As Chester Kent (Cagney) dives head first into producing musical shorts for the cinema, he must contend with his greedy ex-wife Cynthia (Renee Whitney); predatory gold-digger Vivian Rich (Claire Dodd); faithful girl Friday who loves him from afar, and others., The last–and to some aficionados, the best–of choreographer Busby Berkeley’s three Warner Bros. efforts of 1933, Footlight Parade stars James Cagney as a Broadway musical comedy producer. Cagney is unceremoniously put out of business when talking pictures arrive. To keep his head above water, Jimmy hits upon a swell idea: he’ll stage musical “prologues” for movie theatres, then ship them out to the various picture palaces in New York. Halfway through the picture, Cagney is obliged to assemble three mammoth prologues and present them back-to-back in three different theatres. There are all sorts of backstage intrigues, not the least of which concerns the predatory hijinks of gold-digger Claire Dodd and the covetous misbehavior of Cagney’s ex-wife Renee Whitney. Joan Blondell plays Jimmy’s faithful girl-friday, who loves him from afar; Ruby Keeler is the secretary who takes off her glasses and is instantly transformed into a glamorous stage star; Dick Powell is the “protege” of wealthy Ruth Donnelly, who makes good despite this handicap; Frank McHugh is Cagney’s assistant, who spends all his time moaning “It’ll never work”; and Hugh Herbert is a self-righteous censor, who ends up in a censurable position. The last half-hour of Footlight Parade is a nonstop display of Busby Berkeley at his most spectacular: the three big production numbers, all written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, are “By a Waterfall”, “Honeymoon Hotel”, and “Shanghai Lil”, the latter featuring some delicious pre-code scatology, a tap-dance duet by Cagney and Keeler, and an out-of-left-field climactic salute to FDR and the NRA!, Tuneful Depression-era showbiz story about a theatrical impresario who finds that his services are no longer required with the advent of talking pictures. The dogged producer fights back by coming up with the idea of ‘prologues’ – short song-and-dance routines to be staged before movies. Featuring three classic Busby Berkeley production numbers: ‘Honeymoon Hotel’, ‘By a Waterfall’ and ‘Shanghai Lil’., Busby Berkeley musical extravaganza, with James Cagney doubling as both a Broadway show producer and a song-and-dance man whose livelihood is threatened by the advent of talkies. Dorothy Lamour (her film debut) and Ann Sothern appear as chorus girls.
Q&A :
Q: Who are the main cast members in “Footlight Parade ” ?
A: The main cast includes James Cagney,Dick Powell,Joan Blondell,Ruby Keeler,Guy Kibbee,Ruth Donnelly,Claire Dodd,Hugh Herbert,Frank McHugh,Arthur Hohl,Gordon Westcott,Renee Whitney,Philip Faversham,Juliet Ware,Herman Bing,Paul Porcasi,William Granger,Charles Wilson,Barbara Rogers,John Garfield,Billy Taft,Marjean Rogers,Pat Wing,Donna La Barr,Marlo Dwyer,Donna Mae Roberts,Dave O’Brien,George Chandler,Hobart Cavanaugh,William V. Mong,Lee Moran,Billy Barty,Harry Seymour,Sam McDaniel,Fred Kelsey,Jimmy Conlin,Roger Gray,Duke York,Dorothy Lamour,Charles Lane,George Barnes,James Seymour,Manuel Seff,George J. Amy,Leo F. Forbstein,Busby Berkeley,Perc Westmore,George Amy,Milo Anderson,Jack Okey,Anton Grot.
Q: When Did the “Footlight Parade” Released?
A: The Movie “Footlight Parade” originally aired on 1933-09-30 and released in the year of 1933.
Q: What Languages are available to watch “Footlight Parade” ?
A: Is also available in eng language.
Q: Where to watch “Footlight Parade” ?
A: “Footlight Parade” is Avaiable on Netflix. as its Netflix Originals.
