Gold Diggers in Paris (1938)

Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/16/2008 Product Description

A postscript to the Golddiggers series

"Goldiggers in Paris" is the final entry in the Warner Brother's films of the thirties featuring the name Golddiggers. With a pleasant but less than starry cast, it plays almost as a postscript because none of the regulars, such as Dick Powell, appear. Rudy Valles takes over and he is an unnatural leading man. Immaculately dressed, he projects a very sophisticated lead but his looks are odd, his singing voice pleasant but strangled and his acting stiff. Paired with the charming Rosemary Lane, they make a weird pair and Lane's trained soprano, which always sounds uncomfortable with pop songs, hardly complements Valee's crooning. Their duets are bizarre.

Here are some points to note:

- Busby Berkeley staged the musical numbers and while the budgets are curtailed, both "Honeymoon in Bali" and the finale, the "Latin Quarter" are pleasant songs, presented with visual vitality, particularly the latter.
- Carole Landis is clearly visible in an unbilled supporting role.
- Gloria Dickson, as Valee's ex-wife, plays the compulsory predatory female and adds a shot of adrenalin to all her scenes. Dickson is a stunner and steals the film.
- a zany troop of musical performers called "The Schnickelfritz Band", appear. They have too many numbers and what is at first very amusing eventually becomes irritating.

The print of the film is excellent, crisp, clean and crystal clear. The extras include the original trailer in which Vallee announces the debut of the Shnickelfritz mob and a short film in very poor conditon. Phil Silvers is featured long before his real fame but the soundtrack is so deteriorated that the short is unwatchable. As is often the case, the cartoons are the best bits because the Warner's cartoons invariably had bite. These are no exception.

The DVD is quite expensive for what is on offer and so would really only be of interest to those who might want to view any of Busby Berkeley's work. November 18, 2008

With the Schnickelfritz Band

Club Balle features plenty of beautiful hoofers and swinging musical acts. It is a real slice of America and a swell place to be. Maurice Giraud (Hugh Herbert) is a representative of France sent to the United States to enlist the American Ballet Company to perform at the Paris Exposition. Unfortuantely, his cab driver cannot understand his awful accent, so he takes him to Club Balle. He is none the wiser and hires the troupe, who accepts because of their desperate need for money. Off to Paris they go, but with the real (and angry) Ballet Company behind them.

A fun film filled with entertaining moments but nothing too substantial, Gold Diggers in Paris has a lesser known cast that does the job. Rudy Vallee is a wooden actor, but his voice is undeniably good. Rosemary Lane's beauty and skilled vocals make her a good match for him. Also featured are many of the Warner Brothers stock cast including Allen Jenkins and Mabel Todd who evoke a lot of laughter. September 22, 2008

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