No, No, Nanette

Do you remember what theater you saw it at, and do you recall any more details?

It's impossible to review this film as it no longer exists. It was one of five co-starring Bereneice Claire and Alexander Gray (the MacDonald and Eddy of early musicals). The Vitaphone disc which encompasses the sound to the trailer does exist and rather than show portions of the film, the performers are simply introduced to the audience and the film described.

Gray and Claire's other lost film, THE SONG OF THE FLAME, does exist as six of the Vitaphone sound reels and was Oscar nominated for Sound - deservedly from the quality of the discs which I have heard.

Gray only made 10 films and Claire only 13. It's sad that two of them are lost.

I think the print I saw was made by the original two-color Technicolor process. The film is about putting on a Broadway show. I enjoyed the music but didn't entirely understand the plot. There was one bit of dialogue used repeatedly wherein Nanette, who is a bit of a harebrain, makes silly suggestions and is admonished by a stuffy older man who says condescendingly "No, no, Nanette". I thought the funniest part was when this sort of visionary (I thought he was an architect but realize now he must have been the scenic designer or maybe the playwright) explains his revolutionary way of staging the show. Something like this: the show will be performed in the orchestra and a swimming pool will be in the balcony. His listener asks "then where is the audience?" The reply: "On the stage!" The rest of my life I have occasionally thought of and sung to myself the song from the movie: "When skies are gray, I like to say/I want to be happy so I can make you happy too..." I have always wanted to hear it performed but I never have.