Hooray for Hollywood

HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD (aka "Hollywood and the Stars") was a co-operative effort of major studios and cinematic archives. Narrated by Mickey Rooney with a main topic of Depresion Era musical numbers. Over two dozen first rank stars featured, as are even more lesser knowns. Rarest footage (circa 1930) provided by the Technicolor company.

PROGRAM EXCERPTS--
Fred Astaire performs "Flying Down to Rio" (1933)
"Hooray For Hollywood" musical sequence from "Hollywood Hotel" (1937)
Maurice Chevalier screen test ("Louise")
Buster Keaton's car stalls on train tracks in "Parlor, Bedroom and Bath" (1931)
Silent star Mae Murray awkwardly hoofs at her career's end, in early Technicolor; also "Dancin' the Devil Away" from "Peacock Alley" (1930)
Bizarre Donald Douglas/Betty Compson "spider & fly" number from "The Great Gabbo" (1929)
Behind the scenes at PARAMOUNT (Ann Sheridan/Cecil B. De Mille)
Technicolor Hollywood scenes circa 1937 from "A Star is Born" (Janet Gaynor)
Busby Berkeley chooses chorus dancers in "Calling All Girls" (1942)
Berkeley sequences include "Lullabye of Broadway" ("Gold Diggers of 1935")
Jimmy Cagney taps in "Something to Sing About" (1937)
1932 studio publicity film with Buster Keaton, Jean Harlow, Chester Morris, Colleen Moore, Jean Hersholt, Wallace Ford, Una Merckel, Lionel Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Johnny Weismuller, Ed Wynn, Clark Gable
Commissary footage with Robert Young, Jackie Cooper & Jimmy Durante, Hedda Hopper, Bing Crosby & Mary Pickford
Crosby gorilla car chase and "Snuggled on Your Shoulder (Cuddled in Your Arms)" from "Sing, Bing, Sing" (1933)
Al Jolson (assisted by Harry Langdon) performs title song from "Hallelujah, I'm a Bum" (1933)
'Buddy' Rogers and girl chorus line in short: "New Deal Rhythm" (1933)
Dick Powell one-reeler about FDR's NRA-- "The Road is Open Again" (1933)
Mack Gordon & Harry Revel compose "Take a Number from One to Ten." It's performed in "College Rhythm" (1934)
Mae West & Cary Grant in "She Done Him Wrong" (1933)
The Wampus Baby Stars
Groucho, Harpo and Jackie Cooper in mini-car race
Jeanette MacDonald title song, "Love Me Tonight" (1932)
Busby Berkeley trick photography and fan dance sequences
Victor Young and studio orchestra score a western
Roy Rogers number. John Wayne, as Singin' Sandy (dubbed) in "Riders of Destiny" (1933)
Laurel & Hardy, "Trail of the Lonesome Pine" extract from "Way Out West" (1937)
Hedda Hopper on radio
Outdoor color footage of chorus girl swimmers, also Clyde McCoy's "Sugar Blues"
In-color Hollywood premiere of "The Little Princess" (1939): Tyrone Power, Joan Crawford, John Carradine, Virgina Bruce, Randolph Scott, Hedy Lamarr, Ann Sheridan, Cesar Romero, Richard Greene, Wendy Barrie, Shirley Temple
Boating footage: Errol Flynn and wife; Humphrey Bogart; John Wayne & Ward Bond
Racetrack footage: Pat O'Brien with Gable & Lombard; Margaret O'Sullivan
Tennis Club footage: Ronald Colman; Cary Grant & Liz Taylor; Jean Harlow
Fred Astaire's golf/dance sequence from "Carefree" (1938)
Sonja Henie skates to "Tico Tico no Fubá" in "It's a Pleasure" (1945)
Busby Berkeley number from "Calling All Girls" (1942)
Reprise of "Hooray For Hollywood" ends program

I agree with the first reviewer. This was a fun movie to watch. It is clear that the narrator, Mickey Rooney, loved the 30s. The images are OK, the sound reasonable, particularly if one considers how old the source material is. Some of the excerpts have appeared in other compendiums, but many are seen here for the first time. Watching this DVD is a great way to spend an hour and a half. In my case, however, it was three hours since as soon as it was over, I watched it again. If you have any interest in this period of film making this DVD is lots of fun.

› Go to Amazon.com to see both reviews  5.0 out of 5 stars