Search - Hollywood Musicals The Ultimate Collection on DVD

Pretty good collection of public domain musicals

calvinnme | 08/17/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"With such a generic title, you could be getting anything, unless you have more information. The contents of this set are as follows:

Disc #1 -- Hollywood Musicals: The Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1
Breakfast in Hollywood (1946) - radio show brought to film.
The Fabulous Dorseys (1947) - fantastic music, wooden acting.
Let's Sing Again
Trailers:
Best Foot Forward
Bundle of Joy
King Creole
There's No Business Like Show Business
Thousands Cheer

Disc #2 -- Hollywood Musicals: The Ultimate Collection, Vol. 2
New Faces (1952) - a backstager showing the new faces of Hollywood.
Rhythm Parade (1942) - A jealous performer sabotages a talented newcomer.
Something to Sing About (1937) - Stars James Cagney in a musical comedy that would have been better if Cagney had been allowed to make this more of a musical.
Extra Feature: Poster Gallery

Disc #3 -- Hollywood Musicals: The Ultimate Collection, Vol. 3
Swing Parade of 1946 - Ed Brophy and the Stooges provide the comedy, and Gale Storm, Phil Regan, Connee Boswell, and Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five provide the music in this revue style show.
Trocadero (1944) - history of club Trocadero shown in musical flashback.
The Vagabond Lover (1929) - This early talkie is an unsuccessful attempt to make a movie star out of Rudee Valee. The best points are Valee's music and a great performance by Marie Dressler as a society matron.
Youth on Parade (1942) - more wartime music.
Radio Bonus: Theater of Romance

Disc #4 -- Hollywood Musicals: The Ultimate Collection, Vol. 4
Three Broadway Girls (1932) - pre-code comedy starring Joan Blondell, Madge Evans, and Ina Claire was remade in color in 1953 as How to Marry a Millionaire. I don't know how it rates as a Hollywood musical, it's purely a comedy.
Moonlight Sonata (1937) Famous pianist Ignace Paderewski plays himself in a tale of people marooned after a plane crash. Just an excuse to see Paderewski's wonderful musical talent.
Second Chorus (1940) - Cute little musical comedy with Fred Astaire paired with Burgess Meredith as to collegiate musicians expelled from school who must then find a way to make a living.
Featurette:Musical Stars on Radio

Disc #5 -- Hollywood Musicals: The Ultimate Collection, Vol. 5
Mr. Imperium (1951) - nothing especially good or bad about this MGM-era and MGM-style musical starring Lana Turner.
Manhattan Merry-Go-Round (1937) - Gangsters take over a record company.
Royal Wedding (1951) - Now rescued from the public domain, this is a very good musical starring Fred Astaire in a story that somewhat mirrors his own.
Hollywood Musical Trailers:
Clambake
Guy and Dolls
Follow that Dream
The French Line
Thousands Cheer
There's No Business Like Show Business
Ziegfeld Follies

Disc #6 -- Hollywood Musicals: The Ultimate Collection, Vol. 6
Happy Go Lovely (1951) - David Niven in a musical comedy about mistaken identity.
Glorifying the American Girl (1929) - An early talkie that is missing the Technicolor sequences and even entire frames. It was edited for content when it got put on TV in the 50's, and that is the copy you are getting.
The Stork Club (1945) - A musical comedy with less than satisfactory music. Stars Betty Hutton.
Featurette: David Niven Bio

This is a collection of public domain musicals, so the quality is variable and definitely unrestored. An OK package if you know what you're getting.
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