Footlight Parade

1933 - Warner Brothers
Directed By Lloyd Bacon
Musical Numbers Directed By Busby Berkeley



SYNOPSIS

Musical theater in Chicago has fallen out of favor. The new flavor of the month is talking pictures. Show producer Arthur Kent (James Cagney) has to adapt to the changing times. The bigger theaters need short shows called 'prologues' to play before the films. In order to win a contract with a major theater chain, Kent must create and his cast and crew must learn and perfect three whole new numbers in just three days.

MY THOUGHTS

The performance of James Cagney lifts Footlight Parade above it being simply a 42nd Street knockoff.

Like 42nd Street, this musical is known as a 'backstager,' a story centering around the people putting on a stage show. The first film succeeded on its music, choreography and the freshness of the plot. 42nd Street was missing a charismatic lead character to help push the story along.

James Cagney was still riding high off the success of 1931's The Public Enemy, which made him a star. He plays his role here much the same as gangster Tom Powers. He's fast-talking, pushy, knows what to do and how to get people to do it. He brings a kinetic energy that propels the film along at a lightning pace.
He also gets strong comic support from Joan Blondell as his secretary who loves him, despite his ignorance of her obvious feelings.

Despite Cagney's magnetic performance, he still must take a backseat to the stunning choreography of Busby Berkeley. His work made 42nd Street memorable. We only gets hints, and bits and pieces of Berkeley's choreography throughout the film, but Parade ends with a bang. It culminates in three long, vastly different, but equally amazing musical numbers. All three are production numbers that are supposed to take place on a small theater stage, but are so massive and grand, the biggest stage in the world couldn't contain them!

My favorite was the middle piece 'By A Waterfall.' This is probably Berkeley's most famous and best realized work. It features many Berkeley trademarks: barely clothed women, overhead shots of kaleidoscopic dancers, and swimming pools. The surreal, beautiful choreography of that piece alone is worth the price of admission.

Here's a look at the scene on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csG6MBYsmOU

The dynamic combination of Cagney and Berkeley are a definite do-not-miss!