Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #116233 in DVD
• Released on: 1998-03-31
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 115 minutes

Customer Reviews

Vera Zorina, Ritz Bros & Edgar Bergan in Top Form
THE GOLDWYN FOLLIES(1938) is an excellent account of the madness of moviemaking. It`s all here; the hysteria, the intrigues, the fun, the egotism, the worries before an opening etc. VERA ZORINA(Eva Brigitta Hartwig), a Norwegian ballet dancer delivers in her filmdebut, a funny and campy incarnation of a r u s s i a n and TEMPERAMENTEL ballerina. The Ritz Brothers has a humour that is way passed the line - and it still works. The same goes for Edgar Bergen and the doll Charlie. Kenny Baker is DULLLLLLLL, and sings the same song thrice too many, as are Andrea Leeds. She`s too goody goody. Adolphe Menjou is a mogul par excellence and the production numbers are spectacular.

Just a Silly Musical
The Goldwyn Follies is Samuel Goldwyn's answer to the popular Ziegfeld Follies films based on the work of Florenz Ziegfeld of the 1920s. This film is packed with musical and vaudeville-type numbers. The mood is very light and silly, but it is also quite fun at times.

There are three stars. Adolph Menjou plays a film director who stumbles upon an average country girl (Andrea Leeds) with many opinions about why films fail. He hires her to help him with his next picture and she agrees. In the process, he begins to fall for her, but she meets and falls for a crooning hamburger stand man (Kenny Baker) who she helps become a star in films. In the meantime, there is a frustrated accordian player, the outrageous Ritz Brothers who might as well be the singing version of The Three Stooges, and a strange ventriloquist. Leeds looks like Janet Gaynor and is as sweet as she is too. Baker sounds exactly like Dick Powell and the two sort of look alike too; it is eerie at times.

The musical numbers vary in style and in quality. Some are entertaining and some fall flat. There is a dance illustrating Romeo and Juliet between ballet and jazz dancers; it is strangely similar to West Side Story only this was made years earlier. There are several operatic scenes with "Traviata." There are a few extravagant dance sequences like one around a fountain. There is one very entertaining sequence about pussy cats done by the Ritz Brothers too.

The "Follies" Fails
"The Goldwyn Follies" has a nice look to it, good actors, and a memorable Gershwin score, yet somethow it's disappointing. Normally that's all I need for a musical to succeed, but "Goldwyn Follies" left me wanting less, not more.

The plot of the film could have been compressed to about 90 minutes, instead the film holds off the payoff so it can elongate the sketches and provided for longer dance sequences. But, I think the film could have had the same amout of songs, same amout of dances and move at a faster tempo, simply because nothing important is being said.

Fans of the genre, and I'm one, may not mind the pace because as the saying goes, "they don't make 'em like they use to". But, they also didn't make them this slow.

Take Astaire and Rogers for example. Their movies have a better pace to them, have great songs and dance numbers and are told at shorter length.

"The Goldwyn Follies" is about a small town girl Hazel Dawes (Andreal Leeds) who finds herself working for a Hollywood producer, Oliver Merlin (Adolphe Menjou). Merlin has had a string of flops lately as audiences are not able to relate to his works. Merlin decides his films need a more "human touch" and decides the only way that can be accomplished is if he has someone outside of Hollywood help him with his stories.

Hazel is just swept away by the more glamorious lifestyle and soon meets a boy, Danny Beecher (Kenny Baker) whom she thinks has real talent and wants to give him a break.

Unless this is the first film you have ever seen, you csn guess where the material will go. Only the film arrives at these conclusions at such a slow rate.

Just like a "real" follies show we are treated to music, dance, romance, and comedy. And none of it blends correctly. The Ritz Brothers and Edgar Bergen are the main comic relief, only one has to admit, they serve no purpose to the plot. In fact they slow the movie down. The plot would not change one bit if their characters were removed. We would have exactly the same story being told.

The music in the film is supplied by George and Ira Gershwin, and I believe was the last time the two worked together, George died suddenly. The score includes; "Our Love Is Here To Stay", "I Was Doing All Right", "I Love To Rhyme", and apparently the song the producers thought would be the big hit, "Loved Walked In". Funny how "Our Love...ect" became more popular.

And that's another problem I have with the movie. I think it would have ended better if "Our Love" was the last song sung. It would have fit in better with the plot.

In a prime example of Hollywood being out of touch with the public, pay attention to the cliche, "Hollywood" ideas Hazel gives Oliver. It makes one wonder, why couldn't he think of it?

But, those who watch this movie may not even be paying attention to such things. And they have a right not to, only I couldn't help myself. ** 1\2 out of *****

Bottom-line: Well meaning but ultimately flat musical from Hollywood's "Golden Age". Lots of stars and good Gershwin score give the film whatever amount of charm it has.