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
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 The Voice That Thrilled the World (1943)

Soundtrack:

Just an Hour of Love

Mainly of interest to students of early sound films

It is very hard to rate this film. As entertainment value for 21st century viewers, it fails miserably. However, for the student of early sound films and history, it is a jewel. "Show of Shows" was a revue filmed to compete with MGM's successful "Hollywood Revue of 1929", which still survives intact complete with its Technicolor scenes.

The purpose of the all-star revue was to showcase a particular studio's silent stars in speaking roles, and show that they could make the transition. However, Warner Bros. seems to have forgotten this and employs many acts and stars that they didn't even have under long-term contract such as Ben Turpin, Lloyd Hamilton, Beatrice Lillie, and even a marching band. Meanwhile, their biggest talent - Al Jolson - is noticeably absent. Even at a high salary he could not be compelled to join in. Almost every act is overly long and the film plays like a dozen or so Vitaphone shorts strung together with no continuity. The finale is also overly long, but it is really enjoyable with all of its dance numbers.

The highlights of the film are two numbers from Winnie Lightner - "Pingo Pongo" and "Singin in the Bathtub", a couple of numbers with Nick Lucas, John Barrymore performing Shakespeare, and the Chinese Fantasy "Li Po Li" with Nick Lucas and Myrna Loy. This last number is the only part of the film that survives in Technicolor, and it really is quite attractive. Reasonably enough, the players in these good acts were long-term Warner Bros. stars so perhaps the director knew how to play to their strengths since he was familiar with them.

This film acts as a snapshot at an odd point in film history - the year 1929, which was the bridge year between two eras - the silent and sound eras, and the roaring 20's and the Great Depression. Just two years later this same film would have had an entirely different cast, as Warner Bros. would abandon its silent era stars and the stars they hired just to produce the early musicals in favor of those stars that gave Warner Bros. its distinctive urban look and feel - James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Edward G. Robinson, and others.