IMDb > Footlight Parade (1933)
Footlight Parade
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Footlight Parade (1933) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 2)
Footlight Parade (1933) -- AllTrailers.net - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   1,316 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Manuel Seff (writer)
James Seymour (writer)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Footlight Parade on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
21 October 1933 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Climaxing Warner Bros.' glittering parade of musicals! more
Plot:
Chester Kent struggles against time, romance, and a rival's spy to produce spectacular live "prologues" for movie houses. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
1 win more
User Comments:
Depression Era Musical Masterpiece more (39 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

James Cagney ... Chester Kent
Joan Blondell ... Nan Prescott
Ruby Keeler ... Bea Thorn
Dick Powell ... Scott 'Scotty' Blair
Frank McHugh ... Francis, dance director
Ruth Donnelly ... Harriet Bowers Gould
Guy Kibbee ... Silas 'Si' Gould

Hugh Herbert ... Charlie Bowers
Claire Dodd ... Vivian Rich
Gordon Westcott ... Harry Thompson
Arthur Hohl ... Al Frazer
Renee Whitney ... Cynthia Kent
Barbara Rogers ... Gracie
Paul Porcasi ... George Apolinaris
Philip Faversham ... Joe Barrington
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Additional Details

Runtime:
104 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
UK:A (original rating, cut version) | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #2649)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Dorothy Lamour's first film. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Before the bus leaves for the three prologue performances the call board reads Diana Theatre 8pm, Mercury Theatre 9pm and Jupiter Theatre 10pm. They arrive at the Jupiter Theatre first and proceed in reverse order from what was written on the call board. more
Quotes:
Chester Kent: Hello, Vivian. This is Miss Rich. My secretary, Miss Prescott.
Nan Prescott: I know Miss Bi... Rich, if you remember.
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Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
The Stars and Stripes Forever more

FAQ

What did Otis Ferguson say about Cagney in this film?
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31 out of 34 people found the following comment useful.
Depression Era Musical Masterpiece, 23 July 2002
9/10
Author: claudiacasswell

Footlight Parade is among the best of the 1930's musical comedy extravaganzas. A snappy script and an all-star cast including Jimmy Cagney, the lovely Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, and Ruby Keeler make this film a cut above the rest. Directed and choreographed by the creative genius Busby Berkeley, this film will have you grinning from ear-to-ear from start to finish.

Busby, of course, is the undisputed master of the Hollywood musical with "Gold Diggers of 1933" and "42nd Street" to his credit (as Dance Director). Footlight Parade is graced by hundreds of scantily-clad chorus girls, a Berkeley trademark. The elaborate dance numbers were shot with only one camera and Busby was the first director to film close-ups of the dancers. His obsession with shapely legs and "rear-view" shots is amply demonstrated here. The overall effect is highly erotic and mesmerizing.

Our boy Jimmy Cagney plays Chester Kent, a producer of "prologues" or short musical stage productions that were performed in movie theaters to entertain the audience before the talkies were shown. He's surrounded by crooked partners, a corporate spy, and a gold-digging girlfriend. Although Cagney had a solid background in vaudeville, this was the first film in which he showed his dancing talents. Joan Blondell is memorable as Cagney's wise-cracking, lovestruck secretary. And Ruby Keeler is adorable, as always.

The film climaxes with three outstanding production numbers, "Honeymoon Hotel", "The Waterfall", and "Shanghai Lil", each one a masterpiece and not likely to be duplicated in today's Hollywood where so-called "special effects" have replaced creative cinematography.

Claudia's Bottom Line: Clever and erotic, with some of the best musical production numbers ever put on celluloid. A thoroughly enjoyable Depression era romp.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Footlight Parade (1933)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Songs nat_mermaid
I saw 'Footlight Parade' at a local theater yesterday... karmala2
Ruby Keeler - Asian Call Girl? H3463
President in 'Shanghai Lil' parade odresel
Busby Berkeley chorusgirls in 'footlight parade' richsmi
Miss B...Rich vchavez5000-1
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