The Beauties

Although it quickly became one of the better sources of short subjects among the major studios, RKO's initial efforts, usually under the Pathe name, were shaky efforts, usually contracted out to independent producers and little more than stage sketches, like this one, originally devised to fill a a burlesque house, eke out a short program on the legitimate stage or permit a long scene change.

This one is filled with cornball humor, catchphrases invented on the spot and constantly repeated, three mediocre songs and a couple of dance numbers shot unimaginatively. It's clear from the sound and the performances by the actors who would distinguish themselves in the movies -- Billy Gilbert and Ruth Hiatt -- that the director and possibly the sound technicians don't know what they're doing.

For the record, the plot is that Dick Stewart has devised a sketch which he calls "The Beauties" which everyone wants to steal. It involves a dancing chorus of women from around the world. Also, he loves Ruth Hiatt, unbeknownst to her, and she loves him likewise -- that is, unbeknownst to him; she seems aware of it. If you like, you can use that synopsis and claim you've seem the movie. I wish I could have done so, but then who would have written it for you?

"The Beauties" is a bad short comedy...even by 1930 standards. But it really has the early talking picture look, as many of these films were made on stages that really look like stages instead of sets. It also has singing and dancing numbers for absolutely no reason other than it was a huge craze in talkies from about 1929-1930....and in this case it absolutely makes no sense at all....none.

Speaking of not making sense, the plot is a dopey mess. An artist has drawn a wonderful sketch but he tells his friend he's worried someone will steal it and claim it's theirs (does this really happen???). Then, a couple show up to steal it...and a crazed Castillian who wants to kill the artist shows up....and it only gets more ridiculous from there.

This looks and feels like a low budget musical play in short film...complete with various beauties who show up and act like statues. It's an awful mess of a film and never tries to make any sense. And, to make things worse, it's really not funny...if it had been, I could have forgiven much of the nonsense.