A year in review wouldn't be complete without some kind of awards list, right? You've heard of the Oscars, the Tonys, and maybe even the Logies... So without further ado, here are the winners of the inaugural Lulu Awards! ​

​The Broadway Melody - Strong start to the year. Lively and spirited performances. Contained one integrated song “You Were Meant for Me,” and lavish revue numbers which were unrelated to the plot. Highlight is a tap routine on pointe. 

Lucky Boy - Lackluster star vehicle for George Jessel. Stilted and sentimental. 

Weary River - Flashes of brilliance, but overall a tiresome film. Half talkie/half silent. 

Hearts in Dixie - First musical and full-length film to feature an African American cast. Excellent dancing by Stepin Fetchit. Clarence Muse as Pappy is outstanding. Terrific music. 

Syncopation - For many people, the first sound film they saw. Funny, well paced, and features a strong cast, and great music.  Progressive-leaning story about a woman wanting to break out of her constrictive social class.

The Wolf Song - If I was granted one film to be restored in all its talking and singing glory from 1929, this would be it. Drama, Spanish-style music, beautiful scenery, period costumes, nudity, The Wolf Song had it all.

The Desert Song - Not a masterpiece, but it does provide a glimmer of the potential of movie musicals to be so much more than trite backstage comedies.

Close Harmony -  Dramatic, fun, and humorous. The script writing is tight and sassy, with great one-liners and innuendos. 

Show Boat - Only avail at UCLA. Prologue featuring the Broadway cast. Film received lackluster reviews. 

Mother’s Boy - Lost film. Received terrible reviews - Motion Picture News stated “This is a perfect example of how not to make a talking picture.” 

The Rainbow Man - Successful independent film. It is now considered lost.

Innocents of Paris - Critically panned star vehicle for Maurice Chevalier. Not commercially available - it is held by private collectors and possibly Library of Congress.

The Hollywood Revue of 1929 - The first revue-style movie musical. A smash hit. Some spectacular moments, but patchy in quality overall.

Fox Movietone Follies of 1929 - Lost film. First revue style movie musical. Although it did not recoup its costs, the film was a popular draw. 

Broadway - A drama with songs. The first million dollar talkie, the first to film with a crane, the first to use tungsten lamps in filming, and the first to use (poor) Spanish dubbing. Visually superior to other films. Strong and interesting female characters. 

Fashions in Love - Critically well-received. Deteriorated reels at UCLA.

College Love - Utterly inane, with a cast and crew who were all prominent during the silent era. Lost film. 

The Time, The Place, and the Girl - Received mixed reviews. Lost film. 

On with the Show - Boring film with lavish dance numbers.  

Melody Lane - An inferior replica ofThe Singing Fool and one of the biggest flops of 1929. Lost film. 

Smiling Irish Eyes - Lost film. Released six months after it was made, was already considered out-dated and flopped. 

The Cocoanuts - Stage to screen adaptation. Gorgeous costumes, wonderful dance routines, and wise-cracking humor.

Say it With Songs - Painful Al Jolson vehicle with an unsatisfying ending. 

Broadway Babies - Inane script with innovative choreography by Larry Ceballos. 

The Dance of Life - Troubling gender politics aside, the story is touching and tragic and a far cry from the fluff of earlier backstage musicals. Contains an elaborate Follies-style revue finale. 

Lucky in Love - Mixed reviews, but commercially successful film for Pathe. Lost. 

Words and Music - Made from off-cuts of Fox Movietone Follies of 1929. Lost. 

Hallelujah - Second feature film with an all African American cast. While constrained by the racist attitudes of its time, the beautiful cinematography, outstanding music, and truly incredible performances make the film one of the best movie musicals of 1929. 

Street Girl - Suffers from slow pacing, but has moments of charm. 

Why Leave Home - Based on a stage play. Lost film. 

Honky Tonk - Star vehicle for Sophie Tucker. Lost film. 

The Great Gabbo - A backstage story with much to commend it. Excellent performances and interesting cinematography. 

Rio Rita - Strong script featuring comedy duo Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey. Fun to watch.

The Great Divide - A surprising film. Although it is resplendent with Mexican stereotypes and lackluster dancing, the dialogue is witty and the female lead is excellent.

Married in Hollywood - Lost film. 

Illusion - Features several female stage veterans. Only available at UCLA. 

Sunny Side Up - Delightful film full of good humor and fun. “Turn up the Heat” is a highlight. 

Gold Diggers of Broadway - Lost film, though a few reels survive. Contains the now famous tune “Tiptoe Through the Tulips.” 

The Trespasser -  An astonishing testament to Gloria Swanson’s abilities. 

Why Bring That Up? - Well-received star vehicle for vaudeville duo Mack and Moran. 

Welcome Danger - Star vehicle for comedian and stuntman Harold Lloyd. Huge hit. 

So Long Letty -  Cheap, dated, and sexist humor to go with ridiculous songs and zero dancing. 

Howdy Broadway - Woeful college musical that flopped at the box office. Amusing to watch today, thanks to how utterly awful it is. 

Is Everybody Happy? - Star vehicle for Ted Lewis that was panned by the critics. Lost film. 

The Cock-Eyed World - War film parading as a musical. 

The General - Lost film, possibly a short.

The Girl from Woolworth’s - Star vehicle for Alice White that did well at the box office.  Lost film.

Sweetie - A genuine, light-hearted comedy with great music and dance. 

Love, Live, and Laugh - Star vehicle for George Jessel. Although critically well-received, flopped at the box office. Lost. 

Footlights and Fools - Star vehicle for Colleen Moore. Delivered average box office numbers and received mixed reviews. Lost. 

Paris - An American artist finds love in Paris. Lost. 

So This is College - A fun comedy that, apart from pervasive sexism, holds up surprisingly well over time. One of the higher grossing films of 1929. 

Tanned Legs -  Fluffy on the surface but containing plenty of wonderful music, and a genuine heart at its center. 

The Forward Pass - Fourth college football musical of 1929. Short-lived money earner that is now considered lost. 

A Song of Kentucky - Contained actual footage of the Kentucky Derby. Critically well-received but not a box office success. Considered lost. 

Little Johnny Jones - Star vehicle for Eddie Buzzell. Considered lost. 

Broadway Scandals - Forgettable and forgotten. A lost film. 

The Show of Shows - The largest of the revue-style musicals. Except for painful race and gender politics, a highly entertaining musical. 

Untamed - Joan Crawford’s first talkie, and a truly awful film.

Red Hot Rhythm - Generally well-received backstage musical. Considered lost. 

Nix on Dames - A backstage musical that was a critical and commercial success. Notable for having three credited women in the creative team. Considered lost. 

The Song of Love - Star vehicle for Belle Barker. Played to average houses. Not commercially available. 

The Battle of Paris - Poorly received by the critics, and ignored by audiences. Held by private collectors. 

The Vagabond Lover - Star vehicle for Rudy Vallée. Painful, but mercifully short. 

The Painted Angel - Star vehicle for Billie Dove. Critically panned, but did well at the box office. Considered lost.

It’s A Great Life - An absolute delight, featuring the talents of The Duncan Sisters.

Glorifying the American Girl - A film riddled with clichés, a terrible script, and lavish revue scenes. 

The Talk of Hollywood - An abysmal film resplendent with racism and sexism, a plodding script, and lackluster performances.

Wedding on the Volga - Independent flop featuring players from the Yiddish theatre. Not commercially available. 

Pointed Heels - Unlikeable characters, banal plot, and lackluster score. Tedious and forgettable.

Hot for Paris - Critically panned and commercially successful sequel to The Cock-Eyed World. Considered lost. 

Devil-May-Care -  Worth a watch for the so-bad-it's-brilliant plot, delightful score, and the charming Roman Novarro. 

Wedding Rings - Critics hated it, but the audiences loved it. Considered lost. 

​Blaze o’ Glory - First musical to have a Spanish-language version, Sombras de Gloria. Both versions flopped at the box office.

Read on for a detailed analysis of the films of 1929! 

Date of Release: Dec 30, 1929 
Studio: Sono-Art 
Director: Renaud Hoffman
Screenplay: Henry McCarty, Renaud Hoffman
Music: James Brockman, Eddie Dowling, James F. Hanley, Ballard MacDonald, Joseph McCarthy
Leading Actors: Eddie Dowling (Eddie Williams), Betty Compson (Helen Williams),  
Frankie Darro (Jean Williams), Henry B. Walthall (Burke), William Davidson (District Attorney), Ferdinand Schumann-Heink (Carl Hummel), Eddie Conrad (Abie), Frank Sabini (Tony), Broderick O'Farrell, The Rounders         

Blaze o’ Glory was based on Thomas Alexander Boyd’s short story “The Long Shot”. It combined several genres, war, backstage, and crime drama, into one unbelievable tale. The plot followed Eddie Williams (Eddie Dowling) a former Follies star who has returned from serving in the War. One night whilst waiting for his wife Helen (Betty Compson) to return home, he sees her talking to a man in the street below. Believing Helen is having an affair, Eddie shoots the man. Eddie is arrested and put on trial for murder. His lawyer Burke (Henry B. Walthall) is able to have him exonerated, and all ends happily. 

Sono-Art was one of the first studios to make a the same movie twice using different casts - one cast speaking in English, and the other in Spanish. The Spanish-language version was called Sombras de Gloria, and starred José “the Irving Berlin of South America” Bohr, and Mona Rico. The international cast and crew hailed from a diverse range of countries including Venezuela, Columbia, Argentina, Mexico, Portugal, Chile, Peru, and the Philippines. 

Both versions were filmed at the Metropolitan Studios in Los Angeles.  

Blaze o’ Glory opened at the George M. Cohan Theatre in New York. Tickets for the premier cost an outrageous $11 each. New York Times film reviewer Mordaunt Hall lamented “whether the entertainment was worth that depends upon how much tugging at the heart strings one can stand without becoming peevish.” 

As reported by Variety, Blaze o’ Glory was edited down after opening night reviews panned the film. The edits could not save it, and the film played to mediocre houses.

The Film Daily described Blaze o’ Glory as “dull and lacking in continuity,” and Motion Picture News called it “hokum.” Photoplay stated it was “One of those leopard pictures… spotty.”

While the film overall received lackluster reviews, its stars fared better. The National Board of Review stated Eddie Dowling’s singing and acting were “worthy of commendation.”

Eddie Dowling was an incredibly influential and multi-talented performer who throughout his forty year career wrote, composed, directed, and produced for stage and screen. After starting out in vaudeville, Dowling went on to perform with the Ziegfeld Follies. He wrote and starred in the hit Broadway musical Sally, Irene and Mary, which was later adapted into a Hollywood film. Dowling appeared in over thirty Broadway shows as a principal player, also often producing, writing, and directing. He also appeared in Sono-Art’s first, and more successful 1929 musical, The Rainbow Man.

Betty Compson was described as “excellent” in her role. She appeared in several musicals in 1929 including Weary River, On With the Show, The Time, The Place and the Girl, Street Girl, and The Show of Shows. 

Child actor Frankie Darrow received good notices, with Variety claiming “The kid is a real actor.” Born into a circus family, Darrow (also known as Frankie Darro) started performing at a very young age. As a child actor, he made many appearances in silent films, particularly in Westerns. He went on to appear in over 150 films and television shows in a career that spanned nearly fifty years. An online biography states Darrow was the male equivalent of Shirley Temple — minus the singing and dancing, but with the same level of charm and lovability. He had a brief romance and engagement with Virginia Gumm, sister to Frances Ethel Gumm, more famously known as Judy Garland. 

The highest praise was reserved for Henry B. Walthall, with several critics giving special mention to his moving courtroom speech. Walthall started out as a stage actor and appeared in early silent films. His appearance in D. W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation led to consistent leading roles and he made a successful transition to talkies. Walthall continued to appear in films until 1936. Over the course of his career, he appeared in over 300 films including Klondike (1932), Me and My Gal (1932), and A Tale of Two Cities (1935).  

Few reviewers mentioned the music, except to note that singing only occurred in flashbacks and that the songs were not particularly memorable. Mordaunt Hall noted in his New York Times review that Eddie Dowling was “mysteriously” accompanied by a full orchestra, suggesting that the film did not try to explain away a character breaking into song. Hall also noted that “The reproduction of the voices is quite life-like and it is a pity that the story itself is not so.”

The score featured the songs “What Do I Care?,” the novelty comedy song “The Man from the South With the Cigar in His Mouth,” ”Wrapped in a Red, Red, Rose,” “Doughboy’s Lullaby,” “Put a Little Salt on the Bluebird’s Tail,” and "Welcome Home."  

The Spanish-language version also featured "Canoodle, Oodle Along,” and "Oh Paris." 

Despite the critics' lack of enthusiasm, the songs sold well to the general public. The music writing team, James Brockman, Eddie Dowling, James Hanley, Ballard MacDonald, and Joseph McCarthy went on to continued successes. 

Russian-born James Brockman started out as an actor before becoming a tunesmith for Hollywood films. His songs include “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles,” “I’m Like a Ship Without a Sail,” and “Down Among the Sheltering Palms.” Brockman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.

Composer James Hanley wrote mostly for the stage, and is most famously remembered for composing “Zing Went the Strings of My Heart”. 

Ballard MacDonald was a prolific composer and lyricist for stage and film. Songs include “Beautiful Ohio,” “Rose of Washington Square,” “Clap Hands! Here Comes Charley!” and “There’s a Light That’s Burning in the Window of the Little House Upon the Hill.” MacDonald also contributed music to My Man (1928) and It’s a Great Life (1929). 

Joseph McCarthy started out as a music publisher before turning his skills to writing for Broadway shows. He wrote for Broadway shows including Irene, the Ziegfeld Follies, and Rio Rita (which was also adapted into a film in 1929), and some of his songs include “You Made Me Love You,” “Oui, Oui, Marie,” and “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows.” McCarthy was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. 

Two sisters fight for the same man. 

Date of Release: Dec 29, 1929
Studio: First National
Director: William Beaudine
Screenplay: Ray Harris
Music: Al Bryan, Eddie Ward
Leading Actors: H. B. Warner (Lewis Dike), Lois Wilson (Cornelia Quinn), Olive Borden (Eve Quinn), Hallam Cooley (Wilfred Meadows), James Ford (Tom Hazelton), Kathlyn Williams (Agatha), Aileen Manning (Esther Quinn)      

The Engagement 
Wedding Rings was based on the book The Dark Swan (1924) by Ernest Pascal. English-born Pascal was a prolific writer who penned novels, Broadway plays and Hollywood screenplays. The Shirley Temple films Wee Willie Winke (1937) and The Blue Bird (1940) are among his forty screenwriting credits.
 
The story of Wedding Rings followed two sisters, Eve Quinn (Olive Borden), a flapper, and Cornelia Quinn (Lois Wilson), a “good girl.” Eve is forever stealing men away from Cornelia and it’s all fun and games until they meet Lewis Dike (H.B. Warner), a wealthy man. Olive falls in love with Lewis, but Eve succeeds in marrying him. Tired of Eve’s manipulations, Olive plots to break the newlyweds apart. All ends happily.
 
Variety thought the story trite, though felt the sister plotting to take away her sibling’s husband was “the “daring” modern angle" that "could be exploited.”

The Big Day and Reception 
Opening on December 29, 1929 in New York, Wedding Rings played to strong houses around the country. Not everyone was happy with the film, as Exhibitors Herald World (Jan 4, 1930) reported, the censor in Ohio had the film banned and stated that “The picture will have to have to be entirely remade if shown.” No reason was given for the ban.
 
The critics gave Wedding Rings mixed reviews. The Film Daily described it as “highly entertaining” while Motion Picture News claimed it was “very dull and entirely too talkative.” Variety noted that the film was “beautifully acted and splendidly staged,” but described it as “dull.” A modern day reviewer on IMDb called the surviving reels "dead boring." 

The Wedding Party
Variety praised the visuals of the production, and some of the credit must go to costume designer Edward Stevenson. Archives held at ISU Special Collections Digital Projects provide tantalizing descriptions of Stevenson’s designs for the film.
 
Stevenson worked for Fox, Columbia, First National, and eventually RKO, and became famous for designing beautiful gowns. In addition to his screen work, Stevenson ran a clothing boutique that catered to Hollywood’s most fashionable starlets. His work appeared in over two hundred films and television shows including Citizen Kane (1941), It’s A Wonderful Life (1946), The Lucy Show (1962-1968), and The Facts of Life (1960), the latter for which he won an Oscar.
 
Director William Beaudine, who had also directed The Girl from Woolworths, received generally positive reviews. After starting out as a silent film actor, Beaudine went on to become one of the most prolific directors of his time. He directed over 300 films and films and television shows, working in the UK and America, and for most of the major studios. Although he gained a reputation for low-budget films, he was highly respected within the industry for his efficiency and economical style of directing.
 
Variety felt actor H.B. Warner was miscast in his role. The Film Daily, however, gave him high praise stating “H.B. Warner adds another floral token to his bounty of successful and dramatically engrossing performances.” Born in England, Warner started out as a stage actor and worked on Broadway for over twenty years. He began working in film during the silent era, and made a successful transition to talkies, appearing in over 130 films. His credits include Mr. Deeds Goes to Washington (1936), It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), and Sunset Boulevard (1950).
 
The two female leads Lois Wilson was a much loved and highly regarded actress of stage and screen whose work spanned over four decades. She appeared in over 150 films including The Show of Shows (1929), Bright Eyes (1934), The Girl from Jones Beach (1949) and Guiding Light (1952).
 
In 1925 Olive Borden was named a WAMPAS Baby Star and quickly became a celebrated leading lady of the silent screen. Known as the “The Joy Girl,” Borden did not make a happy transition to talkies, and retired in 1934.
 
The Music
Wedding Rings was slated to feature three songs however it appears only two made the final cut – "Love Will Last Forever," a ballad, and "That's My Business," an up-tempo jazz number. Lois Wilson sang the ballad, while Olive Borden sang the jazz number. Variety stated “That’s My Business” was “nicely handled” and “likely to get some circulation.” 
 
Both songs were composed by Al Bryan and Eddie Ward, who had previously worked together on The Show of Shows. Al Bryan frequently collaborated with Fred Fisher, and some of his well-known songs include “Come Josephine in my Flying Machine,” the popular antiwar song “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to be a Soldier,” and “Oui, Oui, Marie.” He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. His other credits from 1929 include The Wolf Song, Broadway Babies, The Girl from Woolworths, and Paris. 
 
Eddie Ward was a prolific composer who worked extensively in Hollywood for over four decades. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award for Best Music or Best Scoring. His film credits include The Show of Shows (1929), No, No, Nanette (1930), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935), The Women (1939), and Phantom of the Opera (1944).
 
It Didn't Last 
Only 18 minutes worth of Wedding Rings survives, with the other reels deteriorating or missing altogether. Perhaps it's for the best this musical is no longer available... 

So says Lora Nixon (Fay Wray), a mediocre actress who must stay in work whilst her musician husband Donald Ogden (Philips Holmes) struggles to write his next masterpiece. The couple’s marriage has been tested by the rich producer Robert Courtland (William Powell) who is in love with Lora and wants her for himself. The drama is off-set by the comedic Dot and Dash (Helen Kane and Richard “Skeets” Gallagher”), Lora’s sister and brother-in-law. Of course, all ends happily. 

Lora is sweet and demure, but very capable in the kitchen. Donald is a passionate musician and ultimately dumb. Dot boop-boop-i-doops through her songs, and Dash wise-cracks through everything. 

With its unlikeable characters, banal plot, and lackluster score, Pointed Heels is tedious and forgettable. 

The one glimmer of redemption is in the wonderful backstage shots. A variety of unusual angles and dynamic composition help to create the excitement of the backstage world before, and during, a show. 

At the Paramount Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, the film was used to help promote the theatre’s ninth birthday. As reported in Motion Picture News (Jan 18, 1930) women were employed to hang cut-out letters outside the theatre, purposefully misspelling words to great effect. Meanwhile in Kentucky, promotions included a giant glittering red shoe on the marquis and elaborate storefront display.

Popular actor Helen Kane, famous for being (the possible) inspiration for the cartoon character Betty Boop, was featured heavily in advertisements for the film.

Music from the film, penned by Paramount’s prolific music department and generally well-received by the critics, was aired on radio on the Publix-Paramount Hour.

Historian Richard Barrios describes Pointed Heels as “Paramount’s disappointing holiday attraction for 1929,” however the film played to sold-out houses around the country, even breaking attendance records. According to The Film Daily, the picture bought in $94,000 in Brooklyn - where the previous record had been $89,000. 

Overall the critics lamented the weak script but found Pointed Heels enjoyable. Several reviewers praised the film’s freshness and unique charm. As film blogger Nora Fiore (The Nitrate Diva) note, for audiences in late 1929, the film was a welcome break from the “shock of the Great Depression.”

Pointed Heels was based on a short story by Charles William Brackett, who went on to become one of Hollywood’s most prolific screenwriters. In an infamous partnership with Billy Wilder, Brackett co-wrote Ninotchka (1939), The Lost Weekend (1945), A Foreign Affair (1948), and Sunset Boulevard (1950). As a producer, Brackett worked on Titantic (1953), The King and I (1956), and State Fair (1962).

The screenplay was written by Florence Ryerson, a prolific writer who worked in Hollywood for almost forty years. In addition to penning novels and several Broadway plays, Ryerson wrote or contributed to over 40 screenplays including Everybody Sing (1938) and, most famously, The Wizard of Oz (1939). A collection of Ryerson’s papers is held at the New York Public Library.

Director Edward Sutherland received good reviews, as did Fay Wray, Skeets Gallagher and Helen Kane. Born into a theatrical family, Edward Sutherland started out as an actor in silent comedies before becoming a director. His directing credits include Close Harmony (1929), The Dance of Life (1929), Paramount on Parade (1930), Poppy (1936), The Boys from Syracuse (1940), Dixie (1943) and Abie’s Irish Rose (1946). 

Fay Wray was referred to as a young Gloria Swanson. Despite appearing in over 100 films in a career spanning some sixty years, Canadian-born Wray is best remembered for her appearance as Ann Darrow in the 1933 classic King Kong. 

Richard "Skeets" Gallagher started out in vaudeville and performed several times on Broadway. After being signed to Paramount, Gallagher appeared in over 60 films in a career spanning nearly four decades.

Pointed Heels is mercifully only an hour long. Perhaps the Technicolor ballet will make for interesting viewing, but you’ll be dragging your heels to get to the end. ​

Early 1929 musical that is a part-talkie and part-silent film about a singing gangster. 

Date of Release: Jan 25, 1929
Studio: First National 
Director: Frank Lloyd
Screenplay: Courtney Ryley Cooper, Bradley King, Tom J. Geraghty, Paul Perez
Music: Grant Clarke, Louis Silvers 
Leading Actors: Richard Barthelmess (Jerry Larrabee), Betty Compson (Alice), William Holden (Warden), Louis Natheaux (Spadoni), George Stone (Blackie), Raymond Turner (Elevator boy), Gladden James (Manager)

Weary River, a part-silent, part-talkie musical film, tells the story of Jerry Larrabee (Richard Barthelmess), a gangster who is framed for a shooting and sent to prison. Befriended by the kindly warden (William Holden), and shaken by the hanging of a fellow prisoner, Larrabee turns his life around through the power of music. Thanks to his work with the prison band, Larrabee is granted an early pardon. Back out in the world, he struggles to stay away from the seedy underworld. Alice, Jerry's doting girlfriend (Betty Compson), and the warden help Jerry to find happiness.  

The film alternates between silent and talkie, with the talkie scenes inevitably leading into song. The silent scenes are artistically superior, with interesting composition, powerful acting from the leads, and a cracking pace. Particularly noteworthy is the haunting use of shadow to depict a convict's hanging, which takes place outside Larrabee's prison cell window. 

Once the microphones are switched on, all artistry flies out the door. The shots become less interesting, the dialogue is trite, and the acting is weak. Jerry Larrabee does all the singing, crooning sappy love songs to his girlfriend, Alice. The songs do not match his gruff gangster character, and the multiple repeats of the film’s title song are uninspiring.

Barthelmess insisted he did his own singing, but it was later revealed that the singing had been dubbed by Johnny Murray.

The critics were divided as to whether the talkie/silent split worked, though most agreed that the dialogue slowed the pacing of the film. 

​Overall, Weary River received mixed reviews. Cine-Mundial stated “Not only is the river weary, so is the viewer,” and The Film Daily lamented that the “story lacks action and rambles too much." 

Meanwhile, Close Up magazine film critic Walter Kron claimed Weary River was "one of the best talkies" he had seen. The National Board of Review Magazine included the film in its selected pictures guide, and noted “The acting and directing is good and the atmosphere in the prison sequences is well created.” Variety was also enthusiastic, stating “The advantage of Weary River is that it is artistic without being hard to 'get'.”

Richard Barthelmess' performance received mixed reviews. The Film Daily described his acting as “splendid,” while The New York Times lamented “It is a pity that Mr Barthemless should waste his talent on such a hopeless hodge-podge as this.” 

Despite with lukewarm reviews, Weary River was one of the top-selling, and top-priced, tickets in town. Although the Central was a smaller theatre, the film had some of the highest box office numbers in its opening week. Business only continued to improve, and Weary River grossed higher than the popular musical hit The Broadway Melody, playing to sold out houses for over 8 weeks.

As talkies continued to blossom, so did its cast and crew. In a career spanning close to five decades, Scottish-born director Frank Lloyd directed over 130 films. He was nominated four times for an Academy Award for Best Director, winning for The Divine Lady (1929) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1935).

Josephine McLaughlin, writing under the pseudonym of Bradley King, was one of the leading female screenwriters of the 1920s and 1930s. She wrote sixty screenplays, including A Passport to Hell (1932), Maid of Salem (1937), and That’s My Man (1947). More information can be found at the Women Film Pioneers Project. 

Richard Barthelmess, who had been a child actor in the theatre and an immensely popular silent film actor, continued to appear in films including The Show of Shows (1929), The Cabin in the Cotton (1932), and The Man Who Talked Too Much (1940, until his retirement in 1942. 

Betty Compson was a popular and talented actress who appeared in over two hundred films. By the age of 16 she was touring as a violin soloist on the vaudeville circuit. After being spotted by a producer, Compson went into film and became a versatile silent film actress. After running her own production company during the silent era, Compson continued to perform in well-received films throughout 1930s. Sadly, the studios considered her “old” by the age of 40, and her roles became increasingly smaller.

Weary River provides a great example of the difficult transition from silent to talkie. It has flashes of brilliance, but overall is, as the title suggests, a tiresome film. 

Thanks to the work of the Library of Congress, UCLA, Warner Bros, and Turner Entertainment, Weary River is available through the Warner Bros Archive Collection. ​

Sequel to The Cock-Eyed World (1929). ​

Date of Release: Dec 22, 1929
Studio: Fox
Director: Raoul Walsh
Screenplay: Charles J. McGuirk, Raoul Walsh, William K. Wells 
Composers: Walter Donaldson, Edgar Leslie
Leading Actors: Victor McLaglen, Fifi D’Orsay, El Brendel, Polly Moran, Lennox Pawle, August Tollaire, George Fawcett, Charles Judels, Edward Dillon, Rosita Marstini, Agostino Borgato, Yola d’Avril, Anita Murray, Dave Balles 

What a relief Hot for Paris is a lost film. Described by the critics as “broad, vulgar” and a purely “male divertissement,” Hot for Paris was the sequel of the painfully sexist lackluster musical The Cock-Eyed World.

Director Raoul Walsh was once again working with lead Victor McLaglen, and Fifi D’Orsay was bought in as the token charming French girl. 

In mid-October 1929 Motion Picture News reported that production on had been delayed until 1930. On December 7, however the same magazine printed a review. Production must have happened very quickly, though it is not clear why a delay was announced in the first place. 

Theatre managers employed the usual array of gimmicks to attract pundits. At a couple of theatres, managers developed the trick of making steam rise from the Hot for Paris front of house sign which “unquestionably attracted a lot of attention,” and in one instance resulted in the fire brigade being called in. Another theatre displayed a cut-out of Fifi D’Orsay “in the act of taking off a stocking.”​

At the Fox Japanese Garden in NYC, the theatre had a tie-in with a local restaurant, Fleischer’s, offering “a “'hot' meal” followed by the film. The meal was a “special blue plate dinner of boneless chicken pot pie and vegetables.”

Larger theatres also used live stage shows to flesh out the bill. At the Roxy in New York, a stage show ran in conjunction with the film that had an elaborate Moulin Rouge themed set with “gala signs [and] electrically studded windmill paddles.” The live show included Apache, Russian and Spanish dances and songs, the Roxy chorus, a ballet corps, and “32 Markert girls.” The show ran for over two hours, and led into Hot for Paris, which only ran for 71 minutes. Variety (January 1930) described the stage show as one of the best of its kind. The Academy Theatre brought in a “girl band that’s rated a draw.” 

Date of Release: Dec 9, 1929
Studio: Prudence Pictures, distributed by Sono Art
Director: Mark Sandrich
Screenplay: Mark Sandrich, Nat Carr, Darby Aaronson
Music: Al Piantadosi, Nat Carr, Jack Glogau
Leading Actors: Nat Carr (J. Pierpont Ginsburg), Fay Marbé (Adore Renée), Hope Sutherland (Ruth), Sherline Oliver (John Applegate), Edward Le Saint (Edward Hamilton), Gilbert Marbe (Reginald Whitlock), John Troughton (Butler), Al Goodman and His Orchestra, Leonidoff Ballet         
 
At the end of the screening of “Is Love a Sin?”, the film within a film, a producer declares, “nothing could help that picture.” The same can be said for The Talk of Hollywood.
 
Resplendent with racism and sexism, a plodding script, and lackluster performances, The Talk of Hollywood is an abysmal film. Independently produced by Sam Zierler through Prudence Pictures, ironically formerly known as Excellent Pictures, the film was completed in May but not released until December. Perhaps they never should have released it.
 
The film opens with J. Pierpont Ginsburg (Nat Carr), a Jewish film producer, performing exercises to a jaunty Irish jig. Just as soon as it has begun, the comedy ends. We learn that Ginsburg is a twenty year film veteran, and he is attempting to make his first talkie. He has placed his entire savings on the project, the film is already over budget, and the star refuses to wake up before noon.
 
John Applegate (Sherline Oliver), Ginsberg’s lawyer, is doing everything he can to save Ginsberg’s fortune. He is also in love with, of course, Ginsberg’s sappy daughter Ruth (Hope Sutherland). Fearing she will leave her widowed father alone in the world, Ruth declines Applegate's proposal. 
 
Thirty minutes into the The Talk of Hollywood we finally see our first musical number, “No, No, Baby.” The song is resplendent with French cliches, and along with "Goodnight in the Morning,"  does nothing to promote the talents of torch song singer Fay Marbé. 

The ensemble, credited as the Leonidoff Ballet, are interesting to watch but their appearance is too brief. The Leonidoff Ballet may be dancers from Radio City Hall, where producer Leon Leonidoff was known for his extravagant and lavish dances. It's a shame his work is not evident here.  

The dancing hints at a can-can, but the (uncredited) choreography is a poor imitation. The song and dance numbers are further undermined by poor lighting, and amateur filming. 
 
At the eventual screening of Ginsberg’s talkie, the pacing picks up. The screening is a disaster. The drunk projectionist smashes a sound disc, which causes the sound and image to play out of sync. The humor of mismatched dialogue and image unfortunately relies on dated racist and sexist stereotypes, with a white woman saying the lines of an African American character - who is of course lamenting life in the cotton fields. 
 
The invited audience of producers and distributors are unforgiving about the sound mishap, and declare “Is Love a Sin?” the worst talkie ever made. Ginsburg sits miserably, fearing he has lost everything.
 
At the last moment, a distributor calls to order "the comedy and five more just like it,” Ruth finally agrees to marry Applegate, and everyone is happy.
 
The Talk of Hollywood received scathing reviews, with Variety calling it "badder than bad." The critics derided the script, musical numbers, and performances, and even in 1929, considered the racism in bad taste.

Surprisingly, director Mark Sandrich went on to become a prominent musical film director, with films such as The Gay Divorcee (1934), Top Hat (1935), Shall We Dance (1937) and Holiday Inn (1942) to his name.
 
Only two cast members, Edward Le Saint and Nat Carr, continued to appear in films after 1929, though usually in small or uncredited roles.
 
The best thing that can be said about The Talk of Hollywood is that it is short, running just over an hour. If you feel like throwing away an hour of your life, the film is available to watch on YouTube.