Author Archive: Retro

Army private romances a burlesque dress designer to keep the presumed gold-digger away from his wealthy, middle aged father. Dir. William Rowland

During World War II, the Canadian Navy gathered a troupe of diverse performers (dancers, comedians, singers, musicians) from its ranks and sent them off to entertain their shipmates, and the show/revue ultimately played London’s Hioopodrome. The acceptance was based more on wartime-London’s appreciation of the gallantry of Britain’s sons and daughters from over the seas than it was on the artistic value of the show or the talent of the performers. The film is a fictional/fact mixture of the adventures of the troupe members, and the ending, only part filmed in Technicolor, is primarily the Revue as seen at the Hippodrome.

Pretty girl goes to join her fiance in South Seas, where she learns he now owes a huge gambling debt to a local bar-owner. Dir. Bert Glennon

Selfish stepmother moves family from Kansas to New York to revive her career in theatre. Songs include: “I Must Be in Love with Love” & “Dance My Blues Away”. Dir. Richard Thorpe

Tall talking radio cowboy star goes to a Mexican village, where he must pretend he’s the real deal and frighten away some bandits. Songs include: “I’ll Never Forget Fiesta”, “Ride Mi Caballeros”, “Never Trust a Jumping Bean”, “The Two Bravest Hombres In All Mexico” and more. Produced by Hal Roach. Dir. LeRoy J. Prinz

Innocent young Cheryl (Powell) visits her sister in New York, who is supposedly a Broadway star. In reality, she’s a stripper in a burlesque show, and when Cheryl finds out, she tries to marry her off to a Broadway producer. Dir. Arthur Lubin

Musical biographical account of Pearl White’s life as the silent serial queen. Color. Dir. George Marshall.

Adaption of play, “Darling I Love You” -A pianist trying to get his masterpiece published takes on jobs as a drummer to make ends meet.

Breen’s screen debut as a talented youngster who runs away from his orphanage and joins a travelling circus, which eventually leads to a shot at singing opera in New York. Songs include: “Let’s Sing Again”, “Lullaby”, “Farmer in the Dell”, “La Donna e Mobile,” (from Verdi’s “Rigoletto”). Dir. Kurt Neumann. Circus life and backstage theater drama of a broken home and the custody of a child; featuring Bobby Breen, the famous child star.