When Ned Sparks asked, "Where are you from?" it seemed Compson would answer "Ruritania" but no, it was Aregon. I put that bit aside to enjoy a fun tale of show business that surprised me by showing the finagling necessary to procuring recognition of one's talent. Compson uses all her wiles to push her quartet of "boys" into the limelight and displays a little bit of hubris herself when everything works out her way. She shows modesty in the beginning but begins to strut, not obnoxiously, but strut when she procures an even bigger gig for them and her.
The Twenties certainly stand out as the setting, complete with fringe and shortie hemlines and jazz. Jack Oakie takes the prize as the most watchable of the quartet when he sings, plays a musical instrument, and dances in the act. Harron again impressed me as an actor when he runs the gamut of emotions from A to Q as jealousy takes over his nature. That was just part of the script, which may have been predictable although the cast puts it over as well as possible. The jazz number "Lovable and Sweet" may be the most bouncy of tunes because its little business of the quartet looking over their shoulders at their audience at the song's end is repeated throughout the film. That bit of business underscored how repetitious show business really is, to me, because once you have a good thing, you stick with it. The night clubs or supper clubs seemed real.
I enjoyed the camera movement through the crowd at the revue number and in particular, Compson with her almost-Betty Booplike voice as she warbled and played her violin. That was a sweetly yearning song she specialized in to charm the Prince. By the way, I wondered if Ivan Lebedeff ever played a good guy, and he did in this film.
The Twenties certainly stand out as the setting, complete with fringe and shortie hemlines and jazz. Jack Oakie takes the prize as the most watchable of the quartet when he sings, plays a musical instrument, and dances in the act. Harron again impressed me as an actor when he runs the gamut of emotions from A to Q as jealousy takes over his nature. That was just part of the script, which may have been predictable although the cast puts it over as well as possible. The jazz number "Lovable and Sweet" may be the most bouncy of tunes because its little business of the quartet looking over their shoulders at their audience at the song's end is repeated throughout the film. That bit of business underscored how repetitious show business really is, to me, because once you have a good thing, you stick with it. The night clubs or supper clubs seemed real.
I enjoyed the camera movement through the crowd at the revue number and in particular, Compson with her almost-Betty Booplike voice as she warbled and played her violin. That was a sweetly yearning song she specialized in to charm the Prince. By the way, I wondered if Ivan Lebedeff ever played a good guy, and he did in this film.