Show Folks (1928)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Paul L. Stein

Writers:

John W. Krafft (novel)
John W. Krafft (adaptation)

Release Date:

21 October 1928 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

Back Stage Life! (original poster)

Plot:

Eddie Kehoe is a young vaudeville hoofer who thinks his inability to hit the big time is the fault of stage managers, agents, musicians...

Plot Keywords:

Vaudeville | Gold Digger | Dancing | Trained Duck | Conceit

Cast

Eddie Quillan	...	Eddie Kehoe
Lina Basquette	...	Rita Carey
Carole Lombard	...	Cleo (as Carol Lombard)
Robert Armstrong	...	Owens - Promoter
Crauford Kent	...	McNary - Vaudeville Producer
Bessie Barriscale	...	Kitty Mayo
Richard Tucker	...	Vaudeville Performer
Maurice Black	...	Vaudeville Performer

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System) (talking sequences) | Silent

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

Pathé Exchange

Soundtrack:

No One But Me

Backstage boo-hoo

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

"Show Folks" (1928) is not to be confused with "Show People", a much better film released the same year. For one thing, "Show People" is a comedy whilst "Show Folks" is a soap opera with a show-biz background. "Show Folks" stars Eddie Quillan and Lina Basquette, who teamed again a few months later to star in "The Godless Girl" ... which is a better and more interesting movie than "Show Folks".

"Show Folks" has a plot very similar to "The Dance of Life" (1929). Eddie Quillan plays a vaudeville hoofer (conceited, of course) who teams up with young dancer Rita ... played by Lina Basquette, a very pretty brunette. Eddie acts as if he's doing Rita a favour, but of course she's a much better dancer than he is. Prettier, too. Eddie Quillan was an excellent actor, but I dislike watching him in his early films because his delicate fine-boned features made him look unnervingly feminine. In his later roles (including his excellent performance in "Kid Glove Killer"), his face had coarsened somewhat and he looks slightly more masculine. In "Show Folks", it looks like Lina and Eddie are competing to see which one gets to be the leading lady.

Rita's career takes off faster than Eddie's, and soon she leaves him behind for a chance at a big break which is sure to make her a star in musical comedy. BLATANTLY OBVIOUS SPOILER COMING. On opening night of the show that will make her a star, Rita decides to give it all up for her true love, Eddie the hoofer.

I had trouble sitting through this. The clear message is that a relationship can't succeed if the woman is more successful than the man, and also that a woman's career is less important than keeping her man happy and suiting his needs.

I didn't much fancy "Show Folks". Robert Armstrong is competent in a weak role. Blonde Carole Lombard is young and pretty in a performance which gives no hint of her later stardom. She's billed here as "Carol", which is significant. Years later, when she was a star, Carole Lombard modestly claimed that her success was entirely due to the attention she had attracted with the gimmicky spelling "Carole". Anyway, I'll rate "Show Folks" 4 points out of 10.