Dick Powell to his new darling Keeler on their upcoming tour, “We’ll make love in 40 cities!”.
That last number, since this is 1933 and patriotism is running high, we’re treated to the American flag, Franklyn Roosevelt, and the National Recovery Act (NRA) logo.
The film’s final musical is “Shanghai Lil”, which has, oh, prostitution, yellow face, and a bevy of beautiful white women reclining in an opium den on satin sheets.
Also, more water nymphs than you can shake a water nymph at.
Another number is “By A Waterfall”, which involves Ruby Keeler dancing through Dick Powell’s dreams, with an implication of being naked.
A choice line: “Bridal suites are never very idle!” There’s more eyebrow waggling here than in many later Groucho Marx movies.
There’s a musical number called “Honeymoon Hotel”.
“Send a new boy and girl out right away and make sure they aren’t in love with each other.
On losing a pair of performers in a traveling show.
One of the film’s gold diggers (unfortunately, she missed being in that film by a few months) is almost caught by her fiance reading from a magazine called “Naughty Stories”.
A police officer, popping in on a rehearsal: “Seeing all these girls gives me a lot of ideas.”.
James Cagney, quickly switching topics from the theater to women: “Never mind the outline… I think I got a new one!”.
Blondell accidentally puts her stockings on the wrong legs at one point.
#FOOTLIGHT PARADE HOW TO#
On a director learning how to mimic a cat’s movements: “I’ve done everything but sleep with him!” Cagney’s response: “Then sleep with him!”.
During a rather cutesy number about cats dancing and singing under the moon, he protests the subsequent arrival of their offspring: “We can’t have kittens in 39 cities!” He also turns out to be a mewling idiot who’s also a hypocrite: “I’m showing Miss Rich what you can’t do in Kalamazoo!”
#FOOTLIGHT PARADE MOVIE#
The film has Hugh Herbert as the theatrical production company’s censor, and the movie takes great glee in mocking his inanity.
Joan Blondell to a romantic rival: “I know Miss Bit– I mean, Miss Rich.”.
It’s a musical! There’s singing, dancing, and legs, legs, LEGS!.