Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

dbborroughs Odd mix of music comedy and sketches show casing all of Paramount stars at the time.Since its release the Technicolor sequences were removed or only presented in black and white (the final musical number on the roof tops). Trims over time reduced this from its original 104 minutes to 77. the version I saw ran 73 minutes.(and as anyone who's ever talked about the film has said this film has several introductions for sequences that never come) A scatter shot affair this has some winning things in it (the final dance number), some strange things (Fu Manchu, Philo Vance and Sherlock Holmes all together in a comedy sketch) and some not so good things (a couple of the songs are duds). Clearly made to cash in the idea of all singing and all dancing as well as to assure the public enough stars that some one they like would be in it, this film is too much of a "good" thing. If you like revues this film I suppose would be great, except that the up and down nature makes it hard to really get into an groove of enjoyment. The film isn't bad, but then again it isn't wholly good, or good enough to make it anything more than a curio. To be honest I don't know if I would watch it again in its present form, though if it were ever restored to full length and with the color sequences I might give it ago again (if for no reason then to see the introduced but removed sequences).6 out of 10. More if you're a fan of old musicals.

kidboots When "Paramount on Parade" was filmed - Paramount had more musical stars than any other studio. The other studio revues (MGM's "Hollywood Revue of 1929" and Warner's "Show of Shows") may have been more flashy but most of the stars were not singers or dancers and people went for the novelty of seeing their favourites trying to sing or dance.In 1930 Nancy Carroll was voted "Queen of the Screen" and Maurice Chevalier was the new sensation of the movies - both were Paramount players. Helen Kane was also very much in vogue (although within a year her popularity had nose -dived). There are three Masters of Ceremonies - Leon Errol, Skeets Gallagher and Jack Oakie are introduced singing "Paramount on Parade".As dredmn says several of the segments are missing. Among the sketches I liked:- "Any Time's the Time to Fall in Love" - was sung by Buddy Rogers and Lillian Roth looking vibrant and happy."What Did Cleopatra Say" - Helen Kane attempts to teach history to a class (including Mitzi Green and Jackie Searle)."I'm True to the Navy Now" - Clara Bow was fantastic - she could really sing (apparently she had to film her segment during a break from another movie and also do her own hair.)Jack Oakie and Skeets Gallagher were sailors."Dance Mad" - "Dancing to Save Your Soul" was the highlight for me. Coming out of a shoe box Abe Lyman and his band played the song. Nancy Carroll was completely gorgeous and sang in a very sweet voice. Al "Rubberlegs" Norman was on hand and he and Nancy did a funny, eccentric dance."I'm in Training for You" - Jack Oakie and Zelma O'Neal did a novelty song and dance in a girl's gym.( I think Mitzi Mayfair was a featured dancer.)Maurice Chevalier came on for his first number "All I Want is Just One Girl" - it's great - Chevalier plays a gendarme who is helping out lovers in a park in Paris.Mitzi Green then comes out to sing the song as Maurice Chevalier and Moran and Mack would sing it. I actually really like her and found her very talented."Impulses" - I really loved - I thought it was very funny. George Bancroft (a movie tough guy of the day) in a sketch where people followed their impulses (elegant Kay Francis cracked a vase over Bancroft's head.)The finale was "Sweeping the Clouds Away". Maurice Chevalier was a chimney sweep with a chorus of pretty sweeps. It was originally in colour and would have been beautiful. Chevalier climbs a ladder to the top of the rainbow and the sweeps have transformed into the colours of the rainbow. I enjoyed this film so much.

didi-5 Several scenes are still missing from this 1930 film, but what's left is mostly good stuff, and all interesting from a historical point of view. Would you like to see Clive Brook as Sherlock Holmes? Here's a rare chance. Would you like to see Clara Bow sing? Here she is. Would you like to see rather too many songs by Maurice Chevalier? Take your pick of several here. Would you like to see names such as Lillian Roth, Helen Kane, Mitzi Green, and Zelma O'Neill, who are only half-remembered today? Now you can. Would you like to see early appearances by William Powell and Fredric March before they made it big in talkies? They're in this.The musical numbers fall into the 'ok' camp; they are largely static and stagey, and rather old-fashioned, but no more so than any other early talkie revue film. A lot of the film drags (notably Helen Kane's Boop-de-doop school lesson, and the links by Jack Oakie et al) but as a piece of history, it is fine. It should be a candidate for restoration if the whole film survives in a vault somewhere; let's hope so.

niki-17 You get to see dozens of early talkie stars in this hodgepodge. The short "drama" sequences and most of the "comedy" sequences are awful, but the singing and dancing routines are tops. My favorites are the "I'm in Training for You" routine (Jack Oakie and Zelma O'Neal), the "Dancing to Save Your Soul" routine (Nancy Carroll and an uncredited Al Norman - the great deadpan rubberlegs dancer), Maurice Chevalier singing "All I Want is Just One" and "Sweeping the Clouds Away" and little Mitzi Green imitating Chevalier.