Alice White was Warner Bros answer to Clara Bow. She had an A list career but it was very very brief. She starred in the original "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" in 1926.
Alice White was Warner Bros answer to Clara Bow. She had an A list career but it was very very brief. She starred in the original "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" in 1926.
Alice White may be a small girl, but she has a huge screen presence, stealing every scene. I think her acting is great too, contrary to most critics.
What's with the strange set for this number, though? The dancers come out of the mouth of a clown that rolls its eyes? Or is it a pig? WTF???
What is fascinating about this clip is the documentaion of early sound filming techniques. It's almost as though they knew that later, that we might be interested...
It's amusing that this is presented as though the entire number was performed once, in its entirety, and that performance was all they needed - no close-ups, different angles, retakes, etc.
Like other comments posted here, I appreciated the shots of the camera in its soundproof box (with the sound of the camera running heard on the soundtrack) and the sound recording equipment. And yes, I immediately thought of "Singin' In The Rain" too.
I love this musical number so much! I love the early 1930s essence of it, her outfit and look is just so darling in every way, its so gorgeous, the sparkle, pizazz, and energetic yet elegant loveliness of her look. Its quite organized for such an early talkie, I wish so bad I could see an Alice White movie, even if early talkies are deemed not worthy of watching! If only any of them were on youtube! Does anyone know of anything?
As all have said, this is indeed a super clip: many thanks, stjn00. Apart from the great music, song & dance, the shots from inside the camera booths and above all the brief shot of the 16" (41 cm) 33.3 rpm sound discs being cut, are thrilling to see. Also, this tune is the most 'invasive' tune I have ever heard. Was whistling it and singing for a fortnight and couldn't stop! Eventually it went away though. Thought it might be OK to watch the clip now, but no! It's 'invaded' again... Help!!
it's noticeable that the Choreography is designed to cover up Alice's lack of dancing skills, she could kick and dance, but no tap. What annoyed Warners was that she would not take lessons, A star who could not act, dance or sing was a problem, and her career slipped away.
@stjn00 I have just seen an article from the early 1950's which confirms that Alice White was not aware that her voice was later over dubbed by Warners, brought up at the time because of the lead character in Singing in the Rain, who's singing was dubbed over. They say that Alice White knew about the character being a bit based upon her, and was not upset, seeing the funny side.......
Also seen in this scene are two old silent favorites—Jack Mulhall and Blanche Sweet. I think Blanche Sweet actually sings a song in this film, maybe the only Biograph actor or actress to sing a production number in a musical comedy film.
Charming! By 1930 the cameras were well on their way to recovering their motion and fluidity. Great set- though it's rather creepy when the dancers go in and out of the eyes! I wonder if they started out with the idea of shooting this "straight"
@cushtichavi Belle Man also sang with the Bernie Cummins Orch.I have it on YT called "Cooking Breakfast for the One I Love"+ "When a women loves a Man" on ViS 22295.
The pretty girl on screen is Alice White, who had plenty of charm. Unfortunately her talents weren't quite up to leading roles and not long after this picture she was playing small parts and bits- though some of them are choice ones. She eventually left pictures and went back to her old job- a stenographer.
Alice really was a hit from about 28 to 31 they always called her the blonde Clara Bow and many film Books claimed she died in 1965 (same year as Bow) but she actually lived until about 1984 its sad to go from Star to supporting Lucille Ball in a bit part from an Anabelle b movie
Yeah, I'd kill for a Vitaphone disc from a musical talkie like this one.
Can't get enough music from that period, something about it. Must have got the bug from the sountracks of the ancient "Little Rascals" films they put on TV in the 1950, and Laurel & Hardy background music. It took some time to work out there were records with the same sound,,, Thank heavens for jumble sales.
True, but the cool part is that while the film disintegrated the discs did not...so there are discs floating around from vanished movies. (Wish I had a couple!)
Notice that the camera operator is clearly executing a pan with his Mitchell camera. So much for the theory that there was no camera movement in early sound. Vitaphone was fraught with problems from script to projection room, and everyone involved knew that the system was, as one executive called it, "a god almightyish peace of junk". Editing the many discs onto one was hell itself, instructions for making a routine splice in a broken film ran to paragraphs of explanation.
Tremendous, gorgeous ! I've bee told, since we see vitaphone-like records, that sound was read optically with the western electric sound system. Maybe the sound was first recorded on disks, then processed and finally transferred on films.
My mistake comes from the Dixie Dugan article in Wikipedia "Both novels were quickly adapted to movies starring Alice White as Dixie Dugan - Show Girl (1928) and Show Girl in Hollywood (1930). The first was a silent film, featuring a Vitaphone musical score and sound effects. The second film was a talkie using the early Western Electric Sound System."
I wouldn't doubt that the "Singin' in the Rain" writers took inspiration from this scene. I see this was a Vitaphone-style sound system...the engineers are shown checking the master disks. Funny to think there was yet another camera box set up for shooting the reverse angles on the camera boxes. What a marvellous clip!
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Alice White was Warner Bros answer to Clara Bow. She had an A list career but it was very very brief. She starred in the original "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" in 1926.
MPL029 1 month ago
Alice White was Warner Bros answer to Clara Bow. She had an A list career but it was very very brief. She starred in the original "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" in 1926.
MPL029 1 month ago
this is available from warner brothers
melchizedek22 6 months ago
@melchizedek22 only in the States !
swallin19 3 months ago
The backdrop looks like the cover of The Court Of The Crimson King by King Crimson
goatface1000 8 months ago
didn't she influence fashion, hairstyles or something?
cushtichavi 8 months ago
I've been checking out your uploads tonight. Great collection.
DeliriumInfinity 8 months ago
What a lovely lady. So sad we grow old.
torrents4u2c 8 months ago
Alice White may be a small girl, but she has a huge screen presence, stealing every scene. I think her acting is great too, contrary to most critics.
What's with the strange set for this number, though? The dancers come out of the mouth of a clown that rolls its eyes? Or is it a pig? WTF???
frogrfb 10 months ago
What is fascinating about this clip is the documentaion of early sound filming techniques. It's almost as though they knew that later, that we might be interested...
ClarasBeau 10 months ago
how i love this born too late thank you
bearcub410 11 months ago
thank you for the information
cushtichavi 11 months ago
Vitaphone orchestra live, early Neumann sound microphones hanging from booms,
noisy Chandler sound cameras in booths so they wouldn't be picked up, a cameraman
executing a "pan" to the right...the sound recording engineers. It must have been really
nasty to edit the sound on record process. Every movie studio was using sound on film
in 1930. Warners used Vitaphone until 1934.
brosro 1 year ago
Would that be Blanche Sweet at 2:18 ?
steffenLarsen54 1 year ago
When you've got that much charisma you don't have to be a great dancer. That's what the chorus is for.
cooloperetta 1 year ago 2
It's amusing that this is presented as though the entire number was performed once, in its entirety, and that performance was all they needed - no close-ups, different angles, retakes, etc.
Like other comments posted here, I appreciated the shots of the camera in its soundproof box (with the sound of the camera running heard on the soundtrack) and the sound recording equipment. And yes, I immediately thought of "Singin' In The Rain" too.
hebneh 1 year ago
I love this musical number so much! I love the early 1930s essence of it, her outfit and look is just so darling in every way, its so gorgeous, the sparkle, pizazz, and energetic yet elegant loveliness of her look. Its quite organized for such an early talkie, I wish so bad I could see an Alice White movie, even if early talkies are deemed not worthy of watching! If only any of them were on youtube! Does anyone know of anything?
moonlightorchid99 1 year ago
LIGHTS"
CAMERAS"
ACTION!
....Jimmy De De"
a COLE PORTER'song!!! 1929"
THANKS4posting it!!
rosieyposie7 2 years ago
As all have said, this is indeed a super clip: many thanks, stjn00. Apart from the great music, song & dance, the shots from inside the camera booths and above all the brief shot of the 16" (41 cm) 33.3 rpm sound discs being cut, are thrilling to see. Also, this tune is the most 'invasive' tune I have ever heard. Was whistling it and singing for a fortnight and couldn't stop! Eventually it went away though. Thought it might be OK to watch the clip now, but no! It's 'invaded' again... Help!!
bixanorak 2 years ago
Plunging in this period is anenchantment. A french lover of these superb musicals .
dormouse72 2 years ago
LOVELY melody, running through my head!! Love that hoofing!
bjnevin 2 years ago
it's noticeable that the Choreography is designed to cover up Alice's lack of dancing skills, she could kick and dance, but no tap. What annoyed Warners was that she would not take lessons, A star who could not act, dance or sing was a problem, and her career slipped away.
swallin19 2 years ago
Charming! A real jewel!!
username14657 2 years ago
I would love to see all the numbers from this film. Are there any full versions of the film around ?
LadyGenevieveStG 2 years ago
The film has survived but the color sequences are now in black and white only.
stjn00 2 years ago
Warner has issued this on disc as part of their archives series.
albanybeardguy 2 years ago
@stjn00 I have just seen an article from the early 1950's which confirms that Alice White was not aware that her voice was later over dubbed by Warners, brought up at the time because of the lead character in Singing in the Rain, who's singing was dubbed over. They say that Alice White knew about the character being a bit based upon her, and was not upset, seeing the funny side.......
swallin19 1 year ago
@LadyGenevieveStG
The Warner Archive has this film on DVD-R. It's a good restoration and the entire film is intact, but it's still black and white.
calvinnme2 1 year ago
just great!
bobbsyjo72 2 years ago
Also seen in this scene are two old silent favorites—Jack Mulhall and Blanche Sweet. I think Blanche Sweet actually sings a song in this film, maybe the only Biograph actor or actress to sing a production number in a musical comedy film.
RRaquello 3 years ago
Oh yes, Blance Sweet sing "There's A Tear For Every Star In Hollywood" while Alice White listens and learns.
stjn00 3 years ago
Charming! By 1930 the cameras were well on their way to recovering their motion and fluidity. Great set- though it's rather creepy when the dancers go in and out of the eyes! I wonder if they started out with the idea of shooting this "straight"
albanybeardguy 3 years ago
I don't think Belle Mann did anything else. Does anybody know anything about her?
cushtichavi 3 years ago
I believe Belle Mann is mostly known as house vocalist for the Victor label around 1930, where she did quite a few sides with Ben Pollack's band.
stjn00 3 years ago
@cushtichavi Belle Man also sang with the Bernie Cummins Orch.I have it on YT called "Cooking Breakfast for the One I Love"+ "When a women loves a Man" on ViS 22295.
Bigband78 11 months ago
who is the pretty girl singing and what film is this from?
cushtichavi 3 years ago
The pretty girl on screen is Alice White, who had plenty of charm. Unfortunately her talents weren't quite up to leading roles and not long after this picture she was playing small parts and bits- though some of them are choice ones. She eventually left pictures and went back to her old job- a stenographer.
albanybeardguy 3 years ago 4
Alice really was a hit from about 28 to 31 they always called her the blonde Clara Bow and many film Books claimed she died in 1965 (same year as Bow) but she actually lived until about 1984 its sad to go from Star to supporting Lucille Ball in a bit part from an Anabelle b movie
Rouben19 2 years ago
@albanybeardguy She was more than up to star statis,but her personal life kept here back
TheMidge29 3 weeks ago
Yeah, I'd kill for a Vitaphone disc from a musical talkie like this one.
Can't get enough music from that period, something about it. Must have got the bug from the sountracks of the ancient "Little Rascals" films they put on TV in the 1950, and Laurel & Hardy background music. It took some time to work out there were records with the same sound,,, Thank heavens for jumble sales.
muscleco 4 years ago
It's no wonder so many of these early talkies are lost!
All those discs and stuff.
Nice energetic music.
muscleco 4 years ago
True, but the cool part is that while the film disintegrated the discs did not...so there are discs floating around from vanished movies. (Wish I had a couple!)
smurfswacker 4 years ago
Notice that the camera operator is clearly executing a pan with his Mitchell camera. So much for the theory that there was no camera movement in early sound. Vitaphone was fraught with problems from script to projection room, and everyone involved knew that the system was, as one executive called it, "a god almightyish peace of junk". Editing the many discs onto one was hell itself, instructions for making a routine splice in a broken film ran to paragraphs of explanation.
azqrlaf 4 years ago
Tremendous, gorgeous ! I've bee told, since we see vitaphone-like records, that sound was read optically with the western electric sound system. Maybe the sound was first recorded on disks, then processed and finally transferred on films.
ghbook 4 years ago
This movie, like all early talkies from WB was made entirely with the Vitaphone system.
Vitaphone was finally abandoned in favour of sound-on-film processes around 1934.
stjn00 4 years ago
My mistake comes from the Dixie Dugan article in Wikipedia "Both novels were quickly adapted to movies starring Alice White as Dixie Dugan - Show Girl (1928) and Show Girl in Hollywood (1930). The first was a silent film, featuring a Vitaphone musical score and sound effects. The second film was a talkie using the early Western Electric Sound System."
Many Thanks for everything !
ghbook 4 years ago
Just so interesting,and a great song.A clip drenched in 1930 atmosphere!!PERFECT!
mic33george 4 years ago
I wouldn't doubt that the "Singin' in the Rain" writers took inspiration from this scene. I see this was a Vitaphone-style sound system...the engineers are shown checking the master disks. Funny to think there was yet another camera box set up for shooting the reverse angles on the camera boxes. What a marvellous clip!
smurfswacker 4 years ago
a great clip of insight into some of the production side of my favorite film genre. I really appreciate you.
genovee 4 years ago
As usual,you come up with obscure clips. This look like the scene in Singing in the Rain
busternuckles 4 years ago