The Show of Shows (1929)

Director:

John G. Adolfi

Writers:

J. Keirn Brennan (writer)
Frank Fay (writer)

Release Date:

29 December 1929 (USA)

Genre:

Musical

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Guillotine | Two Strip Technicolor | Revue

Cast

Frank Fay	...	Master of Ceremonies
William Courtenay	...	The Minister - Guillotine sequence
H.B. Warner	...	The Victim - Guillotine sequence
Hobart Bosworth	...	Executioner - Guillotine Sequence
John Barrymore	...	Richard III in 'Henry VI Part III'
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Akst	...	Pianist - accompanying Irene Bordoni
Armida	...	Dancer
Johnny Arthur	...	Hero (song "The Pirate")
Mary Astor	...	Herself (unconfirmed) (scenes deleted)
William Bakewell	...	'Bicycle Built for Two' number
Richard Barthelmess	...	Himself - 'Meet My Sister' presenter
Noah Beery	...	(song "The Pirate") / Soldier (segment "Rifle Execution")
Sally Blane	...	'Meet My Sister' number
Monte Blue	...	Condemned man (segment "Rifle Execution")
Irène Bordoni	...	Herself (song "Just for One Hour of Love")
Jack Buchanan	...	Himself
Joseph Burke		(as Joe Burke)
Marion Byron	...	'Meet My Sister' number
Georges Carpentier	...	Boulevardier (song "If I Could Learn to Love")
Ethlyne Clair	...	(song "Ladies of the Ensemble")
James Clemens		(as Jimmy Clemons)
Ruth Clifford	...	(song "Ladies of the Ensemble")
William Collier Jr.	...	'Bicycle Built for Two' number
Betty Compson	...	(songs "The Pirate Number" / "Lady Luck")
Chester Conklin	...	Traffic Cop (song "Bicycle Built for Two")
Heinie Conklin	...	Ice Man (song "What Became of the Floradora Boys")
Dolores Costello	...	'Meet My Sister' number
Helene Costello	...	'Meet My Sister' number
Jack Curtis	...	'The Pirate' number
Viola Dana	...	(songs "The Pirate" / "Meet My Sister" / "Ladies of the Ensemble")
Alice Day	...	(songs "What Became of the Floradora Boys" / "Meet My Sister")
Marceline Day	...	'Meet My Sister' number
Sally Eilers	...	(song "Ladies of the Ensemble")
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.	...	Ambrose (song "Bicycle Built for Two")
Louise Fazenda	...	'Recitations' sketch
Pauline Garon	...	'Bicycle Built for Two' number
Albert Gran	...	Soldier (segment "Rifle Execution")
Alexander Gray	...	(song "Lady Luck")
Lloyd Hamilton	...	Hansom Cabby (song "What Became of the Floradora Boys number" / (segment "Recitations") / Soldier (segment "Rifle Execution")
Julanne Johnston	...	(song "Ladies of the Ensemble")
Lupino Lane	...	Street Cleaner (songs "What Became of the Floradora Boys") / 'Tramp' ballet
Frances Lee	...	(song "Ladies of the Ensemble")
Lila Lee	...	(song "What Became of the Floradora Boys")
Ted Lewis	...	Himself (song "The Pirate") (as Ted Lewis & His Orchestra)
Winnie Lightner	...	(songs "Pingo Pongo" / "Singing in the Bathtub")
Beatrice Lillie	...	(segment "Recitations")
Jacqueline Logan	...	(songs "The Pirate" / "Bicycle Built for Two")
Myrna Loy	...	(songs "What Became of the Floradora Boys" / "Chinese Fantasy")
Nick Lucas	...	Lady Luck' solo (songs "The Only Song I Know" / "Chinese Fantasy")
Tully Marshall	...	(song "The Pirate") / Soldier (segment "Rifle Execution")
Shirley Mason	...	(songs "Meet My Sister" / "Ladies of the Ensemble")
Otto Matieson	...	'The Pirate' number
Philo McCullough	...	'The Pirate' number
Patsy Ruth Miller	...	(songs "What Became of the Floradora Boys" / "If I Could Learn to Love")
Bull Montana	...	'The Pirate' number
Lee Moran	...	Plumber (song "What Became of the Floradora Boys") / Soldier (segment "Rifle Execution")
Chester Morris	...	$20 bet sketch and 'Bicycle Built for Two' number
Jack Mulhall	...	'Bicycle Built for Two' number
Edna Murphy	...	'Bicycle Built for Two' number
Carmel Myers	...	(song "Ladies of the Ensemble")
Marian Nixon	...	(song "What Became of the Floradora Boys")
Molly O'Day	...	'Meet My Sister' number
Gertrude Olmstead	...	'Bicycle Built for Two' number
Sally O'Neil	...	(songs "What Became of the Floradora Boys" / "Meet My Sister")
Kalla Pasha	...	(song "The Pirate") / Soldier (segment "Rifle Execution")
Anders Randolf	...	'The Pirate' number
Rin Tin Tin	...	Himself - introducing "An Oriental Fantasy"
Sid Silvers
Sojin		(as Sojin)
Ann Sothern	...	(songs "Meet My Sister" / "Bicycle Built for Two") (as Harriet Byron)
Ben Turpin	...	Waiter (song "What Became of the Floradora Boys")
Ada Mae Vaughn	...	'Meet My Sister' number
Alberta Vaughn	...	'Meet My Sister' number
Lolita Vendrell	...	Dancer (as Lola Vendrell)
Edward Ward		(as Eddie Ward)
Alice White	...	(song "If I Could Learn to Love")
Ted Williams	...	Himself (as Ted Williams Adagio Dancers)
Lois Wilson	...	'Bicycle Built for Two' number
Grant Withers	...	'Bicycle Built for Two' number
Loretta Young	...	'Meet My Sister' number

Runtime:

USA:128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric)

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The film contains John Barrymore's only screen appearance as Richard III, one of his greatest stage successes. However, the excerpt is not from the play "Richard III", but from William Shakespeare's "Henry VI: Part III", a "prequel" to "Richard III" in which he also appears.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hollywood Remembers: Myrna Loy - So Nice to Come Home to (1991) (TV)

Soundtrack:

If Your Best Friends Won't Tell You

Staggering..and that's a compliment

This is a deliriously colossal vulgar silly all star extravaganza revue of all the early talkie stars that Warner Bros could afford. ...and like most other rarely seen films actually made during the late 20s, an unforgettable opportunity to see and hear the genuine roaring twenties' exuberance and youthfulness put to song and dance. THE SHOW OF SHOWS is pretty gigantic. Vaudeville act after soliloquy after tap dance after acrobat after comedian after fan-dance after ukulele lunacy after Rin Tin Tin who introduces 'an oriental number'...(!)... and on and on it lumbers, grinning and squeaking away in fabulous gramophone quality Vitaphone sound. It is far too long, but among it's delirious delights are the awesome "Singin in the Bathtub" number created on a scale of which The QE2 architects would be proud...Beatrice Lillie lounging by a grand piano with some happiness boys amusingly warbling a witty ditty, Nick Lucas, and the never-ending grand finale in two color color...which is all set to the song LADY LUCK. . So keen are the tubby chorus line and leaping teenagers to en-ter-tain us that they almost kick themselves repeatedly in their own faces with glee and effort. Row after row of "Doll" characters hop past and some even emerge from the floor. I kid you not, there are even girls strapped to the crystal chandeliers, mummified with shiny gauze and chained up with pearl ropes, unable to move (for days, I imagine, during production) whilst this katzenjammer of toy-box athleticism twitch and spasm below to the Ukulele orchestra. Of course I loved it and had to watch this color finale over and over and then invite friends and family to the screen for weeks on end just to horrify and terrify them each separately and to roll about on the lounge in shrieking in delight at each and every exclamation of their startled reactions. And so should you...and rejoice that there was an era when this was created simply to entertain and thrill. It is all so demented.