As the entertainment world was shifting away from the silent era into the more modern sound era, studios were looking for opportunities to sell the world on this new innovation in motion pictures. One of the ways to do that was to really highlight what a sound picture could do for audiences that the silent films couldn’t: give voice to the stars everyone knew from the past. This included broadcasting singing voices that had hitherto only been heard by attendees of live performances available to a very small audience.
Conventional films could only highlight a small cast, though, and, while that would help sell the new direction studios were heading, it was not a grand enough gesture for MGM Studios, which were known for quality and prestige. Producers Harry Rapf and Irving Thalberg had an idea, though, that would not only showcase the new technology but also show the world just how many stars in the sky MGM had—they proudly boasted having more stars than there are in heaven. That idea amounted to a variety show filled with nearly every star on the MGM lot, each showboating in a musical number, a skit, or other segment that took advantage of their talents and charisma. The final result was a spectacle for the times but, when viewed by modern eyes, doesn’t have the appeal it once had. There are isolated moments of brilliance in this picture, but as a whole, it wears thin early on and continues to be repetitive for nearly two hours.
Many of the jokes are of the time, making for some truly bad groaners as well as a hefty dose of “I don’t get it” moments that we can imagine were laughable at the time but now land like a falling anvil. Conrad Nagel and Jack Benny act as the masters of ceremony, introducing segments and gamefully going through their lines while trying to keep the whole affair afloat. But after the third or fourth act in a row that is a chorus of dancing girls accompanied by a singer, the sameness of it all becomes all too apparent. The highlight of these moments is, of course, the stars, many of whom would have been well known to audiences of the time. To a more modern audience, many of these faces become lost in the ensemble, especially those who don’t even merit an introduction.
There are some real highlights in the show, of course. Laurel and Hardy do a short bit playing bumbling magicians and their act is just as fun now as it ever was; they had a talent for comedic timing that still plays today. On the flip side, Buster Keaton does a dance number in drag that is just bizarre, failing to really capture what made him such an entertainer of the silent era. It also leaves him silent, defeating the point of having him come on to a talking picture other than for marquee value.
Marion Davies is also in fine form in a musical number that manages to stand out amongst far too many other musical numbers. Her talent is still infectious and her excitement to be on the show shines through on the screen. It’s also a delight to see Ukulele Ike (AKA Cliff Edwards) performing some tongue-in-cheek numbers both straight and in a weird falsetto that he often used in his more offbeat songs.
Most surprising, though, is a Romeo and Juliet sequence starring Norma Shearer and John Gilbert who start out playing it straight, then, on direction from Lionel Barrymore, update the language to the then modern-day slang. The comedy catches you off guard and goes from stuffy Shakespeare to some of the funniest stuff in the entire film. It’s also one of three sequences filmed in color.
As a whole, this is a mixed bag. There is greatness here, but there is also a lot of filler. It has since entered the public domain and thus is readily available to watch, and there is even a slightly longer version that incorporates chapter headings and a few additional scenes out there in case you’re interested in seeing this alternate version. It’s a time capsule into Hollywood’s past where MGM was thumbing its finger at the other studios, bragging about their impressive performers, “More Stars Than There are in Heaven”. But it is a product of its time and doesn’t really hold up to modern viewings. This would have benefited from some trimming, but then, that would necessitate removing someone’s favorite performer from the lineup. It’s worth a single watch-through, just don’t expect to have the same reaction that audiences of the time did.
Academy Award Nomination:
Outstanding Picture: Irving Thalberg and Harry Rapf
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Release Date: June 20, 1929
Running Time: 130 minutes Roadshow/118 minutes standard release
Not Rated
Starring: Conrad Nagel and Jack Benny
Directed by: Charles Reisner
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