A musical advertised as the first 100% natural color, all-singing production. The plot concerns a wide-eyed former hatcheck girl who takes the place of a rebellious star.A musical advertised as the first 100% natural color, all-singing production. The plot concerns a wide-eyed former hatcheck girl who takes the place of a rebellious star.A musical advertised as the first 100% natural color, all-singing production. The plot concerns a wide-eyed former hatcheck girl who takes the place of a rebellious star.
- Kitty
- (as Sally O'Neill)
- Sam Bloom
- (as Purnell B. Pratt)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe first full-length sound motion picture produced entirely in color.
- GoofsAs the showboat moves onstage, the downstage deckhand is seen getting up after lounging on the deck. The next shot, a closer view, shows him repeating the exact same move.
- Quotes
Ethel: [singing] Am I blue? Am I blue? Aint these tears in these eyes tellin' you, Am I blue? You'd be too, If each plan with your man done fell through. Cause there was a time I was his only one, But now I'm the sad and lonely one, Lawdy, Was I gay? Until today, Now he's gone, And we're through, Am I blue?
- Crazy creditsIntro: "For weeks 'The Phantom Sweetheart' troupe had staggered on through tank towns toward distant Broadway - - its pathway strewn with unpaid bills. Tonight would tell the tale - - Broadway or bust."
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Voice That Thrilled the World (1943)
- SoundtracksWelcome Home
(1929) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Akst
Lyrics by Grant Clarke
Performed by Henry Fink and Chorus
Danced by the Four Covans
The film is basically a presentation of a stage musical, similar to Showboat, with some backstage scenes involving characters in the stage show. In its attempt at authenticity, the camera often films too broadly, sometimes including the entire proscenium arch.
The sets for the play with the film are beautiful, even when viewed in B&W. The play is a lavish production, sometimes reminiscent of a Busby Berkley production. The action includes a motorcycle, mounted horsemen and dogs running across the stage.
In the dance numbers, we see plenty of minstrel-like troupers dancing in rows. The actual dances they perform are rather amateurish by today's standards. Only the black tap dancers display superior talents and demonstrate that tap dancing has not changed so much, fundamentally, over the years. It was already a mature art form.
A few performances had little to do with the stage play, if anything. But that seems true to the times. Most notable is Ethel Waters. who performs two enjoyable numbers that highlight her vocal talents.
Joe E. Brown is a lot of fun to watch. His comedic timing is precise in this film. He also performs a specialty dance that shows him to be a real athlete.
Three actresses play significant parts in the story. It is interesting to note their backgrounds.
Betty Compson plays Nita, the actress who portrays the Phantom Girl in the musical. Betty had a strong background in Vaudeville, where she started out as a teen violinist. She appeared in 9 films release in 1929.
Sally O'Neill plays the part of Kitty, the coat check girl who saves the play by going on stage. Sally also had a solid vaudeville background and appeared in 8 films released in 1929.
Louise Fazenda plays an actress whose sole contribution to the play is a wild, offstage laugh. Louise had a background in silent films, but made the transition to talkies. She appeared in 10 films released in 1929.
I found much of the music enjoyable. Some had silly lyrics, which was common. Consider the lyrics "Drink your julep with your two lips"--fun to hear.
In the end, OWTS is very dated and that is why it is such a hoot to watch. It captures many bits of the era's humor and preserves actual pieces of vaudeville.
- atlasmb
- Mar 19, 2014
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $493,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes