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	The Hollywood Revue Of 1929

	1929

	Director: Chares F. Riesner Producer: Harry Rapf Editors: William S. Gray and Cameron K. Wood Cinematography: Maximilian Fabian, John M. Nickolaus, John Arnold and Irving G. Ries
	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 23 November 1929 feature/120 mins



	Film No.

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An all singing, all dancing, all star cast kicks off with a dance routine introduced by three young girls holding an introductory card. Twenty-four dancers perform a typical routine using symetrical movements, shown through a series of camera techniques which includes shadows and negatives.
The host (Jack Benny) takes to the stage and introduces the next act, Conrad Nagel. His first job is to introduce Broadway sensation Charley King, who interrupts his speech. King asks the audience of seated dancers who is the greatest lover on the screen, when Cliff Edwards takes to the stage with his ukelele and starts singing (badly). When he realises nobody is listening to him he drags himself away. The curtain closes and opens with Joan Crawford singing a song (quite well, to give her credit) with a piano accompaniment. This progresses into a small dance until she is joined at the piano by some backing singers. At the end of the routine she is pushed off the stage whilst sitting atop of the piano by the others.
Next up are the original dancers to tap-dance to a new tune in their small group. There is a nice little sequence where an exchange of hats between them, seen from a side-view, looks quite effective. During the scene there are a few close-up shots of the lead singer and an accompanying dancer who has taken to the stage.

Conrad Nagel is about to announce the continuation of the show when he is interrupted by Cliff Edwards on the stage with a story of how his wife hit him over the head with a chair when she saw Nagel kissing Greta Garbo in a recent film. Nagel sits Edwards down in his chair and begins a complimentary and heartfelt introduction to the next act: Charles King. King sings a soft (and long) ballad about his mother which is met with applause from a strangely-mute audience. When Nagel comes back on the stage afterwards King has some advice for his colleague about how to show love to a woman through words.
Their conversation is broken by Anita Page taking to the stage. Nagel takes this opportunity to serenade Anita with a song about how they were meant for each other, as a shocked Charles King looks on. When the song is over King jumps down from his chair and storms off in a huff. Jack Benny is next on stage as a female helper takes away the chair and gives him a slap for an indiscreet remark Benny has made to her.

*Favourite bit*
		COMING SOON

Facts

•Laurel and Hardy were signed on June 1, 1929.

•This was the first time Laurel and Hardy appeared in a film which contained colour.

•

Did you notice?

•When Charles King performs the song about his mother, his feet seem permanently glued to the same spot.

•After Charles King's song is finished (finally), Conrad Nagel comes back on the stage and shakes his hand. The handshake lasts eleven seconds.

	Jack Benny Himself
	Conrad Nagel Himself
	Charles King Himself
	Cliff Edwards Ukelele Ike
	Joan Crawford Herself
	Anita Page Herself
	Norma Shearer Herself/Juliet
	Bessie Love Herself
	Marie Dressler Herself, the Queen
	Stan Laurel Stan
	Oliver Hardy Ollie
	William Haines Himself
	Buster Keaton Himself/Princess Raja
	Polly Moran Herself
	Ann Dvorak Woman taking away chair

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