This film short transitions midway from describing a Hollywood casting call to actual clips from Warner Brothers musicals of the early 1930's. The studio kept hundreds of would be actress names on file for what essentially wound up being a cattle call for girls of a particular 'look' or talent. It was interesting to see that the 'type' of girl required for the particular show being cast here had to have that blonde Harlowe-esque quality to be selected for the musical under consideration. There were literally hundreds available for such an audition.
One wonders why the kind of talent shown in the musical numbers isn't even seen in modern films today; I guess the mass interest just isn't there. But the Busby Berkeley choreography is stunning in and of itself, with a symmetry that defies belief, especially when it comes to water milieus that involve swimming and diving. You have to wonder how some of the performers didn't wind up bumping heads or getting in each other's way with the intricacy of the routines.
A particular bonus for old time movie fans in case you haven't seen the actual picture from which it's taken, is the great James Cagney in a clip from 1933's "Footlight Parade". He hoofs it along as part of a military drill, while additional clips of 'By a Waterfall' and 'Shanghai Lil' are offered as well. Probably the most original and creative act on display had to do with the dancers in those billowy, balloon-like skirts that made them seem like they were floating along on air. For a film short coming in under twenty minutes, you couldn't ask for much more in the way of entertainment, though if I had my choice, this would have been even better if color was available.
One wonders why the kind of talent shown in the musical numbers isn't even seen in modern films today; I guess the mass interest just isn't there. But the Busby Berkeley choreography is stunning in and of itself, with a symmetry that defies belief, especially when it comes to water milieus that involve swimming and diving. You have to wonder how some of the performers didn't wind up bumping heads or getting in each other's way with the intricacy of the routines.
A particular bonus for old time movie fans in case you haven't seen the actual picture from which it's taken, is the great James Cagney in a clip from 1933's "Footlight Parade". He hoofs it along as part of a military drill, while additional clips of 'By a Waterfall' and 'Shanghai Lil' are offered as well. Probably the most original and creative act on display had to do with the dancers in those billowy, balloon-like skirts that made them seem like they were floating along on air. For a film short coming in under twenty minutes, you couldn't ask for much more in the way of entertainment, though if I had my choice, this would have been even better if color was available.