Vogues 38

Have not seen the entire movie as yet, but the mid to end is stunning! The usual story line was palatable but Baxter looked too old. Joan Bennett was super-duper beautiful with lovely speaking voice. Loved Mischa Auer and Alan Mowbray! The costuming was stupendous....furs, hats, ensembles to rave about. As a collector of vintage fashions, I am mesmerized by this spectacle and plan to try to find a copy of this great film.

Joan Bennett runs out on her wedding day and takes up with fashion designer Warner Baxter in "Vogues of 1938" which is a combination of musical numbers and fashion shows with a little plot in between. And it's in Technicolor! Bennett has reddish-blonde hair here and resembles Lucille Ball a little but her voice is similar to her sister Constance. I'm so used to her as a beautiful brunette that the change took some getting used to - it has to be shortly after that she did a screen test for "Gone With the Wind," and by then, she had dark hair. In this story, after she abandons her wedding, she falls for the married Baxter (who designed and made her gown) and becomes a model in his fashion house. Baxter's wife is an ambitious performer who persuades him to back a show she's in - and it nearly breaks him.

There are some great scenes - I have to admit, I thought the roller skaters were spectacular. There was a wonderful scene at the Cotton Club, another at El Morocco, and the entire finale is a fashion show done as a musical. The gowns and suits are gorgeous.

Precious little plot here but plenty of shots of the New York of the '30s, some good music, dancing, gowns - and oh, those roller skaters!

"Vogues of 1938" was obviously an expensive and prestigious film and it must have cost the studio a fortune. After all, very, very films were filmed in color back in 1937. Plus, the movie is filled with pretty models, designer gowns and opulence. And, incidentally, it's STILL a terrible film. Why? Because the story is very thin and one fashion show after another gets incredibly boring. So, no matter how good the acting is of Warner Baxter and Joan Bennett, they aren't given much with which to work. And the story just never in the least gets interesting...never.

So is there anything good about the film? Not a lot. I did enjoy the production number early in the film with the black band--in particular the pianist who was playing a nifty jazz piece. Other than that, a complete waste of time and a film that is all style and absolutely no substance.

Decided to watch this film and see what was going on in 1937 and what the charming ladies looked like in order to attract the opposite sex. Well, hats were the in THING, along with FURS, and some pretty nice styles with wild woman's hairdo's. Joan Bennett, (Wendy Van Klettering),"Scarlet Street",'45, was very slim and trim and very attractive with a rather sexy voice. Wendy was not very happy about getting married and became " A Runaway Bride" in the 1930's. The husband she was to marry was, Alan Mowbray,(Henry Morgan),"I Wake Up Screaming",'41, who played a rather dumb role and gave a great supporting role. Warner Baxter, (George Curson), "Shadows in the Night",'41, ran a model agency and had all the best looking gals show off their fancy clothing. There was a great scene at the "COTTON CLUB", and fantastic dancing and way out musicians. If you want to take a look way back into the past and see how that generation enjoyed themselves, this is worth viewing.

Walter Wanger produced this United Artist's release and with Vogues Of 1938 he was hoping to cut into the musical market that Warner Brothers, MGM, and Sam Goldwyn dominated. He was hoping to use Carole Lombard in the lead, but it turned out to be a vehicle for his own wife Joan Bennett.

Interestingly enough he got Warner Baxter to appear opposite his wife as the male lead and neither of them are singers. In fact the film is carefully divided between the musical and dramatic portions. The musical bits are not part of the plot and the score is from a variety of sources.

Baxter is the owner of the House Of Curson a famed fashion design house that's come down to him in three generations. In a roundabout way he makes the acquaintance of Joan Bennett who is the owner of a great society name, but the family has seen better days financially. She's marrying dull and plodding Alan Mowbray to cure that. But she leaves him standing at the altar.

The notoriety Bennett has gotten leaving Mowbray makes Baxter ask her to be his new top model. That doesn't leave Baxter's wife Helen Vinson very happy. But she's jumping for joy as Mowbray is determined to ruin Baxter and he sets up Mischa Auer in a rival house to ruin him. Of course all the fashion espionage tricks are played by both sides.

In the end Baxter to show off his latest designs puts on a musical show and this is where the bulk of the numbers come in. Here and in a scene with Baxter and Bennett at the famous Harlem Cotton Club. The show that Baxter puts on is entitled Vogues Of 1938.

Vogues Of 1938 received two Oscar nominations for Best Art Design and for Best Song with Lew Brown and Sammy Fain's That Old Feeling. That Old Feeling is a song done by about every recording artist you can name. It is introduced in fine style by Virginia Verrill at the Cotton Club sequence. It certainly is one eternally enduring standard.

Walter Wanger put a lot into this film and he got good if not great results.