Author Archive: Retro

Entertainer in the circus falls for a rich young man, and decides to hide from his family the fact that she’s a lowly circus performer. Dir. Herbert Wilcox

Young soldier on leave in New York visits the “Stage Door Canteen”, a real war-time hot spot where popular stars entertained the troops. He falls in love with one of the servers, despite the Canteen’s strict no-dating rules. Songs include: “The Girl I Love To Leave Behind”, “She’s a Bombshell from Brooklyn”, “We Musn’t Say Goodbye” and more. Dir. Frank Borzage

A band of Gypsies are camped outside the walls of Count Arnheim’s palace. Oliver’s wife kidnaps the Count’s daughter Arline, then leaves the child and runs off with her lover, Devilshoof. Not knowing her true identity, Oliver, with the help of “Uncle” Stanley, raises the girl as his own. Years later, Arline, still unaware of her noble birth, is caught trespassing on the Count’s grounds and is thrown into the dungeon. Meanwhile, Stanley and Oliver pass the time playing “fingers” and bumblingly ply their trade picking pockets. Finally, just when Oliver needs his help to rescue Arline, Stanley gets drunk while siphoning wine into bottles.

Irving Berlin songs highlight this story of a Broadway star who tries to produce a musical revue made up entirely of army recruits. Based on a play by Irving Berlin. Songs include: “My Sweetie”, “Poor Little Me, I’m on KP”, “Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning”, “What Does He Look Like” & more. Dir. Michael Curtiz

Backstage at a burlesque theatre as a star performer loses his wife when he begins hitging the bottle and carousing with women. Dir. John Cromwell, Edward Sutherland

While in a museum of modern art, Rodney Hatch, a barber, places the engagement ring he bought for his girlfriend, Molly, on the finger of a statue of Venus. Magically the statue comes to life. Learning of Rodney’s love for Molly, Venus banishes her to the North Pole and sets out to win the reluctant Rodney’s love.

After her Marine pilot husband is accused of treason and disappears, Venable goes to Shanghai and spots a man who is a dead ringer for him. Dir. Aubrey Scotto

The life of composer Jerome Kern, as he makes important friends like Victor Herbert & Oscar Hammerstein, which allows him to write musicals for a New York theatre. Features many popular singers of the era performing songs like: “Ol’ Man River”, “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man”, “The Last Time I Saw Paris”, “Long Ago and Far Away”, “Look for the Silver Lining” & more. Dir. Richard Whorf

In this comedy, a wealthy sheik kidnaps and falls for a snobby socialite.