Vogues of 1938

Rating:
Summary: Defies Description
Review: Agree regarding the transfer -- not great. But the movie certainly is. Beyond explanation, this silly, contrived and utterly outdated tale defies description. But it is a scream to watch, as the kaleidoscope of scenes unveil themselves in glorious early-Technicolor. The lovely and stylish Joan Bennett plays madcap heiress Wendy Van Katterling, on the eve of her marriage to a man she does not love, well-played by Alan Mowbray. This "madcap heiress" business, prolific in the Twenties and Thirties, gets pretty hard to take as the decades roll by - it was phony then, and it's *especially* phony now, harking back to a time when America was entranced by "The Upper Class." (Then there's that "madcap" business - how come we only hear about madcap heiresses. Why not madcap nurses or madcap streetwalkers?) This theatrical device, hackneyed already by the late Thirties, begs the viewer to wisely suspend any thought of reality, and that suspension *must* occur - just as it does in *The Wizard of Oz,* or the next hour-and-a-half or so will be torture. From the delivery of her wedding gown (in a motorcade down Fifth Avenue, no less, in a ridiculously tiny box) to the closing fashion show extravaganza, this movie can be excruciating or delightful, depending on your point of view. The heiress runs away, since that's what *all* madcap heiresses *do*, and gets a job at the House of Curzon, a Fifth Avenue couture salon. She endears herself to Curzon, himself, who has plenty on his mind already, with a Broadway show he's producing for his two-timing wife. The introduction of this branch of the plot allows for the insertion of a variety of musical interludes that are so unrelated, they appear to have been scrapped from *other* movies, but they are marvelous period pieces that dazzle the eye. Fashion piracy is another theme of the movie, and this piracy spells trouble for the House of Curzon. Then the wife departs, leaving Curzon with a mountain of debt and a faltering business. One thing becomes another and everything works out okay (this *was* made in 1937), culminating in a spectacular fashion show utilizing the gorgeous Miss Bennett, and *hundreds* of others, and all of the fantastic sets that were left over from the Broadway show Curzon was producing. While the movie drags at times, it is a time capsule revealing a particular slice of America that *wanted* to see movies like this - or is it that this was more of the kind of product that movie studios wanted Americans to see? In any case it is sheer fantasy, spewing out delicious costumes and surreal musical numbers lie it was a broken water main. The acting? Mischa Auer, as Curzon's rival-turned-friend, is brilliant.

Rating:
Summary: Some Movie Details
Review: I cannot attest to the DVD quality, but on another website I found a description of this film which is as follows:
An early Technicolor musical that concentrates on the fashions of the late 1930's, this film was reissued under the title "All This And Glamour Too". The top models of the era, including several who are advertising household products, are in the cast. The plot centers around a chic boutique, whose owner, George Curson (Warner Baxter), tries hard to please his customers while keeping peace with his unhappy wife. A wealthy young woman, Wendy Van Klettering (Joan Bennett), decides to take a job as a model at the fashion house, just to amuse herself, but her presence annoys Curson, who must put together the best possible show to compete with rival fashion houses at the Seven Arts Ball. The film includes several hit songs, including Oscar-nominated "That Old Feeling" by Sammy Fain and Lew Brown........Michael Betzold.

CAST for VOGUES of 1938:
Warner Baxter - George Curson
Joan Bennett - Wendy Van Klettering
Helen Vinson - Mary Curson
Mischa Auer - Prince Muratorv
Alan Mowbray - Henry Morgan
Jerome Cowan - Mr. Brockton
Alma Kruger - Sophie Miller
Marjorie Gateson - Mrs. Lemke
Polly Rowles - Betty Mason
Marla Shelton - Violet
Hedda Hopper - Mrs. Van Klettering
Roman Bohnen - Lawyer
Dick Wessel - Boxer
Dorothy McNulty - Miss Sims

DIRECTOR: Irving Cummings
COSTUME DESIGNER: Helen Taylor

Rating:
Summary: A Charming Time Capsule That Is Great Fun
Review: This is a very satisfying and almost completely forgotten musical from the 1930's which someone made a decision to put out on DVD. It's really nothing more than an excuse for some great art deco settings, some charming songs and speciality acts, lots of high fashion gowns, and some polished and amusing performances. I like the movie a lot.

Wendy Van Klettering (Joan Bennett) is about to marry a rich ninny (Alan Mowbray) because she thinks she can recoup her family's fortunes. But while being fitted for her wedding gown at the House of Curzon, she realizes what an awful choice she's making. She meets George Curzon (Warner Baxter), decides not to go through with the wedding and gets a job as a model in his fashion house. Curzon is married to a self-involved woman who thinks she should be a Broadway star...well, the story isn't so important as the excuses it gives for the high points in the movie.

There are two long musical sequences. The first has Curzon reluctantly taking Wendy out for a night on the town. They hit the Cotton Club in Harlem and watch a big production number of "Turn On That Red Hot Heat (And Burn Your Blues Away), with singers, dancers, and a classy orchestra. Then they head mid-town for a supper club performance of "I Saw You Last Night and Got That Old Feeling," first as a torch song, then followed by Georgie Tapps in a fast tap version.

The second sequence is the climax of the movie. Curzon has lost his shirt backing his (now ex-) wife's show. He has to recoup through his fashion show so he uses the stage sets and performers to surround the introduction of the new gowns. It's great. Among the acts is "Lovely One," a terrific ballad sung by a young couple, then taken over by the three weird and precise Wiere Brothers. They're basically eccentric, athletic comic dancers, but they sing, they balance, they mug, they're great.

All ends happily. The Curzon line of high fashion is a smash. Wendy and George embrace and kiss. Can marriage be far way for Wendy, this time with the right man?

Some of the charm of the movie is in its style: the look of the sets, the high fashion of the gowns, the confident and unusual camera angles. Some is in the songs and performers. Some in the lead actors. Warner Baxter does a great job as a confident businessman and designer who is a little out of his depth when dealing with Wendy Van Klettering. And Joan Bennett is a knock out. She's slender and blond with that kind of intelligent, amused warmth that Myrna Loy had. Everything she wears seems to cling and swirl at the same time. The movie also is stocked with some of Hollywood's best character actors: Mischa Auer, Alma Kruger, Alan Mowbray, Jerome Cowan.

This isn't a great movie by any means. But it's romantic, good-hearted and a wonderful record of some great songs and acts, and of a kind of Thirties Hollywood deco style.

The DVD is certainly watchable but the transfer isn't all that great. It was one of the first Technicolor movies and some restoration would have been welcome.

Rating:
Summary: Steer Clear of This Shoddy Transfer!
Review: VOGUES is one of the very best 1930s musicals, but don't let the price tag of this 'Film Classics' issue fool you into thinking this is the DVD release you've been waiting for. The transfer is absolutely awful, like the kind you find in public domain titles in your local supermarket. It's obviously a glorified bootleg, from the region free coding to the shoddy keep-case artwork to the unprofessional liner notes to the homemade on-screen menu. Somehow, this bathtub-variety issue got past the Amazon screening process, which usually vetoes bootlegs. VOGUES OF 1938 is arguably the very best of the 1930s experiments in early three-strip Technicolor. Presenting it like this is lamentable enough, but the nerve of the price tag doubles the amount of poison swallowed. See VOGUES the way it was meant to be seen -- stick with the pristine print shown on Turner Classic Movies and let this 'digitally remastered' sham pass you by.