"Glorifying the American Girl" is an extremely dated film and it comes off as very quaint and old fashioned. The audio quality varies widely and is, at times, almost incomprehensible. In addition, the original Two-Color Technicolor sequences are gone--faded over time. It's a darn shame the film is in this condition and I'd love to see it restored someday.
The first 2/3 of the film is a story about a woman who gets a dance partner and sets off for the stage. Her boyfriend is left alone....waiting and hoping for her return. As for the dreams of success, it doesn't come quickly and the lady has a serious problem with her sleazy partner. However, with hard work she's discovered by the folks at the Ziegfeld Follies and she's about to become a star. Now because she isn't available back home, her boyfriend slowly drifts away and falls for a co-worker. By the end, the lady is a star and the show is a success...but she's alone and so ends the picture.
The final 2/3 is the big show and you get a chance to see one of Ziegfeld's shows filmed and shown to a wider audience. I was a bit surprised as the routines were a lot rougher and less amazing than they'd be portrayed over a decade later in "The Great Ziegfeld"--which isn't surprising as this biopic seemed to have little to do with the man anyway. In addition, you hear Rudy Vallee and Helen Morgan sing as well as a very stereotypically Jewish comedy routine with Eddie Cantor. It's a shame, however, that you don't get to hear Cantor sing in the film, as I loved his clever songs in his other films.
All in all, if you can get past the rough condition of the film, it gives you a rare peek at a bygone era--like a time capsule. Rough but full of energy and fun--mostly for fans of early films and historians but still might be of some interest to the average person if they give the film a chance. While it IS very dated, for 1929 it was a heck of a picture--hence my relatively high rating.
The first 2/3 of the film is a story about a woman who gets a dance partner and sets off for the stage. Her boyfriend is left alone....waiting and hoping for her return. As for the dreams of success, it doesn't come quickly and the lady has a serious problem with her sleazy partner. However, with hard work she's discovered by the folks at the Ziegfeld Follies and she's about to become a star. Now because she isn't available back home, her boyfriend slowly drifts away and falls for a co-worker. By the end, the lady is a star and the show is a success...but she's alone and so ends the picture.
The final 2/3 is the big show and you get a chance to see one of Ziegfeld's shows filmed and shown to a wider audience. I was a bit surprised as the routines were a lot rougher and less amazing than they'd be portrayed over a decade later in "The Great Ziegfeld"--which isn't surprising as this biopic seemed to have little to do with the man anyway. In addition, you hear Rudy Vallee and Helen Morgan sing as well as a very stereotypically Jewish comedy routine with Eddie Cantor. It's a shame, however, that you don't get to hear Cantor sing in the film, as I loved his clever songs in his other films.
All in all, if you can get past the rough condition of the film, it gives you a rare peek at a bygone era--like a time capsule. Rough but full of energy and fun--mostly for fans of early films and historians but still might be of some interest to the average person if they give the film a chance. While it IS very dated, for 1929 it was a heck of a picture--hence my relatively high rating.