It's strange when a movie feels both revolutionary and old-fashioned at once. APPLAUSE's storyline is very familiar to those that watch films of this vintage: a disreputable woman with a heart of gold (in this case, a burlesque queen) must save her respectable daughter from social ruin due to association with her. As far as that plot goes, this is a decent variation with no real surprises. The real genius of the film comes from Helen Morgan's beautiful performance and Rouben Mamoulian's groundbreaking visuals. This early talkie avoids the usual stapled to the ground, stagey technique commonly associated with this period of filmmaking. I would call it the first great sound film, at least as far as Hollywood is concerned.
Review of Applause
