This isn't the first time that I have observed that the Male actors in this transition period had been too off the mark to be anything less that an eye-sore.
It is always left to the poor women to carry the movie on their shoulders. In this movie too, not only Clara and Kay, but other women, the two uncredited co-showgirls and May Boley (the mother figure) too were good, especially Roy Barnes (the Pa against the Ma) and Charles Brown (the Assistant to Pa?). Newell was still OK, but the real failure in execution was Arlen.
Clara played the role of a teenage show girl - and I was surprised to see she did look mid-teen, even at the mid twenties, some of the activities, I don't know directed, or naturally, like scratching her legs while talking to Arlen, showed the 'girlish' mind. She looked quite lovely. may be a bit overacting by today's standard, but I would rather say it was quite good, considering that this was one of the transition era movies, when talkies were not even infant, may be almost in pre-natal ward.
Kay has played a bit of complicated role, of being in love with the lesser of the group, but ready to flirt with the star, so that the bacon is ensured at home, even going to the extent of hiding her marriage, so that the allure on the star isn't lost. Well, one could call that manipulative/ heartless, but it might as well be survival instinct. After walking out, the couple had miserably failed, and were on almost dole, till the Star brought them, or her, back.
One probably weakness I could find - sacking of the girl - the owner, and his wife behaved almost like parents of the girls, and this looked to be the favorite 'daughter'. Sacking was really unexpected, but may be he said that at the heat of the moment, and the girl took it seriously. Unless she was thrown on street, there won't have been the drama.
