Glorifying The American Girl (1929)

An ambitious singer and dancer (Mary Eaton) sacrifices the love of her childhood sweetheart (Edward Crandall) in her quest for fame as she tours in vaudeville houses before reaching her ultimate goal, Broadway. Directed by Millard Web, the production was supervised by Florenz Ziegfeld himself. This being a pre-code film, there are brief glimpses of nudity and the word "damn" is said five times some 10 years before the ruckus it caused in GONE WITH THE WIND. As for the movie itself, it's that creaky story of the girl trying to make good in show business and the sacrifices she makes climbing up the ladder of success. Fortunately, pretty Mary Eaton is appealing so you're rooting for her. Also, we get to see some famous entertainers of the period perform like Helen Morgan, Rudy Vallee and Eddie Cantor whose tailor shop comedy routine is a highlight. There are also some two strip Technicolor sequences toward the end showcasing the Ziegfeld showgirls. It's the kind of film that should appeal to fans of pre-code cinema and early sound musicals. If that's not you, you might find this tough going. With Gloria Shea, Sarah Edwards, Dan Healy, and Kaye Renard.