Puttin' on the Ritz (1930)

A vaudeville and nightclub performer becomes successful and forgets who his friends really are.

Director:

Edward Sloman (as Edward H. Sloman)

Writers:

Billy K. Wells (dialogue) (as William K. Wells), James Gleason (dialogue)

Stars:

Harry Richman, Joan Bennett, James Gleason

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Harry Richman	...	Harry Raymond
Joan Bennett	...	Dolores Fenton
James Gleason	...	James Tierney
Aileen Pringle	...	Mrs. Teddy Van Rennsler
Lilyan Tashman	...	Goldie Devere
Purnell Pratt	...	George Barnes
Richard Tucker	...	Fenway Brooks
Eddie Kane	...	Bob Wagner
George Irving	...	Dr. Blair
Sidney Franklin	...	Schmidt

Storyline

Crooner Harry Raymond and best friend James Tierney are working for a musical promoter when they meet Dolores Fenton who is trying to make ends meet by selling one of her songs. Raymond collaborates with Miss Fenton on her music but gets fired overzealoulsy selling it to his boss. Raymond and Tierney, along with their girlfriends, work in vaudeville until they are separated by a Broadway offer for Raymond and girlfriend Dolores. Success comes to the crooning Raymond in New York. He starts hobnobbing with high society, drinking heavily, and forgetting his old friends. It's a formula for a big fall.

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Plot Keywords:

vaudeville | blindness | song promoter | 

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Taglines:

HARRY RICHMAN The IDOL of BROADWAY former Star of "George White's Scandals"

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Genres:

Musical

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 1930 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bancando o Lord

Box Office

Budget:

$800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Joseph M. Schenck Productions, Art Cinema Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (MovieTone)

Color:

Black and White Color (2-strip Technicolor) (one sequence)

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The last reel, which consists of a 953 ft. 2-strip Technicolor Alice in Wonderland sequence, survives only in black and white.

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Connections

Referenced in The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat (1974)

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Soundtracks

There's Danger in Your Eyes, Cherie
(1930) (uncredited)
Written by Harry Richman, Pete Wendling and Jack Meskill
Sung by Harry Richman

User Reviews

Harry Richman, Star

This was in production for quite a while before it was finally released in 1930 as a showcase for Broadway and nightclub star Harry Richman. He stars as a singer who teams up with blonde cutie Joan Bennett after he loses his job with a music publisher. Eventually they make it a foursome with his pal (James Gleason) and her former stage partner (Lilyan Tashman). They get discovered but the Broadway producer only wants Richman and Bennett.

They become Broadway stars and he opens a swanky nightclub where he pals around with high society swells out for a thrill, especially one woman (Aileen Pringle). Bennett leaves him and goes on to solo stardom in a show that features an "Alice in Wonderland" number. Harry keeps on partying until he gets some bad liquor and goes blind. Will the society babe stick to him? Will Bennett come back? Richman sings a bunch of songs in his strong Broadway voice and is notable in the bizarre "Puttin; on the Ritz" productions number that features two groups of chorus dancers as well as swaying skyscrapers. This number as well as the "Alice" number were filmed as now-lost Technicolor sequences.

The film was a hit at the box office, but Richman's ego scotched any real chances for film stardom.