Nancy welford, winnie lightner and ann pennington stars as jerry, mable and ann, three chorus girls who try to entice a wealthy backer to put his money in their cashpoor broadway show. The film opens on an audience watching a lavish 1929 broadway show, featuring a giant gold mine production number song of the gold diggers. As with many early technicolor films, no complete print survives, although the last twenty minutes do, but are missing a bridging sequence and. The desert song is a 1929 american precode operetta film directed by roy del ruth and starring john boles, louise fazenda, and myrna loy. Nick lucas performs tip toe thru the tulips from the 1929 film gold diggers of broadway. Still working my way through this box set but so far the films i have not seen in a long time, or ever, seem very lame indeed.
Reel 9 and 10 has been found in the 1980s and the complete soundtrack survived and some. It stars glenn tryon, evelyn brent, paul porcasi, robert ellis, merna kennedy and thomas e. Unfortunate, this clip isnt as a new discovery as fairly low quality version of the full 10 minute sequence can be found on youtube. Collection of vitaphone soundtracks 19261931 this collection is an attempt to collect as many soundtracks to lost films and lost sequences from as many films from the early talkie period 19261931 as possible to make them available to everyone as they should be. Nick lucas performs tip toe thru the tulips from the 1929 film gold diggers of broadway close. As with many early technicolor films, no complete print survives, although the last. Print ad syracuse american, syracuse ny 27 october 1929 see more. The excerpts are also featured on a mgmua turner release called the dawn of sound which a copy is held in the library of congress. Genre gold diggers overture 1929 comment by charles slater 2. And the last two reels of the film were found in the 80s and 90s and have been. Gold diggers of broadway 1929 is comedymusical film. Gold diggers of broadway 1929 complete vitaphone soundtrack.
For those who havent heard the complete vitaphone sound for gdob i recommend making a donation to the vitaphone project and get the complete audio of the film including overture on cd. Gold diggers of broadway under appreciated rock guitarists. Contemp performances c 1929 on the films trailer by members of orig cast. Desert song, as well as gold diggers of broadway, which established the studios cottage industry of gold diggers pictures and also unveiled the pop standard tiptoe through the tulips.
The other big number from the film, painting the clouds with sunshine, served as the title for the 1951 remake of gold diggers of broadway, which in the interim had been filmed as the more famous. Gold diggers of broadway is a 1929 american precode musical comedy film directed by roy del ruth and starring winnie lightner and nick lucas. Gold diggers of broadway 1929 top grossing american color. Today, gold diggers of broadway is considered a partially lost film, as no complete print survives. Producer david belasco staged it on broadway in 1919, with ina claire in the lead role. I am wondering, would the disc have originally been played on the vitaphone unit coupled to the film projector or on a seperate non sync turntable capable of play 16inch 33. Scenes from gold diggers of broadway 1929 lost color musical. Broadway is a 1929 film directed by paul fejos from the play of the same name by george abbott and philip dunning.
Jan 04, 2018 gold diggers of broadway 1929 is partially lost flim that complete copys of the flim has been lost. Gold diggers of broadway is a 1929 american musical comedy film directed. Open, general discussion of classic soundera films, personalities and history. February 1 the broadway melody is released by mgm and becomes the first major musical film of the sound era, sparking a host of imitators as well as a series of broadway melody films that will run until 1940. Gold diggers of broadway 1929 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. If a complete cut of this film showed up, id be so happy i dont know what id do. Gold diggers of broadway 1929 is partially lost flim that complete copys of the flim has been lost. Albert gran and winnie lightner in gold diggers of broadway 1929 conway tearle. Gold diggers of broadway partially found musical comedy. Other articles where gold diggers of broadway is discussed. Gold diggers of broadway is a lost film however all of the. Dec 19, 2007 and i like all of the extras, particularly gold diggers of broadway but particularly the cartoons, some of which ive only ever had on pd vhs sources or taped off of tnt back in the day.
The entire soundtrack of gold diggers of broadway is now posted online for all to hear for free, and of course ive seen the same two reels everyone else has, which is all that is known to survive from the film and consists of the reconciliation between jerry nancy welford and uncle steve conway tearle and the musical finale. Gold diggers of broadway was a huge box office success, and it introduced the standards tiptoe through the tulips and painting the clouds with sunshine. What does remain gives us a tantalizing glimpse at what was surely an extraordinary example of early sound cinema. Gold diggers of broadway partially found musical comedy film. In order to combat the static shots typical of early sound films, fejos developed a special crane that could move the unwieldy camera 600 feet per minute, bringing back the kinetic camera techniques. The plot of gold diggers of broadway will be familiar to anyone whos seen gold diggers of 1933 which was billed as a sequel but was actually a remake, though the zeitgeist of the films couldnt be more different. Gold diggers of broadway 1929 directed by roy del ruth. Only incomplete copies of the final two reels, plus the complete. In terms of the plot, gold diggers of broadway is very similar to the plots of its prior silent film and stage play renditions, though musical elements and the technologies of the day impact the story. And i like all of the extras, particularly gold diggers of broadway but particularly the. The feature charles and i watched or, in large measure, just listened to last night was gold diggers of broadway, a bigbudget warner bros. Four sound discs and one sound reel and trailer sound disc plus excerpts are held by the ucla film and television archives. It popularized the use of the term gold digger to refer to women who seek wealthy partners, as opposed to the earlier usage referring to gold miners. Dec 1, 20 gold diggers of broadway 1929 is comedymusical film, also the third movie released by warner bros.
Cast and crew credits for gold diggers of broadway, 1929, directed by roy del ruth, with nancy welford, conway tearle, winnie lightner, at turner classic movies. Only small fragments of the movie last reel except the final minute and parts of the soundtracks on. Gold diggers of broadway is a 1929 american musical comedy film directed by roy del ruth and starring winnie lightner and nick lucas. Its complete soundtrack is extant, but at this writing, only portions of its picture element remain. Tiptoe through the tulips, in a kitchenette, painting the clouds with sunshine winnie lightner. For a film made in 1929, paul fejos broadway is a technical marvel. Gold diggers of broadway project gutenberg selfpublishing. The play was made into a silent film in 1923 by david belasco, the producer of the broadway play, as the gold diggers, starring hope hampton and wyndham standing, and again as a talkie in 1929, directed by roy del ruth. A great collection of films where busby berkeley choreographies were included. I found 42nd street and golddiggers of 1933 the betterstructured of the stories from this collection. The only actors in the 1929 film to have also appeared in the 1923 silent version, the gold diggers, were gertrude short and louise beavers. It was a hit, running for two consecutive seasons before going on tour. This movie premiered at the reopening of the pantages as the warners downtown.
The other big number from the film, painting the clouds with sunshine, served as the title for the 1951 remake of gold diggers of broadway, which in the interim. Gold diggers of broadway 1929 open, general discussion of classic soundera films, personalities and history. Famous guitarist nick lucas sings painting the clouds with sunshine, which climaxes on stage with a huge art deco revolving sun backstage, the star of the show ann pennington fights over nick with another girl. I am grateful to have hollywood hotel on dvd, with its great benny goodman sequences. Previously filmed in 1923, avery hopwoods 1920 comedy the gold diggers was resurrected in 1929 as the technicolor musical gold diggers of broadway. This was universals first talking picture with technicolor sequences. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film. The story is based on the play the gold diggers by avery hopwood, which ran for 282 performances on broadway in 1919 and 1920. Gold diggers of broadway 1929 hometowns to hollywood. Gold diggers of broadway 1929 top grossing american.
In order to combat the static shots typical of early sound films, fejos developed a special crane that could move the unwieldy camera 600 feet per minute, bringing back the kinetic camera techniques developed during the silent age. Gold diggers of broadway overture by vitaphone project free. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Gold diggers of broadway 1929 roy del ruth synopsis. Just a reminder that two extracts from gold diggers of broadway are included in the new busby berkeley volume 2 collection. I am quite delighted with each of these films in spite of the silly plots that these musical often had. This 1929 musical, shot in an early technicolor process, is a mostly lost film.
Gold diggers of broadway 1929 overture disc, audio only. Gold diggers of broadway 1929 gold diggers of broadway. Scenes from gold diggers of broadway 1929 lost color. Gold diggers of broadway overture by vitaphone project. Nick lucas performs tip toe thru the tulips from the. Contemp performances c 1929 on the film s trailer by members of orig cast. Apart from a few more fragments, this is still a lost film.
Get info about the original print of gold diggers of broadway, 1929, directed by roy del ruth, with nancy welford, conway tearle, winnie lightner. Starring winnie lightner, william bakewell, conway tearle, and nancy welford. Here is the survivable vitaphone soundondisc of the forgotten overture of the 1929 film gold diggers of broadway. Ive been told that the entire 101 min vitaphone sound discs survive. Gold diggers of broadway is a 1929 musical comedy film starring winnie lightner and nick lucas. It became a box office sensation, making winnie lightner a worldwide star and boosting guitarist crooner nick lucas to further fame as he sang two songs. Aug 22, 2016 here is the survivable vitaphone soundondisc of the forgotten overture of the 1929 film gold diggers of broadway. February 18 the first academy awards, or oscars, are announced for the year ended august 1, 1928.
Read the full synopsis of gold diggers of broadway, 1929, directed by roy del ruth, with nancy welford, conway tearle, winnie lightner, at turner classic movies. Only incomplete copies of the final two reels, plus the complete vitaphone soundtrack, still exist. Gold diggers of broadway was released august 30, 1929, nearly two months before the stock market crash, and its mood is that. Also, the entire soundtrack has survived, and the full version is available online. It was the second film ever to feature both color and voices through its entire running time, the first being on with the show. A famous lost early sound film in twostrip technicolor has only two surviving sequences.
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