I'm Sailing On a Sunbeam (1929)

[ClarasBeau]

Quintessential 1920s!... I feel honored to simply view it! And in early Technicolor!!... I'm... ah.. Cheez...! Hoo-hooh!

[Nekofemme]

Going down those slides looked like a lot of fun!

[ClarasBeau]

Wow... How sweet it is that this color footage survives! This represents the best of the 1920's production numbers that American movie studios could produce in 1929 (and MGM had the money to do it, too). The tap dancing, wonderful music, back-lighting, and the male chorus singing... Simply euphoria! (Sigh!)

Thanks so much for posting it... (Born too late!)

[errolfan]

Actually this entire number is not too bad for the period. The Duncan Sisters certainly harmonize better than their counterparts in "The Broadway Melody". Nonetheless, it's still a little bit jarring to interrupt a big number with a couple of women singing together. "The Broadway Melody" pretty much makes a point of that. Intentional or not, that movie effectively ended singing sisters careers.

[CaptainScarlet500]

Just brilliant! Im reminded of Baby Jane Hudson tho..:-)

[mikemcgee]

its i ronic that when tcm started they had a version of this fair classic without this number and old devil ryhtym just the two sisters doing the hooser hop by the way it is restored to the poitn they enhanced it a bit in 3 colors time warner is anti two strip this is why they wont release under a texas moon and vienese nights they have to buy the rights back first since it wasnt part of their library they are greedy

[GRAYGRAY53]

When you think this is 80 years old what a performance! Just great! Good dancing, music

and striking 'sunbeam' effects.

[patoman881]

Actually their style is rather appropriate for the era-examples: Anita Page and Bessie Love in The Broadway Melody(1929-won Best Picture), and The Locust Sisters-who were featured in the first series of Vitaphone talkies in 1928-one has to remember that vaudeville was still in mode-until the period immediately following the Stock Market Crash-when plotless musicals fell out of favor in general with the theatre going public. Victorian? Please refer to I Know Why The Cage Bird Sings, ect..

[alifia23]

@patoman881 who are the locust sisters thanks?

[patoman881]

@alifia23 The Locust Sisters were featured in the first series of Vitaphone talkie shorts in 1928. Five sisters who sang jazzy harmony numbers from Vaudeville.

[CountDisco1]

This is a great clip. Very ultra modern and jazz age.. that is until the Duncan Sisters appear with their Victorian vaudeville act which was totally out of place in 1929-1930. They are probably the most annoying women that ever appeared in the early talkies. No wonder the film was a box office disaster. The very talented Lawrence Gray was wasted in this film.

[pollychromatic]

The ultra modern clip is really the only ultra modern thing about the film , and so , to me , having actually seen the movie several times now , seems the only thing out of place within the movie . The movie is LOADED with Vaudeville and charming beyond measure to watch - in my opinion . I may be biased , since the Sisters are my family , but I enjoy very much watching my great great Aunts in action -

to each his/her own

peace

[rigeuer]

You certainly had GREAT aunts! I've enjoyed the Duncans since I first saw them on TNT when it was the TMC of it's day. My admiration for on screen singers of the early days of sound is that these performers are actually singing 'live on film' rather than pre-recorded as was the case just a few years later with the 'perfection' of the sound process. No one can imagine anyone actually singing in a movie anymore, it's all dubbed. These days even stage stars can't be trusted, they're 'enhanced'.

[pollychromatic]

Yes rigeuer - so much IS engineered to 'perfection' - thank goodness we have these old films to show us authenticity .

:)

peace

[errolfan]

@pollychromatic I was commenting here, and ran across your interesting username and comments. If we all sang in key that would be great. If we all sang in key in the movies it would be even better. Bessie Love and Anita Page pretty much ended it for singing and dancing sisters.

[Mr1920s]

It's a shame they won't restore these films...

[hamishray]

@Mr1920s

I agree with you. Also some of the songs are out of print so one can't really sing along with them.

[Kinemacolour]

Is it the Duncan Sisters or the Malonley Sisters? :)

[stjn00]

The Duncan's, both Rosetta and Vivian.

[JB1912JB]

I thought it was the Mahoney Sisters! ;*)

[errolfan]

@Kinemacolour Its hard to tell with my earplugs in. Should I chance it? Nice username, by the way.

[chem100]

Too good for words. I was born too late.

[jeremynv89523]

Chem, I couldn't agree more. The worst thing about watching clips like this is that it makes me angry that I "was born too late."

[Iltbsm]

well we could simply bring back that time could we? after all we could bring the70s and 80s back..so why not such wonderful times, where such beauties and gentlemen had a good time? :) personally, i propage that music by playing it in the car etc and dancing swing, waltz and so on..and im 17 ;) a 20s, 30s revival, please!

[Iltbsm]

i meant "propagate".. can you say that? :)

[goldie0800]

@jeremynv89523 - Yep, it makes me wonder if those days can ever come again - I doubt it. These are a great reminder of the past now gone.

[Mr1920s]

Looks like something straight out of the Ziegfeld Follies. Beautiful.

[cushtichavi]

I read somewhere that Lawrence Gray used to have his teeth polished every day, then within a couple of years the enamal was gone so his teeth were ruined.

I though Nils Aster had a child?

[silenttalkies]

I LOVE THE DUNCAN SISTERS!!! They were vaudeville legends. I admit this clip doesn't show them at their best (they were fantastic singers, check out their 1935 short SURPRISE) they are singing in the popular 20's "chirp" style rather than naturally and the Mary Pickford wigs don't do them justice (they were actually very pretty). I have always wanted to see ITS A GREAT LIFE so thanks very much for this clip from it!

[189beacon]

This had to be the inspiration for Ken Russell's movie version of "The Boyfriend" with the loony fantasy sequences and wacko performers onstage.

[twentiesDOLL12213]

nils asther. not niles aster. and the duncan sisters weren't lesbian.

[yestheydo]

They are terrific.Thanks

[Weaseldog2001]

The vocal style of the period are an acquired taste I think.

If you listen to 78s from this period you'll find the same styles of singing from many artists.

Thanks for posting this. It's nice to match faces to my 78s.

[henry814]

Nice dance sequences, though I have to say I don't care for the Duncan sisters (Maybe it's the strange faces made while singing and the dubious vocal quality? Could also be the curls, which look 30 or 40 years behind the times for 1929?) Their early recordings exploited common racial stereotypes, which is rather disturbing and certainly doesn't reflect in their favor. Have to say that I much prefer the gorgeously costumed chorus girls in the opening sequence!

[muscleco]

Lovely and rhythmic sound. Great fun, apart from the ghastly Sisters. I wonder which one ended up in the wheelchair? Both I hope.

[joisfun]

oh my GOD!!!!  what a clip tremendous especially the last minute!

[bearcub410]

the duncan sisters are better than baby jane hudson!!!!!

[bearcub410]

the duncan sisters are gods

[jeanniedee]

Great tap sequence and liked the ending ,But those duncan sister ,yuk. thought I was bad !!

[bearcub410]

be still my heart the duncan sisters are back . i would have married one of them if they would have had me. fatastic. love them

[keenmustard]

I love them too. Superb clip.

[disco79]

I hate to break this to you but the Duncan Sisters were lesbian. If you are gay, however one of them might have married you. Vivian Duncan arranged a marriage with an actor named Niles Ashter, who was gay. It only lasted a couple of years.

[chetmcgee]

niles ashter, huh? wasn't he the second lead actor in late silent/early talkies with joan crawford at metro? he was a 'beautiful' type man, so it would explain much to know he was gay, though i hadn't heard that before. what became of him? and is he the man i am thinking of?

[disco79]

Lawrence Gray is great and so are the dancing chorus girls. Too bad the Duncan Sisters have to ruin it with their grating pre-World War I voices.

[perfectjazz78]

I actually enjoy the Duncan Sisters and have most of their 78 rpm records.

[Wcross34]

Pre World War l? I hate to break it to you, but World War 1 ended in 1918.

[jozefsterkens]

glad to see your back

[Markink]

Really a great show with a peppy song ! Thanks for sharing !

[mic33george]

You are an absolute star for this!!!Many thanks indeed!!I can resume my daily fixes!

[kspm01]

Breathtaking fragment!

[perfectjazz78]

Excellent.....So glad to see this up on Youtube!

Thanks!

[juanieboy12]

I see that you got this from TCM. I wish I got to see rare old musical films on TCM. :(