Applause (1929)

Director:

Rouben Mamoulian

Writers:

Beth Brown (novel)
Garrett Fort (adaptation)

Release Date:

4 January 1930 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical

Tagline:

Is Kitty a mother?

Plot:

This early example of the "backstage" musical genre tells the story of Kitty Darling, a fading burlesque...

Plot Keywords:

Burlesque | Catholic School | One Word Title | Convent School | Mother Love

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Helen Morgan	...	Kitty Darling
Joan Peers	...	April Darling
Fuller Mellish Jr.	...	Hitch Nelson
Jack Cameron	...	Joe King
Henry Wadsworth	...	Tony
Roy Hargrave	...	Slim Lamont
Dorothy Cumming	...	Mother Superior
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Browning	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Mack Gray	...	Slim's Brother (uncredited)
Jack Singer	...	Producer Dave Holt (uncredited)

Directed by
Rouben Mamoulian

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Beth Brown		novel
Garrett Fort		adaptation

Produced by
Monta Bell	....	producer
Jesse L. Lasky	....	producer (uncredited)
Walter Wanger	....	producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
George J. Folsey		(as George Folsey)

Film Editing by
John Bassler		(uncredited)

Sound Department
Ernest Zatorsky	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Other crew
Jesse L. Lasky	....	presenter
Adolph Zukor	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1929) (USA) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (TV)
• Kino Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Kino Video (2003) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Kaufman Astoria Studios - 3412 36th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by MCA ever since.

Goofs:

Continuity: When April comes backstage to see Kitty after returning home from the convent, the shot from outside the dressing room shows Kitty sitting at her mirror and then turning to see April in the doorway. In the next shot, from inside the dressing room, she once again is sitting at her mirror and once again turns to see April entering.

Movie Connections:

Edited into American Pop (1981)

Soundtrack:

Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula (Hawaiian Love Song)

Ain't seen nothing yet?

This film's value is probably more as a peek into early sound motion pictures than for the story itself. The characters are interesting, and the plot is based on typical literary themes: family, money, and tradition. The scenes in the dance hall are bizarre, and in one flashback scene, Mamoulian shows techniques way ahead of his time in portraying a surreal dream-like sequence - complete with closeups and dissolves. The mother is brilliantly acted, and you will be left with some heartfelt sentiments at the end of the film. Most fun is looking for where the soundmen placed the microphones on the set. Pillows, clocks, and plants in every scene... hee hee.