Sunday Night at the Trocadero

This short is one of 34 which are featured on Warner Archives Classical Musical Shorts From The Dream Factory.I am very puzzled by many of the reviews of the shorts.They don't seem to appreciate that in many instances an exhibitor would not be charged for these items which were gimme fillers.The fact that they had no or silly stories is entirely irrelevant.These films were often had one major purpose to promote the studio stars.Yes some of the films were what would now be considered racist or sexist,certainly UN pc.However you can't really project 21st century attitudes on to shorts which are now around 80 years old.If you are easily offended just turn off.These shorts are of their time and should be appreciated accordingly.

Here's one of those "Hollywood stars" shorts. While some studios had specialty series like this -- particularly Columbia with its "Screen Snapshots", most studios dabbled, and when they dabbled in the 1930s, they called Lou Lewyn. He had cut his teeth on "Screen Snapshots", followed through with "The Voice of Hollywood" for Tiffany-Stahl, and then Paramount's "Hollywood on Parade." After that he went independent, with stars and aspiring players from every studio and rank.... and a couple of people of particular interest to fans of old movies, like Gaylord Carter, for decades the dean of silent film organists.

Anyway, it's some good music, some nice production numbers, and some stars in mufti. See if you recognize Groucho Marx without his painted-on eyebrows and mustache.

In the 1930s, MGM made quite a few short films designed to promote their B-list actors. Ostensibly, the film is set at some sort of nightclub and these lesser known actors and actresses supposedly hang out there and the cameras catch them 'as they really are'...or, at least as the publicity department WANTS them to be perceived. However, unlike many of them, this one is in black & white and there really are very few of the bigger stars of the day (whereas the other films usually had a handful of A-listers in addition to the up and coming B and C-listers). The biggest stars you see in this one are Groucho Marx, Robert Benchley, Chester Morris and Frank Morgan. In addition, like "Starlit Days at the Lido", the leading man in this one is Reginald Denny--who introduces some of the acts.

In addition to the mostly uninteresting cameos, you've got some nightclub performers--several of which really stink (especially the guy who was doing impersonations) or are only passably entertaining...at best. Oddly, there also is a bizarro fashion show featuring some of the strangest outfits I have ever seen! It all comes off as weird...and not especially entertaining. Only of interest to folks who want to see the stars...even if it is all staged.

By the way, the sound quality of this short is rather poor...making there one more reason not to watch.

"Reginald Denny and Galaxy of Stars" is how this is billed in the beginning credits.

Interesting at first to see real-life footage of people at a nightclub, complete with cigarette girls, dress and hairstyles of the period. Then it goes into a corny story of a lowly poor usher-type guy who is ready to break into the talent show business....and he's terrible.

Along the way we get some lame comedic acts and some orchestra numbers, some solo singing efforts, that are "fair to good." Personally, I liked the up-tempo numbers better, like the finale with The Brian Sisters.

It was cool to see stars like Groucho Marx (sans mustache) in the audience, along with Frank Morgan, Robert Benchley, Frank McHugh and others.

The worst part of this was the sound quality. I saw this on a Marx Brothers DVD (" Night At The Opera") in which the movie and the other features all came through sharp and clear....but not in this short. I couldn't decipher about half the dialog, which was very annoying.

I can't think of a worse musical short I've seen from Metro, hosted by REGINALD DENNY, the distinguished looking British actor. He's seen at a nightclub called the Trocadero, taking candid photos of the various celebrities enjoying a night out.

The soundtrack is appallingly bad, with none of the dialog understandable for the average viewer and full of name dropping remarks from Denny as he acknowledges the famous faces from the '30s.

Movie buffs will easily recognize some of them: Arthur (Dagwood) Lake, Dick Foran, John Howard, Chester Morris, Robert Benchley, Connie Boswell, Groucho Marx, Frank Morgan, Eric Blore, Glenda Farrell, and Frank McHugh.

The music performances are way below par. A trio of sisters is the worst act of all and the bandwagon of George Hamilton is so-so. Boswell's voice is fine but her choice of numbers is questionable, to say the least.

Pretty bad considering it coasts on its musical talent and it sounds as though it's coming from outer space, so bad is the soundtrack. Picture quality is fine though, but you might as well have a tin ear as far as the music is concerned.

Peter Lind Hayes as a hopeful picture discovery doing some imitations and mugging his way through bad material, at least shows promise as a standup comedian that he became later on.