The last and probably least of the intermittent Warner Gold Diggers of ..... series begun in '29(I've yet to see the '37 one). Rudy Vallee takes the usual place of Dick Powell as the lead male and singer. Rosemary Lane revisits her status as the lead female, established in the prior "Varsity Show", and "Hollywood Hotel" of this series of musicals. The latter 2 films featured established Big Bands of this era. In contrast, this film features the comical Schnickelfritz Dixieland jazz band, which pops up every now and then. Hugh Herbert plays the bonehead Maurice Giraud sent from Paris to NYC to bring the Academy Ballet of America to Paris for an annual competition. Instead, he mistakenly brings a troupe from the near bankrupt Club Balle, led by proprietors Rudy Valley(as Terry) and Allen Jenkins, as Duke. We have the further complication that Terry's ex-wife: Mona(Gloria Dickenson)is hounding him for delinquent alimony payments. She threatens to put him in jail if he doesn't pay up pronto, or take her along on the trip to Paris as one of the dancers. The dancers don't know ballet, so Rudy hires an excitable teacher(Luis) and his one student(Kay)to accompany them to Paris, teaching the girls ballet while on the crossing.
In Paris, things go OK until their deception is discovered, as the leader(Padrinsky) of the real Academy Ballet America arrives. The Café Balle bunch are almost all deported just before the competition, when Mona(Terry's ex) comes up with a scheme to deport Padrinsky and gangster Mike instead. It works, and the Café Balle girls (amazingly) win the prize of $50,000. Actually, there was no true ballet dancing involved.
The acting was good, in general. The characters are generally pleasant and interesting. Mabel Todd: the slightly goofy blonde with the overbite, was sometimes annoying trying to be funny. She supposedly was a ventriloquist, who projected her voice into a coached dog at appropriate times: something to amuse the kiddies, presumably. The Schnickelfritz band also serves to keep the kids awake and the adults amused with their raucous comical performances at several points.
Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer or Al Dubin composed the non-Schnickelfritz music. Rudy and Rosemary(Kay), or sometimes the chorus, sang these songs, pleasant but unmemorable. Busby Berkeley was the choreographer, but I couldn't tell, except for his occasional film tinkering, making the stage and dancers strongly tilted, annoying to me.
The screenplay is perfectly goofy, of course, but fun. I realize that the standard formula for these types of films dictated that Kay(Rosemary)would emerge as Rudy's girl in the end, after a few ups and downs. But, I was rooting for a reconciliation between Rudy and Mona(Gloria) after she saved the Café Balle bunch from ignominy and bankruptcy. I realize that she did her criminal act partly in self interest, as Rudy wouldn't be able to make her alimony payments unless he won the prize.
This was Gloria's second film role, she being the lead female in her first. She was a striking-looking blonde, seemingly older than Rosemary(Kay), but actually younger. She came across as the brainiest and most forceful of the characters. Unfortunately, her private life and film career gradually spiraled downward, with 3 husbands within only a few years, frequent demotion to supporting roles, and alcoholism. She would die at age 27 from a house fire.
Presently available as part of the Busby Berkeley Film Collection
In Paris, things go OK until their deception is discovered, as the leader(Padrinsky) of the real Academy Ballet America arrives. The Café Balle bunch are almost all deported just before the competition, when Mona(Terry's ex) comes up with a scheme to deport Padrinsky and gangster Mike instead. It works, and the Café Balle girls (amazingly) win the prize of $50,000. Actually, there was no true ballet dancing involved.
The acting was good, in general. The characters are generally pleasant and interesting. Mabel Todd: the slightly goofy blonde with the overbite, was sometimes annoying trying to be funny. She supposedly was a ventriloquist, who projected her voice into a coached dog at appropriate times: something to amuse the kiddies, presumably. The Schnickelfritz band also serves to keep the kids awake and the adults amused with their raucous comical performances at several points.
Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer or Al Dubin composed the non-Schnickelfritz music. Rudy and Rosemary(Kay), or sometimes the chorus, sang these songs, pleasant but unmemorable. Busby Berkeley was the choreographer, but I couldn't tell, except for his occasional film tinkering, making the stage and dancers strongly tilted, annoying to me.
The screenplay is perfectly goofy, of course, but fun. I realize that the standard formula for these types of films dictated that Kay(Rosemary)would emerge as Rudy's girl in the end, after a few ups and downs. But, I was rooting for a reconciliation between Rudy and Mona(Gloria) after she saved the Café Balle bunch from ignominy and bankruptcy. I realize that she did her criminal act partly in self interest, as Rudy wouldn't be able to make her alimony payments unless he won the prize.
This was Gloria's second film role, she being the lead female in her first. She was a striking-looking blonde, seemingly older than Rosemary(Kay), but actually younger. She came across as the brainiest and most forceful of the characters. Unfortunately, her private life and film career gradually spiraled downward, with 3 husbands within only a few years, frequent demotion to supporting roles, and alcoholism. She would die at age 27 from a house fire.
Presently available as part of the Busby Berkeley Film Collection