See The Black Cat
Honeymooners Peter and Joan Alison (David Manners, Jacqueline Wells) get involved in a deadly contest between architect, devil worshiper, and talented organist Hjalmar Poelzig (Boris Karloff) and psychiatrist, former POW, and talented knife thrower--or was that just luck?--Dr. Vitus Werdegast (Bela Lugosi).

While Karloff and Lugosi are superb in playing their roles, it's the main setting that is the highlight of the film: Poelzig's home. Built on the site of a World War I battleground, this fort-turned-domicile is an austere, high-tech monument to Bauhaus architecture and interior design.

Adding culture to the horror is a classical music sound track that includes Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A Major; Schumann's Quintet in E Flat Major; Liszt's Sonata in B Minor; Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet; Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in B Minor Unfinished; Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor; and Bach's Adagio from Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C Major, BWV 564.

The Black Cat does have its flaws. There are set problems: Poelzig's servant can't latch the front door. Not to be outdone, Werdegast's servant falls against a flimsy concrete wall. There are plot problems: How did Werdegast manage to become "one of Hungary's greatest psychiatrists" if he tells us "for 15 years I've rotted in the darkness" as a prisoner of war? How did "one of Austria's greatest architects" manage to include a "red switch" in the construction of his home? How did the bus driver manage to become one of the cultists?--or am I seeing things? Whatever the film lacks in credibility it more than compensates for with a remarkable synthesis of aesthetics and depravity, presented entirely in glorious black and white.

The eeriest scene is that of high priest Poelzig's convening with his fellow satanists and performing the rites of Lucifer in Latin. If devil worship doesn't appeal to you, then perhaps you'll enjoy the necrophilia, borderline incest, torture, and murder--I know I did.

universal, put this on dvd!
where is that little area where we can vote for this film to be put on dvd?
they've dug into their vaults and released such dumb titles as 'house of frankenstein' but havent released this art deco masterpeice! come on!
karloff and lugosi's best teaming!

Masterpiece of the Macabre
A story that finds a recently-released WW I prisoner of war, Dr. Vitus Werdegast, travelling by train to the eerie mountain-top home of his former commanding officer, Hjalmar Poelzig, who betrayed Werdegast and his comrades to the enemy army, subsequently marrying Werdegast's wife (whom he told died during the war) and, after killing her and preserving her body, marries Werdegast's daughter as well. Sworn on revenge, Werdegast brings fellow travellers Mr. and Mrs. Alison to Poelzig's home, a Caligariesque fortress which Poelzig designed, as he happens to be an architect when he's not too busy running his Satanic Cult from the depths of his house. The house, it seems, was built upon the ruins of the WW I fort Poelzig had commanded during the last years of the war, the very spot where tens of thousands of Poelzig's own men were murdered or taken prisoner of war thanks to his betrayal of them...

It is against this background that the two men, Poelzig and Werdegast, play out a living chess game against one another, using the young Mr. & Mrs. Alison as the stakes for a macabre ritual played out between the betrayer and the betrayed.

One of the very best of the Universal horror films,even though it can properly be regarded as *not* being what one would think of as a "horror film," this one is a must for any deep-thinking person who desires to understand the potential for extreme darkness the human soul can be capable of.

Disappointing resolution
A pair of young American newlyweds (David Manners and Julie Bishop) become involved in the face-off between the devil-worshipping architect Poelzig (Boris Karloff) and Werdegast (Bela Lugosi), the man he destroyed years before, who has returned for his vengeance. The style of the film is operatic, with big exaggerated performances, a swelling score derived from classical tunes, and magnificent, brooding set design. Director Edgar Ulmer does a wonderful job of building an atmosphere of sinister dread that makes the early part of the film utterly fascinating.

However, once Poelzig reveals his true nature and intent to the young couple, the film abruptly runs out of steam. The masterful build-up is resolved by a lot of frantic running from room to room, capped off by the obligatory and ludicrous explosion at the end. Is this due to the studio hacks that supposedly recut Ulmer's film? It would be nice if a restored version could be released on DVD some day. ... Read more

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The greatness of John Garfield was that he was a tough guy who wasn't afraid to wear his sensitivity on his sleeve. What makes this such a great film is that director Jean Negulesco and his two writers (including Clifford Oddets) construct a complex web of ambiguity around Garfield's own torment. He's a violin virtuoso from the slums of New York who rises to the top with the assistance of socialite Joan Crawford (who was never better). There's a sexual intensity to his art that she wants to possess, and there's a vulnerability behind her lacerating façade that he wants to expose. They play each other like a couple of virtuosos, stripping each other's spirit away. What helps transcend this depression-era class struggle is its cool sophistication. It's a sublime noir about loneliness. Everyone knows his dream has hit a dead end, except Garfield. He refuses to give up, even after his soul is long gone. --Bill Desowitz ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Nothing Good Can Come Of This Relationship
In HUMORESQUE we see a dedicated young musician (John Garfield) meet a wealthy possessive woman (Joan Crawford) who takes an obsessive interest in him and his career as a violinist. We know that nothing good can come of this relationship and we are surely looking at a tragedy in the making. In spite of all the warning signs we feel compelled to watch this movie to the end.

The acting of both Garfield and Crawford is superb. The role of Helen Wright seems to be the perfect vehicle for Crawford. Oscar Levant excells as a pianist and Garfield's friend. The rest of the strong supporting cast includes J. Carrol Naish, Joan Chandler and Tom D'Andrea. Garfield's violin is played by Isaac Stern.

HUMORESQUE received an Oscar nomination in 1946 for Best Scoring of a Dramatic Picture. Jean Negulosco directed many other fine movies during his career including JOHNNY BELINDA, ROAD HOUSE and THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN.

A ROMANCE TO DIE FOR...
This is a superb melodrama about a young man, Paul Boray, from the wrong side of the tracks, who plays a mean violin, and the unhappily married society matron, Helen Wright, who becomes his patron and then his lover. John Garfield is well cast as Paul Boray, the ambitious violinist. Joan Crawford does a star turn as the glamorous and beautiful patron of the arts, who underwrites Boray's big break and ends up falling passionately in love with him. Theirs is a turbulent relationship. He is singularly devoted to his music, and she is an alcoholic, plagued by self-doubt. They are star crossed lovers whose romance is destined to end tragically.

The film has a magnificent musical score courtesy of violinist virtuoso Isaac Stern. Pianist Oscar Levant is a double threat in this movie, as he, too, does a star turn as Boray's best friend, acting as a comedic foil. He also dazzles on the ivories, playing away so that the viewer wonders why he, too, does not have some society dame underwriting a show for him, such is his talent. All in all, a well cast and well acted film. Fans of Joan Crawford and all those with an appreciation of classical music will especially enjoy this well made film.

Playing second fiddle to Beethoven's ghost
That sentiment sums up the frustration and disappointment of Helen Wright [Joan Crawford] about her love for and obsession with violin virtuoso Paul Boray [John Garfield] in an excellent film blessed with great acting and beautiful music. Mrs. Wright becomes Boray's patron and gives his career a financial boost but becomes hopelessly drawn to her protege as his concert career takes off. The two principals circle each other warily, sizing up the other and lashing out verbally with accusations of ingratitude and selfishness with Boray holding fast to his dedication to his music while Mrs. Wright begins a slow but steady decline into drinking and depression. Boray's tunnel vision concerning his instrument does not allow him to appreciate the love Gina [Joan Chandler] has for him, nor can he grasp his mother's sage counsel and warning about his involvement with a married woman. The film has generous servings of music by Sarasate, Dvorak, Lalo and a brief but excellent recital of Franz Waxman's adaptation of "Carmen".

Crawford & Garfield in top form!
Terrific movie and Joan's worthy follow up to "Mildred Pierce." Everything's terrific about this one, so curl up on the sofa and settle in for a first class melodrama.

Joan Crawford's finest film and performance.
Not only was Joan Crawford at the height of her beauty and glamour when she made Humoresque - she was also at the height of her acting ability, having just won the Oscar for Mildred Pierce. It would be unfair to say Humoresque is a better film than Mildred Pierce, considering how different the two films are. Mildred Pierce was gritty and dark and strived for harsh realism. Humoresque is romantic and tragic - beautifully written, acted, and filmed. There are moments in movies that linger in your mind a long time after viewing.. The finale of Humoresque is one of those moments. I'm certain I will never forget Joan Crawford's melancholy walk along the sea shore in the moonlight. It is one of the most artistic scenes ever captured on film...and all the emotion Joan goes through is genuine and deep. It is definitely a glimpse through to the heart of Joan Crawford, vulnerable and beautiful, defiant and strong. For in real life, Joan Crawford was never loved. And her character in Humoresque was, as Joan described, "a woman with too much time on her hands and too much love in her heart." Perhaps that was the real Joan Crawford, a woman clinging to her career and the fans that loved her, when nobody else did. People have long criticized Joan Crawford, but who would you be if nobody loved you? ... Read more

Reviews (5)

CANTOR'S 193O TECHNICOLOR MUSICAL HIT.
Cantor is a state-of-the-art hypochondriac whose imagined poor health causes him to bring many hilarious situations into view. The character he portrays - Henry Williams - is something of a busybody who moves to Arizona for his health's sake and gets himself involved in the affairs of Sally Morgan...The art direction and musical numbers are still fascinating to observe and Cantor is hilarious when he explains blithely that he could die from any one of his several diseases right on the spot. This film - which was co-produced by Florenz Ziegfeld and Samuel Goldwyn - made Eddie Cantor a film star of the early talkies. Based upon THE NERVOUS WRECK by Owen Davis, this primitive Technicolor musical still has the ability to entertain - especially if you are partial to Eddie Cantor's brand of comedy. Look for a 14 (!) year-old Betty Grable as one of the Goldwyn Girls in this opus which was remade in 1944 as the Danny Kaye star-making vehicle UP IN ARMS. As a footnote, Goldwyn opened his filmed musical extravaganza in the nadir of Great Depression and tickets sold for an astonishing $5 apiece: the equivalent of a day's wages back then!

Is It Really The Season For Makin' Whoopee?
In 1930 Eddie Cantor was at the height of his career when "Whoopee" was made into a motion picture, taken from the 1929 play of the same title produced by "The Great Ziegfeld".
"Whoopee" is the story of two childhood friends who grew up together only to fall in love. One was a "white girl" the other "an Indian". Sally Morgan (Eleanor Hunt) is the girl and Wanenis (Paul Gregory) is the Indian. As time goes by Sally's father forbids the two from ever getting married. This lead Wanenis to leave the small town only to return as fate would have it, on the wedding day of Sheriff Bob Wells (Jack Rutherford) and Sally! Soon Sally has doubts about getting married to Bob when she sees Wenenis again. Now, perhaps your asking yourself, what has any of this got to do with Eddie Cantor? Absolutely nothing. Cantor plays Henry Williams. A neurotic who shys away from the advances made by his nurse, Mary Custer (Ethel Shutta) and perfers the company of a calf. He consistanly checks his temperature, and takes pills on every hour. And somehow finds himself helping Sally get away from Bob thus causing everyone trying to hunt him down, including his nurse who thinks Henry loves Sally instead of her.
"Whoopee" is actually quite funny. It's all Cantor's show from beginning to end. It's his energy that carries the whole film. Much of the films appeal will have to do with two things. Number one how much you like Cantor and two how much you like these old-fashion comedies. "Whoopee" though I must admit, is very very very suggestive. People tend to forget that while, yes, these types of movies have been reduced to "family entertainment" they were at one time meant strickly as "adult" entertainment.
"Whoopee" still makes me laugh after all these years from when I first saw it. One of my favorite momemts as to do with Henry and his Nurse;
Nurse: Do you know why I studied nursing?
Henry: No why?
Nurse: Because I'm romantic. Most girls like big strong healty men.
Henry: Husky!
Nurse: Not me, I like weak men. I have a positive passion for a weak man.
Henry: I suppose if I was paralyze you'd be absolutly cuckoo over me!
"Whoopee" also has good songs, and is probably best known for Cantor singing "Makin' Whoopee". He also sings "My Baby Just Cares For Me" & "A Girl Friend Of A Boy Friend Of Mine". There are some good dances. I assume very original for it's time. And there's even room for Cantor to go into his famous "black face". "Whoopee" was nominated for 1 Oscar "Best Art Direction". Also spot in the first scene a young Betty Grable. And look out for a young Virgina Bruce.
Bottom-line:Though perhaps thought of as a "dated" comedy Cantor's engery and some of the wise-cracks make the film enjoyable. Worth a look.

Another bride, another groom........YUMMY
This picture is a scream! A big one!

Eddie Cantor acts more like Woody Allen in this movie as a person whos affected by and is allergic to everything! And he loves his cow more than his flerting nurse!
And he expects to die soon so he go's to the pcturesque south/west for the scenery. (setting for the funeral-with fruit!)

But....trouble starts when he findes out that he helped a girl escape from an unwanted marrage. She really loves indian boy from a tribe up in the mountians. Of corse (1930s view) this cannot be done.

I wont say much but the movie is a spinning technicolor/comedy mess of fun and frolic. (and Busby B. too!)

early color/good music/good dancing
its a good try for 1930//primitive color helps//the music is memorable//the dance sequences are interesting..eddie cantor is in good form///too bad the supporting cast is weak///a young betty grable is fun to see in the early musical number at the beginning of the film..even the mistake at the top where the opening fades in prematurly is forgiven

The static camera rules!
This is certainly an oddity, from the hues of two-strip Technicolor to the scenes of Cantor emerging from his hiding place of an oven (in itself unsettling, given the added hindsight of WWII and Hitler's Ultimate Solution) in blackface. The songs, however, are superb, and "George Olsen's Music" in the background gives this underrated bandleader some nice exposure. Technically "Whoopee" fares better than the Marx Brother's "Animal Crackers" of the same year--they even manage to sneak in a couple of exterior shots! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

All review
I have seen most (if not all) of his movies. Errol has always been at the top of my list for free spirited actors. He was a rogue. His alcoholism did not help his acting any, but he managed to (in his younger years) be a fine actor with character and heart for the roll he was playing. The movie had a good plot but not enough (at least for me) interaction between him and Barbara. Because I am a very outspoken person, Barbara could have done a better job of standing her ground and confronting him, instead of sneaking around.

MEDIOCRE MYSTERY.
In the opening scene of one of the least typical of Flynn's vehicles, Barbara Stanwyck plays a widow who arrives at a house of mourning much to the surprise of the family, who didn't know the deceased was married. Stanwyck reveals that this had been a marriage of convenience to help the young man get his inheritance held by his uncle, Mark (Errol, natch) and it was to be followed by divorce in six months. Flynn is suspicious of Stanwyck, while she definitely has cause to be suspicious of him, all this resulting in a fairly suspenseful game of cat-and-mouse. Dour, leering servants, a hysterically morbid niece (Geraldine Brooks) plus weird nocturnal noises all add flavour to the puzzling plot. Flynn underplays in a properly sinsiter, stuffy, and apparently sadistic manner, but in some scenes he's just plain wooden in his acting technique. An excellent Franz Waxman score tries to elevate the melodrama to greater heights but the rather banal dialogue and ultimately inept plot unfortunately defeat it. Stanwyck does her usual best, however she and Flynn have a decidedly odd chemistry.

A good mystery vechicle for Barbara Stanwyck
This is a little known film of both Barbara Stanwyck and Errol Flynn. While it is not up there with some of Barbara's classics like "Double Indemnity" "The Lady Eve' and "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" it is still an extremely well made and tense mystery that keeps you guessing to the very end.
The strong, almost Gothic feel that the film possesses really adds to the atmosphere and I feel it is unique in that it was the only pairing of Barbara Stanwyck and Flynn, two of the greatest stars of the 30's and 40's. Errol Flynn performs in a role very different to his normal screen persona but I feel he does an admirable job in the subdued, slightly sinister character of Mark. Barbara Stanwyck i feel never gives a bad performance and she is her usual terrific self as the young woman coming to her (supposedly) dead husband's gloomy estate being determined to discover what really is going on there. The scenes of her trying to find these answers and all the strange things that happen add real tension to the proceedings. The scene where barbara sneaks into the Lab in particular is real nail biting stuff. Director Peter Godfrey who drew many fine performances out of Stanwyck over the years and here he really creates what i think is an exciting little mystery full of murder, dark rooms, the hint of insanity and very clever camera work.
I strongly recommend "Cry Wolf" not only for those like me who really love Barbara Stanwyck but for those that enjoy a good old fashioned mystery done with typical old Hollywood finese.

Taut and engrossing
I thought this movie was taut and suspenseful. It had me guessing about who was really the good guy up until the very end. Barbara Stanwyck gives another solid performance as the rather mysterious heroine. She also looks terrific in clothes that were designed for her by the late, great Edith Head. Errol Flynn makes a convincing, seemingly sinister scientist. Yes, the ending is a bit over the top but in a highly entertaining way. And the photography, sets, and musical score are excellent. This is old Hollywood style movie making in top form. Recommended!

Noir No-No
Late in his life, Errol Flynn added to his impressive catalog of professional disgraces by appearing (drunk) in a stage production of "Jane Eyre." He must have forgotten his utter failure in this dud film noir, in which he plays an ambiguous Mr. Rochester-type character menacing (or is it trying to protect...?) good old Barbara Stanwyck. When the family secret is finally revealed at the end, you'll shake your head in disbelief -- if you're still awake. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

In this corner, Flynn; in that corner, Smith!
I don't generally care much for Westerns, but "San Antonio" is a highly enjoyable, often laugh-out-loud example of the genre. Errol Flynn and Alexis Smith engage in a lot of snappy repartee, Smith belts out the classic "Some Sunday Morning", and S.Z. Sakall, a staple of 1940's musicals and comedies, shines here.

A charming, lighthearted mid-'40s oater
Errol Flynn was never more debonaire than in this briskly paced, totally enjoyable, two-fisted Western romance. Flynn plays Clay Hardin, a rancher who's been chased out of town by a syndicate of corrupt rustlers, but is back in town with the proof that will vindicate him... and with a hankering to meet actress Alexis Smith. She's a high-tone New York gal who finds herself charmed by the dapper, self-assured machismo of Flynn's good-natured rustic roughneck. You'll be charmed, too: it's hard to imagine anyone else being so suave and polite when they're whomping on the bad guys. Filmed in brightly saturated Technicolor, with the ruins of the Alamo eerily lit by the Texas moon. This film is a goodie! [Cast note: anyone who was charmed by S. K. Sakall's famous comedic cameo as a German emigre in "Casablanca" ("What watch mama?") will get a kick out of his extensive supporting role in this film... More cutesy ethnic schtick than you can shake a schntizel at!]

MEDIOCRE FLYNN WESTERN.
By no means a Western type, Errol Flynn was really the only non-American actor to become successful in this genre of film in the U.S. He confessed to being baffled by his considerable success in his earlier westerns (i.e. DODGE CITY & THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON, et al.) and he sometimes referred to himself as the "rich man's Roy Rogers". Here we have a mediocrity of the genre. The story concerns an 1877 cattleman named Clay Hardin (!) who returns to San Antonio from Mexico, where he has obtained proof that the owner of San Antonio's leading dance hall (played by Paul Kelly) is indeed the head of a well-organised syndicate of cattle thieves...Naturally Flynn has trouble convicting Kelly, but it all works out in the end. An amusing scene near the beginning of the picture has Flynn and Alexis Smith doing a Mexican dance together.

Flynn Seeks Revenge
Errol Flynn stars as a cowboy out to get revenge on the cattle rustler that has stolen his cattle and the cattle of several other men. He returns to San Antonio to settle the score, but before he can do that, he falls in love with Alexis Smith, the actress and singer performing at his enemy's saloon. Needless to say, things get complicated. This isn't the greatest of Flynn's westerns, although it's far from the worst. There's just nothing new here. Flynn was already starting to show the signs of the premature aging that would eventually lead to his death, and his performance lacks its usual fire. Smith, however, plays her character well and looks beautiful in the great technicolor. There is a terrific saloon shoutout/brawl, but it doesn't add up to much more than an average western. It's entertaining, but nothing special.

There's just soooo many Westerns out there..........
As I continue my intro, there are tons of westerns out there, probably more than any other genre, considering all of the 'B' westerns out there.

To get on with my review, as I was hinting it's really hard to get a decent plot, one like say Rio Bravo or The Searchers. But anyway, it still is a pretty good movie. San Antonio is about a man who loses his fortune to some bad guys (I can't think of anything else to call them, either that or say crooked cattle punchers?) and goes to get his revenge. Flynn is once again his dashing self and Alexis Smith offers a good character. I guess "good character" isn't exactly the best way to describe it. She plays a very feisty actress/singer who ends up working for Flynn's enemies but falls in love with him.

The color in this film was great and it was qutie a high grade movie. The song sung in the film "Some Sunday Morning" won the Oscar for best song. It's a pretty good film on it's own, but when put up against other westerns and Flynn's previous work (Captian Blood, Robin Hood, etc.) it just doesn't have the same magic. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Mysterious Lady
To be honest, the only reason I got this film was for its star, Marlene Dietrich. I knew it was only her second american film, and her third for Josef Von Sternberg. To see her early in her career, before Hollywood really worked with her, is interesting.
As for story, there really isn't much to it, as it is basically a retelling of the Mata Hari story, Dietrich-style.
She begins as a 'lady of the evening', discovered by a member of the Austrian Secret Police during World War one. Plucked from the streets and turned into a secret agent, she completes a mission or two, then goes after a top spy for the Russians, whom Austria is fighting. He eludes her, but falls under her spell.
Later, they meet again, only he has the upper hand this time. She slips him some sleeping powder and vanishes with some vital enemy info, after a night of passion.
Due to the success of the information she stole, the Austrians win a big victory, and the Russian spy is captured. Seeing him in line, she volunteers to interrogate him herself. Taking him to the back, she acts careless, and lets him escape, committing the arch sin of treason for the man she has come to love.
The film's last section has her in detention, awaiting the firing squad, which she meets with calm dignified grace.
If it all sounds hokey, well, it is. But Dietrich's calm, measured diction and regal posing give a sense of fate and meaning to all her scenes, and the final firing-squad sequence was filmed in an airplane hangar, to catch the unique sound of echoing rifle shots, which earned the film an academy award for sound. Dietrtich's final close-up, just before the fateful shots, is glorious, and saves the film's ending from silliness.
Really, this film isn't the best of Dietrich's seven films for Von Sternberg, not even second best, but it still is something to behold, and worth having in your collection.

the magnificent Marlene
Dietrich is a fascinating and riveting actress to watch. The way she moves, her voice, her sultry cat-like quality...and in this film her constant companion is a black cat, said to be "for luck".
The character is loosely based on Mata Hari, and she's asked to be a spy because they need "a woman who can deal with men", and she gets them all under her spell.

She also plays the piano. The music, and the way it's interpreted, is an essential part of the plot.
One of my favorite songs, "Anniversary Waltz", is the main theme, but "Moonlight Sonata" is also played, as well as a more modern piece that's a "code".
They wanted Gary Cooper to play the part of the Russian colonel (and how wonderful he would have been), but after "Morocco", he had no desire to work with von Sternberg again, so Victor McLaglen got to be her adversary and love interest.

Though there are moments of dumb plot and script, it's highly entertaining, beautifully photographed, and of course, has the mesmerizing Marlene.
The last scene is terrific. The look, the subtle smile...one of those unforgettable "great moments of film".

MARLENE AS A SPY
DISHONORED is not a first-rate picture, but it is a fairly intelligent one, and, in its day, a semi-important one. The best thing that can be said for this story is that it presents a uniquely subtle sort of love, and presents it quietly. Concerining the story of a spy who, after many difficulties, finally manages to trick one of the enemy Secret Service, only to forfeit her own life by setting him free, writer/director von Sternberg wrote neither very well nor wisely. Most interesting is the camera work and sound montage of the film. The alliance of skillful director and one of the finest cameramen of the era, Lee Garmes, resulted in a movie always worth looking at. DISHONORED is an interesting antique flick which was written and directed by the legendary Josef von Sternberg. This film marked von Sternberg as an outstanding craftsman in the use of sound and in the use of lights and shadows. Although sound and speech had been employed by films for three or four years, there were few directors who made them more than adjunct to the films of which they really should have been an integral part. The most obvious use of sound in the film is that of making a piano almost one the protagonists. It is used to project the emotion of the person playing, usually the star, and in one sequence, it makes a transfer by which you understand that the code message, written in music, spells the death of the enemy, a sequence ending in the sound of war.

a must-see for all Dietrich-fans
The third movie of the classic Dietrich-Sternberg pairing has everything for the fan. Rousing adventure,mystery and the legendary combination of sex and decadent elegance of miss Dietrich herself. Don't take the plot too seriously,it is rather silly but the cinematography is excellent ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A GOLDWYN EXTRAVAGANZA.
Eddie Cantor and Robert Young play college roommates who are kicked out of school after being caught in the girl's dorm. Mix-ups include Cantor fleeing from crooks and ending up in Mexico where Eddie hilariously impersonates a bullfighter... The picture (a pre-code film) is chock full of laughs, includes some good songs and contains an excellent performance by the Polish actress Lyda Roberti who would die of a fatal heart attack at the age of 32 (while bending over to tie her shoelace, Hollywood legend says). The 1932 Goldwyn Girls include Jane Wyman, a ridiculously platinum blonde Paulette Goddard, the beautiful Toby Wing and a sixteen year-old named Betty Grable. In retrospect, it seems that Goldwyn wanted to be known as the Ziegfeld of the movies by producing opulent, entertaining musicals that he could charge a fortune for. In 1932, admission for THE KID FROM SPAIN cost moviegoers an astonishing $2 when the highest rate for a first-run picture was only 75c.

Lively Busby Berkeley musical is pre-code delight
Did I say pre-code. You bet. How else would you describe the opening musical number set in a girls' dormitory with the chorus line in various stages of dress! This film delivers. It's funny, tuneful, sexy and fast paced. Our hero, Eddie Cantor, is thrown out of school for hiding in the girls dorm. He gets taken for a ride by bank robbers to Mexico where his old pal, played by Robert Young, passes him off as a famous bull figher. The fun begins with Eddie dodging detectives, girls' fathers and an expectant crowd of bull fight fans. Berkeley works his magic with the musical numbers which makes this film a visual and audio delight. Plenty of pretty girls and good songs. Highly recommended for Berkeley fans, pre-code fans, and anybody looking for some light-hearted fun. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The Perils of Pauline
I recieved this order in a fast and timely fashion but the Video tape is no good. It does not work at all.

Another chance to see Betty Hutton shine!
Once again, Betty Hutton plays a show girl whose talent overshadows her grouchy, envious boyfriend, making him cold and rejecting. (A device also used in "The Stork Club" and "Annie Get Your Gun"...) This time, she portrays silent movie actress Pearl White, star of the popular "Perils Of Pauline" cliffhanger serial adventures... The role is mainly dramatic, and though Frank Loesser is the film's songwriter, Hutton only gets in two good numbers before the schmaltz sets in. But what doozies they are! "Rumble Rumble Rumble," about an upstairs neighbor who plays the piano all night long, is a charming novelty song. Hutton's comedic inflection is better on the studio version (heard on Capitol's "Spotlight" collection), but it's a gas seeing her singing it live on film. She also really seems to enjoy herself a lot on "Papa Don't Preach To Me," a full-on dance number with a legion of smoothies in top hat and tails whirling her around... Hutton positively beams as she closes the number, knowing that she nailed the take, hands down. The film itself is a straightforward melodrama and once again her leading man, John Lund, plays a guy who is a real pill (...those uptight '40s "real men" characters really bug me somehow). The ending, in which a recently paralyzed Pearl still manages to rush to the train station to meet her man, is as preposterous as the Pauline serials the movie satirizes. Still, the film does give a nice glimpse at the early, early, early years of Hollywood, and the ramshackle, seat-of-their-pants production style of the one-reeler studios, and the film's scenes, which play with the transition of film from silent to sound, are pretty clever. Also, check out William Demarest as the grouchy director who makes White a star -- a role that was tailormade for his talents. Not the greatest film ever, but it has its charms.

The Perils of Paulijne
I have not seen all of her films but abt. 3 or 4 and it is the worse film I saw - sorry I bought it and bought it only after good reviews from yr customers - cause I love Betty Hutton. Tastes varie I guess -after seeing Annie get yr gun etc. She was dead in this film. She is enegetic and robust and in my opinion the best in these kind of roles no others. Nor placed in roles sugar sweet romantic without any backbone.

About the DVD
This is a good buy, provided you love Betty Hutton. Otherwise, you might be greatly frustrated by her extremely physical and robust comedy style. She is about as sincere on screen as Carmen Miranda, Red Skelton and Danny Kaye put together, but never as graceful as Lucille Ball, let alone some of the drawingroom comediennes of the period. The quality of the DVD transfer is so-so, basically not bad, but never anything like the restored Gone With The Wind. There are no extras.
I can't escape the feeling that this film could have been so much better, since it at its best comes (subjectwise) close to "Singing in the Rain", but in spite of all the action and (unnecessary) drama sequences, this still is ONLY a Miss Hutton vehicle.

A whopping barrelhouse of a show!
Betty Hutton does it again! In one of her very best films, Hutton portrays silent film star Pearl White in a highly fictionalized and romanticized account of White's career. Beginning with her early days as a seamstress, to her tagging along with an amateur theatre group to the famed "Perils of Pauline" series, Hutton is so much fun to watch as her energetic performance steals scene after scene. White has romantic pangs for an uptight actor (John Lund) whose affections go unreturned until film's end, providing the show with a trademark musical happy ending. And what a songbook! Betty is great with her upbeat, staccato "Bob-bin' and bob-bin' and bob-bin" to the rhythm of a sewing machine, and the whole film is worth the boisterously delightful "Rumble, rumble, rumble" which Betty performs with gusto atop a piano. And she is charming with her sad romantic ballad, "I Wish I Didn't Love You So". If you're a Betty Hutton fan, or if you just love a great laugh or a great show, "The Perils of Pauline" is well worth every cent! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good movie, Good price!!
Made in 1940 but set in WWI, Boris Karloff plays a master spy working as a butler for a British war official. Enter double agent Helen Von Lorder and the fun begins with twists, turns, and double-crosses. This is a good movie! Even though it is a 60 minute "B" movie, it's got class. It was made by Warner Brothers and is very well done. The special FX are great (for the time and budget) though you might recognize one or two stock explosions from gangster pics. BUT THIS IS WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW: The Alpha DVD has quite good quality picture and sound. A couple of minor hiccups along the way but all in all, one of their better transfers. Still looks like a VHS but it's a cheapie and you get what you pay for... probably a litle more in this instance. Definitely watchable and highly recommended if you're into this kind of thing.

British, German, and Double Agents
Set during the last part of World War I, this spy thriller begins with the frustrations of the British military over the way the Germans seem to know their next move before they even do. It's obvious there is a spy or leak somewhere that needs to be stopped if they are to have any success in the War. Boris Karloff and Margaret Lindsay enter into the picture. Individually or together, they could be British agents, German agents, or double agents, and the true identity of each is revealed at the climax. The two spies test each other throughout the film as a plot to kill the British cabinet begins to unfold. The film moves along briskly, with a running time of around an hour. I have to admit that I was occasionally confused by the plot, although by the film's final moments I had figured it all out. Karloff, limping and with a scar, is good as the more sinister (naturally) of the two agents, while Lindsay does a competent job as his female counterpart. The last few minutes are devoted to rallying the public at the outset of World War Two when this was produced, with a poorly concealed speech about Hitler. It's definitely heavy handed, yet it is fun to watch as a sign of the time. Judging by the running time, the cast involved, and the production, this film was obviously intended as a 'B' picture, and as a modest little programmer, it succeeds fairly well. Those expecting a bigger scale production will be disappointed.

Margaret Lindsay tries to trap German spy Boris Karloff
"British Intelligence" is set during World War I, when Helene von Lorbeer (Margaret Lindsay), a nurse in a French hospital, assumes the role of a German spy and is sent to England to obtain information about a secret British offensive. Helene is set up as a guest in the household of Arthur Bennett (Holmes Herbert), a key British war official, where the butler Valdar (Boris Karloff), is also a German spy. Helene's real mission is to learn the identity of Schiller, the mastermind fo the German spy system in England. This 1940 film, directed by Terry Morse, is based on Anthony Paul Kelly's play "Three Faces East," which had been filmed in 1926 with Clive Brook and Jetta Goudal and then again in 1930 with Eric von Stroheim and Constance Bennett. Of course Karloff has to wear a unnecessary wound on his face, supposedly from a bayonet, and walks with a limp. But actually this is a decent spy thriller, even if the true identity of "Schiller" is obvious from the opening credits. Although explicitly about the First World War, there are several veiled but obvious references to Hitler and what is happening in Europe in 1940.

Fun Espionage Thriller
It's no classic, but Karloff fans will like this "B" picture full of twists and turns as you try to figure out just who's the good guy and who's the bad guy.

Best of all it's short and to the point. A virtue that Hollywood seems to be lacking these days. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The Perils of Pauline
I recieved this order in a fast and timely fashion but the Video tape is no good. It does not work at all.

Another chance to see Betty Hutton shine!
Once again, Betty Hutton plays a show girl whose talent overshadows her grouchy, envious boyfriend, making him cold and rejecting. (A device also used in "The Stork Club" and "Annie Get Your Gun"...) This time, she portrays silent movie actress Pearl White, star of the popular "Perils Of Pauline" cliffhanger serial adventures... The role is mainly dramatic, and though Frank Loesser is the film's songwriter, Hutton only gets in two good numbers before the schmaltz sets in. But what doozies they are! "Rumble Rumble Rumble," about an upstairs neighbor who plays the piano all night long, is a charming novelty song. Hutton's comedic inflection is better on the studio version (heard on Capitol's "Spotlight" collection), but it's a gas seeing her singing it live on film. She also really seems to enjoy herself a lot on "Papa Don't Preach To Me," a full-on dance number with a legion of smoothies in top hat and tails whirling her around... Hutton positively beams as she closes the number, knowing that she nailed the take, hands down. The film itself is a straightforward melodrama and once again her leading man, John Lund, plays a guy who is a real pill (...those uptight '40s "real men" characters really bug me somehow). The ending, in which a recently paralyzed Pearl still manages to rush to the train station to meet her man, is as preposterous as the Pauline serials the movie satirizes. Still, the film does give a nice glimpse at the early, early, early years of Hollywood, and the ramshackle, seat-of-their-pants production style of the one-reeler studios, and the film's scenes, which play with the transition of film from silent to sound, are pretty clever. Also, check out William Demarest as the grouchy director who makes White a star -- a role that was tailormade for his talents. Not the greatest film ever, but it has its charms.

The Perils of Paulijne
I have not seen all of her films but abt. 3 or 4 and it is the worse film I saw - sorry I bought it and bought it only after good reviews from yr customers - cause I love Betty Hutton. Tastes varie I guess -after seeing Annie get yr gun etc. She was dead in this film. She is enegetic and robust and in my opinion the best in these kind of roles no others. Nor placed in roles sugar sweet romantic without any backbone.

About the DVD
This is a good buy, provided you love Betty Hutton. Otherwise, you might be greatly frustrated by her extremely physical and robust comedy style. She is about as sincere on screen as Carmen Miranda, Red Skelton and Danny Kaye put together, but never as graceful as Lucille Ball, let alone some of the drawingroom comediennes of the period. The quality of the DVD transfer is so-so, basically not bad, but never anything like the restored Gone With The Wind. There are no extras.
I can't escape the feeling that this film could have been so much better, since it at its best comes (subjectwise) close to "Singing in the Rain", but in spite of all the action and (unnecessary) drama sequences, this still is ONLY a Miss Hutton vehicle.

A whopping barrelhouse of a show!
Betty Hutton does it again! In one of her very best films, Hutton portrays silent film star Pearl White in a highly fictionalized and romanticized account of White's career. Beginning with her early days as a seamstress, to her tagging along with an amateur theatre group to the famed "Perils of Pauline" series, Hutton is so much fun to watch as her energetic performance steals scene after scene. White has romantic pangs for an uptight actor (John Lund) whose affections go unreturned until film's end, providing the show with a trademark musical happy ending. And what a songbook! Betty is great with her upbeat, staccato "Bob-bin' and bob-bin' and bob-bin" to the rhythm of a sewing machine, and the whole film is worth the boisterously delightful "Rumble, rumble, rumble" which Betty performs with gusto atop a piano. And she is charming with her sad romantic ballad, "I Wish I Didn't Love You So". If you're a Betty Hutton fan, or if you just love a great laugh or a great show, "The Perils of Pauline" is well worth every cent! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The Perils of Pauline
I recieved this order in a fast and timely fashion but the Video tape is no good. It does not work at all.

Another chance to see Betty Hutton shine!
Once again, Betty Hutton plays a show girl whose talent overshadows her grouchy, envious boyfriend, making him cold and rejecting. (A device also used in "The Stork Club" and "Annie Get Your Gun"...) This time, she portrays silent movie actress Pearl White, star of the popular "Perils Of Pauline" cliffhanger serial adventures... The role is mainly dramatic, and though Frank Loesser is the film's songwriter, Hutton only gets in two good numbers before the schmaltz sets in. But what doozies they are! "Rumble Rumble Rumble," about an upstairs neighbor who plays the piano all night long, is a charming novelty song. Hutton's comedic inflection is better on the studio version (heard on Capitol's "Spotlight" collection), but it's a gas seeing her singing it live on film. She also really seems to enjoy herself a lot on "Papa Don't Preach To Me," a full-on dance number with a legion of smoothies in top hat and tails whirling her around... Hutton positively beams as she closes the number, knowing that she nailed the take, hands down. The film itself is a straightforward melodrama and once again her leading man, John Lund, plays a guy who is a real pill (...those uptight '40s "real men" characters really bug me somehow). The ending, in which a recently paralyzed Pearl still manages to rush to the train station to meet her man, is as preposterous as the Pauline serials the movie satirizes. Still, the film does give a nice glimpse at the early, early, early years of Hollywood, and the ramshackle, seat-of-their-pants production style of the one-reeler studios, and the film's scenes, which play with the transition of film from silent to sound, are pretty clever. Also, check out William Demarest as the grouchy director who makes White a star -- a role that was tailormade for his talents. Not the greatest film ever, but it has its charms.

The Perils of Paulijne
I have not seen all of her films but abt. 3 or 4 and it is the worse film I saw - sorry I bought it and bought it only after good reviews from yr customers - cause I love Betty Hutton. Tastes varie I guess -after seeing Annie get yr gun etc. She was dead in this film. She is enegetic and robust and in my opinion the best in these kind of roles no others. Nor placed in roles sugar sweet romantic without any backbone.

About the DVD
This is a good buy, provided you love Betty Hutton. Otherwise, you might be greatly frustrated by her extremely physical and robust comedy style. She is about as sincere on screen as Carmen Miranda, Red Skelton and Danny Kaye put together, but never as graceful as Lucille Ball, let alone some of the drawingroom comediennes of the period. The quality of the DVD transfer is so-so, basically not bad, but never anything like the restored Gone With The Wind. There are no extras.
I can't escape the feeling that this film could have been so much better, since it at its best comes (subjectwise) close to "Singing in the Rain", but in spite of all the action and (unnecessary) drama sequences, this still is ONLY a Miss Hutton vehicle.

A whopping barrelhouse of a show!
Betty Hutton does it again! In one of her very best films, Hutton portrays silent film star Pearl White in a highly fictionalized and romanticized account of White's career. Beginning with her early days as a seamstress, to her tagging along with an amateur theatre group to the famed "Perils of Pauline" series, Hutton is so much fun to watch as her energetic performance steals scene after scene. White has romantic pangs for an uptight actor (John Lund) whose affections go unreturned until film's end, providing the show with a trademark musical happy ending. And what a songbook! Betty is great with her upbeat, staccato "Bob-bin' and bob-bin' and bob-bin" to the rhythm of a sewing machine, and the whole film is worth the boisterously delightful "Rumble, rumble, rumble" which Betty performs with gusto atop a piano. And she is charming with her sad romantic ballad, "I Wish I Didn't Love You So". If you're a Betty Hutton fan, or if you just love a great laugh or a great show, "The Perils of Pauline" is well worth every cent! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The road from respected MD to opium-addicted carny huckster is merely a puff away, according to Dwain Esper, the notorious exploitation auteur of the 1930s. Vival Sodar't is credited as director, but Esper takes top billing as "interpreter" of this salacious, hypocritical morality tale. Ostensibly based on the true story of snake-oil salesman William Davies, the uncle of Esper's wife Hildegarde, the film uses a veil of medical quotes and moralizing slogans to frame this sensationalistic story of drug addiction, depravity, and the road to spiritual ruin. The film lurches from scene to scene more like a demolition derby than a movie, but Esper knows how to keep an audience engaged: one highlight features a hopped-up taxi driver turning into a drooling maniac and steering smack into an oncoming train. It's scratchy old silent footage clumsily intercut with new close-ups, but the sheer outrageousness overcomes such details. Other scenes, however, suffer from wooden acting, clumsy transitions, and sheer directorial incompetence. Narcotic is a sensationalistic zero-budget mess, not a good film by anyone's standard, but the mix of hokey melodramatics, bargain-basement sets, eager scenes of depravity, and preachy moralizing creates an atmosphere of unintentional surrealism that is often impossible to follow but stupefyingly entertaining. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Not Exactly Hitchcock
This B-film from Warner Brothers concerns the mysterious and deadly goings-on at a boarding house owned by Frieda Inescort and Miles Mander, who live there along with their daughter Heather Angel and several boarders. Among the boarders is a struggling writer, an eccentric spinster, and two men involved in shady business. In the course of the film's one hour running time, bodies begin to pile up as the writer tries to figure out the identity of a killer. The actors all express the appropriate amount of shock and confusion as the mystery deepens, and the pace of the film maintains the suspense. The direction could be sharper, and I found the story a little confusing at times, but I did like the twist ending. Very few people have heard of Shadows On The Stairs, and although I think the comparisons to Hitchcock are a real stretch, fans of B-films will want to check this one out. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

CANTOR'S 193O TECHNICOLOR MUSICAL HIT.
Cantor is a state-of-the-art hypochondriac whose imagined poor health causes him to bring many hilarious situations into view. The character he portrays - Henry Williams - is something of a busybody who moves to Arizona for his health's sake and gets himself involved in the affairs of Sally Morgan...The art direction and musical numbers are still fascinating to observe and Cantor is hilarious when he explains blithely that he could die from any one of his several diseases right on the spot. This film - which was co-produced by Florenz Ziegfeld and Samuel Goldwyn - made Eddie Cantor a film star of the early talkies. Based upon THE NERVOUS WRECK by Owen Davis, this primitive Technicolor musical still has the ability to entertain - especially if you are partial to Eddie Cantor's brand of comedy. Look for a 14 (!) year-old Betty Grable as one of the Goldwyn Girls in this opus which was remade in 1944 as the Danny Kaye star-making vehicle UP IN ARMS. As a footnote, Goldwyn opened his filmed musical extravaganza in the nadir of Great Depression and tickets sold for an astonishing $5 apiece: the equivalent of a day's wages back then!

Is It Really The Season For Makin' Whoopee?
In 1930 Eddie Cantor was at the height of his career when "Whoopee" was made into a motion picture, taken from the 1929 play of the same title produced by "The Great Ziegfeld".
"Whoopee" is the story of two childhood friends who grew up together only to fall in love. One was a "white girl" the other "an Indian". Sally Morgan (Eleanor Hunt) is the girl and Wanenis (Paul Gregory) is the Indian. As time goes by Sally's father forbids the two from ever getting married. This lead Wanenis to leave the small town only to return as fate would have it, on the wedding day of Sheriff Bob Wells (Jack Rutherford) and Sally! Soon Sally has doubts about getting married to Bob when she sees Wenenis again. Now, perhaps your asking yourself, what has any of this got to do with Eddie Cantor? Absolutely nothing. Cantor plays Henry Williams. A neurotic who shys away from the advances made by his nurse, Mary Custer (Ethel Shutta) and perfers the company of a calf. He consistanly checks his temperature, and takes pills on every hour. And somehow finds himself helping Sally get away from Bob thus causing everyone trying to hunt him down, including his nurse who thinks Henry loves Sally instead of her.
"Whoopee" is actually quite funny. It's all Cantor's show from beginning to end. It's his energy that carries the whole film. Much of the films appeal will have to do with two things. Number one how much you like Cantor and two how much you like these old-fashion comedies. "Whoopee" though I must admit, is very very very suggestive. People tend to forget that while, yes, these types of movies have been reduced to "family entertainment" they were at one time meant strickly as "adult" entertainment.
"Whoopee" still makes me laugh after all these years from when I first saw it. One of my favorite momemts as to do with Henry and his Nurse;
Nurse: Do you know why I studied nursing?
Henry: No why?
Nurse: Because I'm romantic. Most girls like big strong healty men.
Henry: Husky!
Nurse: Not me, I like weak men. I have a positive passion for a weak man.
Henry: I suppose if I was paralyze you'd be absolutly cuckoo over me!
"Whoopee" also has good songs, and is probably best known for Cantor singing "Makin' Whoopee". He also sings "My Baby Just Cares For Me" & "A Girl Friend Of A Boy Friend Of Mine". There are some good dances. I assume very original for it's time. And there's even room for Cantor to go into his famous "black face". "Whoopee" was nominated for 1 Oscar "Best Art Direction". Also spot in the first scene a young Betty Grable. And look out for a young Virgina Bruce.
Bottom-line:Though perhaps thought of as a "dated" comedy Cantor's engery and some of the wise-cracks make the film enjoyable. Worth a look.

Another bride, another groom........YUMMY
This picture is a scream! A big one!

Eddie Cantor acts more like Woody Allen in this movie as a person whos affected by and is allergic to everything! And he loves his cow more than his flerting nurse!
And he expects to die soon so he go's to the pcturesque south/west for the scenery. (setting for the funeral-with fruit!)

But....trouble starts when he findes out that he helped a girl escape from an unwanted marrage. She really loves indian boy from a tribe up in the mountians. Of corse (1930s view) this cannot be done.

I wont say much but the movie is a spinning technicolor/comedy mess of fun and frolic. (and Busby B. too!)

early color/good music/good dancing
its a good try for 1930//primitive color helps//the music is memorable//the dance sequences are interesting..eddie cantor is in good form///too bad the supporting cast is weak///a young betty grable is fun to see in the early musical number at the beginning of the film..even the mistake at the top where the opening fades in prematurly is forgiven

The static camera rules!
This is certainly an oddity, from the hues of two-strip Technicolor to the scenes of Cantor emerging from his hiding place of an oven (in itself unsettling, given the added hindsight of WWII and Hitler's Ultimate Solution) in blackface. The songs, however, are superb, and "George Olsen's Music" in the background gives this underrated bandleader some nice exposure. Technically "Whoopee" fares better than the Marx Brother's "Animal Crackers" of the same year--they even manage to sneak in a couple of exterior shots! ... Read more