It was Last Remaining Seats night tonight here, Dear Readers. Unusually, the screening was not at one of the movie palaces on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles but rather at the beautifully restored Alex Theatre in Glendale.
The feature film was Gold Diggers of 1935. I haven't seen a Busby Berkeley film in eons, and I was reminded tonight of just how spectacular the musical numbers in these films are. I was also reminded of how, during the non-musical scenes, I keep wishing those talky people on the screen would hurry up so we can get to the next musical number. This picture climaxes with an over the top production on "Lullaby of Broadway."
It was a varied program tonight leading into Gold Diggers.
First up was a 1933 Betty Boop short, Snow-White, clearly made before Walt and Company got a lock on the character.
Then there was a fashion show featuring glamorous women's costumes from films made in the 'thirties as well as a few that were set in the 'thirties.
Then, Miss Gloria Stuart (who plays one of the leads in Gold Diggers of 1935) made a personal appearance and was interviewed by somebody named Rudy Behlmer. Miss Stuart remains sharp and witty and charming. Best nugget from the chat: When asked what it was like to work with Busby Berkeley, Miss Stuart, who does not appear in any of the big musical numbers in the film, revealed that she never met him. While BB was busy directing those musical extravaganzas, someone with the title of "Dialogue Director" was the one who ran the "book" scenes in the movie.
