DVD 365 Nights in Hollywood

So you'd think this would be a must-have purchase for any lover of art-deco cinema, especially considering the movie's pedigree (long thought lost, last remaining print, rare example from a studio whose back catalog is mostly long since disappeared).

Well - from a purely scholarly point of view it's fairly interesting; in that it's very different from Warners, Paramount or MGM musicals from the same era. It also features a comedy double act (Mitchell & Durant) whose clumsy knockabout slapstick looks so primative to be virually neanderthal (think of Anthony Quinn & Alan Ladd doing a poor imitation of Laurel & Hardy and you'll be close.). Alice Faye is very cute, but given very little to do except emote, plus early on she's asked to do a specific imitation of Jean Harlow (fair enough, Fox were marketing her as their version of the Platinum Blonde, but did they have to be SO blatantly obvious?).

Essentially it's 42nd Street in a studio, with a paired down cast and production values two steps up from a poverty-row production. There's only two proper musical numbers and both are under-rehearsed and unimpressive. You will not be humming the choons/tunes after watching this.

DVD quality is fair, there's some deterioration, but it's the best you'll ever see considering it's the only surviving print. No extras to speak of, except some fun trailers for 50s sci-fi and monster movies.

Although I applaud the fact that a rare musical is, after nearly 70 years once more available to the public, I'd much rather have any number of pre-code musicals available on DVD (any of the Gold-Diggers movies for example) or perhaps some of the long unseen Clara Bow vehicles from her Fox era. It would also be much more preferable to see such Alice Faye vehicles as the original George White's Scandals.

365 Nights in Hollywood fun while it lasts, but with it's forgetable supporting cast and lacklustre production "it just don't cut the mustard". Won't keep you coming back for more and certainly not recommended for those unfamiliar with this era of film-making. I suggest they check out some Busby Berkeley movies, even if it does mean getting them on - gasp! - VHS!!