A musical advertised as the first 100% natural color, all-singing production. The plot concerns a wide-eyed former hatcheck girl who takes the place of a rebellious star.A musical advertised as the first 100% natural color, all-singing production. The plot concerns a wide-eyed former hatcheck girl who takes the place of a rebellious star.A musical advertised as the first 100% natural color, all-singing production. The plot concerns a wide-eyed former hatcheck girl who takes the place of a rebellious star.
- Kitty
- (as Sally O'Neill)
- Sam Bloom
- (as Purnell B. Pratt)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe first full-length sound motion picture produced entirely in color.
- GoofsAs the showboat moves onstage, the downstage deckhand is seen getting up after lounging on the deck. The next shot, a closer view, shows him repeating the exact same move.
- Quotes
Ethel: [singing] Am I blue? Am I blue? Aint these tears in these eyes tellin' you, Am I blue? You'd be too, If each plan with your man done fell through. Cause there was a time I was his only one, But now I'm the sad and lonely one, Lawdy, Was I gay? Until today, Now he's gone, And we're through, Am I blue?
- Crazy creditsIntro: "For weeks 'The Phantom Sweetheart' troupe had staggered on through tank towns toward distant Broadway - - its pathway strewn with unpaid bills. Tonight would tell the tale - - Broadway or bust."
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Voice That Thrilled the World (1943)
- SoundtracksWelcome Home
(1929) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Akst
Lyrics by Grant Clarke
Performed by Henry Fink and Chorus
Danced by the Four Covans
She was not only lovely just to look at, in her big scene near the end, she stole the show.
She was more than charming -- she was adorable.
Joe E. Brown's presence in a movie is usually enough to make me skip it but here he is toned down considerably, is not so silly, and he performs an eccentric dance with a surprising athleticism. I actually liked him in "On With the Show."
Sally O'Neil was surprising. She sounded at first like some precocious child, with little-girlish voice, but when this caterpillar bursts out of her cocoon, she is a star.
One other aspect of this film is almost unique for its time: The cast is integrated. Right there on stage are black dancers with white dancers, although to be accurate there is not interaction between white and black. Still, it was a start.
Ethel Waters made what was apparently her film debut, and surely was an immediate hit since she was already a star in other media.
A 21st century viewer of "On With the Show" must consider context, remember the times in which it was made, during the changeover from silents to talkies, to be able to appreciate it fully.
There were lots of great individual talents involved, and a viewer should try to ignore the poor framing of the scenes and the poor quality of the sound, at least some of which might be because of the age or even generation of the print.
But appreciate the historicity as well as the talent, and you will enjoy "On With the Show" as much as I did.
- morrisonhimself
- Aug 4, 2009
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $493,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes