Although it did boast stars Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, "Delicious" is remembered today as the first musical with a complete score by George Gershwin. He and his brother had dabbled before - a song to accompany a silent western, "The Sunshine Trail" (1923), incidental music to "Song of the Flame" (1930) and he was then signed to write a score for an up coming Gaynor/Farrell film. Apparently George enjoyed his stay in Hollywood - golfing, tennis, playing the ponies - he spent more time having fun than putting in effort with the score. Still the songs spiced up (sort of) what was a pretty tedious romance, although the stars still had millions of fans, enough to make it a huge success. As with "Sunnyside Up", the message was clear - poor people are happier and have more fun.
This time Janet plays Heather Gordon, a perky Scottish girl (with an accent that comes and goes) on route to a new country - America!!! A new found friend, Sascha (Raul Roulien) has written a song for her - "Delishious", mimicking her mispronunciation of the word!! As they sing and dance in the steerage section rich boy, Larry Beaumont (Charles Farrell), a polo player, longingly watches them along with his snooty girlfriend, Diana, (Virginia Cherrill). "They look awfully happy" to which she sneers "The poor don't know any better"!!! Being made in what was the worst year of the depression there is also another message - that poor people are more patriotic, Larry is asked "I bet you don't remember the words to the "Star Spangled Banner" to which he replies "I don't even remember what show it was in"!!!
Heather and Sascha are "sprung" when they go looking for a piano on the first class deck and Heather meets Larry via his horse "Pancho". She then dreams about life in America - being met at the wharf by Mr. Ellis (of Ellis Island) and Uncle Sam in the elaborate "Welcome to the Melting Pot" dream sequence. The reality is very different - she finds she is not permitted to enter the country because her uncle is not able to support her. There are several scenes which show Heather pitted against the big bad city and villainous authority figures - a typical plot-line in the depression. With kindly Mr. Jensen's (El Brendel) help she escapes to Larry's house and all comfy and warm with a mug of hot milk she sings the enchanting "Somebody From Somewhere". Always one step ahead of the dreaded immigration officials, she finds a job with her Russian friends in their theatre cafe where they perform "Katinkitschka" - Heather is dressed as a doll, complete with round red cheeks!! When all hope of Larry seems lost, in a weak moment, Heather accepts Sascha's marriage proposal and El Brendel sings "Blah-Blah-Blah" - a parody Gershwin had written about the triteness and inaneness of love song lyrics. And just when you think this has to be the worst score that Gershwin has written, along comes the magnificent "New York Rhapsody". Played initially by Raul Roulien at the piano - it then follows Heather on her journey along the New York streets. The German expressionistic sets that Fox embraced in the late 20s are still in evidence as Heather, dwarfed by skyscrapers is accosted by various shady characters, "Where ya going' baby", "Are you lost, little girl", "Over there's the river". The city is also seen with grasping, reaching hands, wanting to pull Heather down to the murky, foggy depths. The music swells to a crescendo before Heather finds a police station and gives herself up.
The reviews of "Delicious" respectfully mentioned the Gershwin score but the film's top ranking for 1932 had more to do with the pairing of Gaynor and Farrell rather than the magnificent "New York Rhapsody" by George Gershwin. Also if Manya Roberti looks familiar, she was the sister of Lyda Roberti.
Recommended.
This time Janet plays Heather Gordon, a perky Scottish girl (with an accent that comes and goes) on route to a new country - America!!! A new found friend, Sascha (Raul Roulien) has written a song for her - "Delishious", mimicking her mispronunciation of the word!! As they sing and dance in the steerage section rich boy, Larry Beaumont (Charles Farrell), a polo player, longingly watches them along with his snooty girlfriend, Diana, (Virginia Cherrill). "They look awfully happy" to which she sneers "The poor don't know any better"!!! Being made in what was the worst year of the depression there is also another message - that poor people are more patriotic, Larry is asked "I bet you don't remember the words to the "Star Spangled Banner" to which he replies "I don't even remember what show it was in"!!!
Heather and Sascha are "sprung" when they go looking for a piano on the first class deck and Heather meets Larry via his horse "Pancho". She then dreams about life in America - being met at the wharf by Mr. Ellis (of Ellis Island) and Uncle Sam in the elaborate "Welcome to the Melting Pot" dream sequence. The reality is very different - she finds she is not permitted to enter the country because her uncle is not able to support her. There are several scenes which show Heather pitted against the big bad city and villainous authority figures - a typical plot-line in the depression. With kindly Mr. Jensen's (El Brendel) help she escapes to Larry's house and all comfy and warm with a mug of hot milk she sings the enchanting "Somebody From Somewhere". Always one step ahead of the dreaded immigration officials, she finds a job with her Russian friends in their theatre cafe where they perform "Katinkitschka" - Heather is dressed as a doll, complete with round red cheeks!! When all hope of Larry seems lost, in a weak moment, Heather accepts Sascha's marriage proposal and El Brendel sings "Blah-Blah-Blah" - a parody Gershwin had written about the triteness and inaneness of love song lyrics. And just when you think this has to be the worst score that Gershwin has written, along comes the magnificent "New York Rhapsody". Played initially by Raul Roulien at the piano - it then follows Heather on her journey along the New York streets. The German expressionistic sets that Fox embraced in the late 20s are still in evidence as Heather, dwarfed by skyscrapers is accosted by various shady characters, "Where ya going' baby", "Are you lost, little girl", "Over there's the river". The city is also seen with grasping, reaching hands, wanting to pull Heather down to the murky, foggy depths. The music swells to a crescendo before Heather finds a police station and gives herself up.
The reviews of "Delicious" respectfully mentioned the Gershwin score but the film's top ranking for 1932 had more to do with the pairing of Gaynor and Farrell rather than the magnificent "New York Rhapsody" by George Gershwin. Also if Manya Roberti looks familiar, she was the sister of Lyda Roberti.
Recommended.