But not just any movie fans, I'm talking to hard core movie fans, movie historians, movie archaeologists and those who want to understand early Hollywood. If you are one of these, this Hollywood antique is for you. It is somewhat entertaining and most of the stars and specialty acts are long gone and mostly forgotten. Comedy has evolved and what's here is old and stale, but nevertheless "The Show Of Shows" is a fascinating 2-plus hours of the way things used to be, entertainment-wise, in the early part of the 20th Century. Ever heard of Frank Fay, Irene Bordoni or Lupino Lane? Thought not. Maybe your parents have and surely your grandparents did. This picture is like a Who's Who of oldtime entertainers, and if you fall into one of the categories mentioned at the beginning of this review, this one is a must.

THE SHOW OF SHOWS (1929) is Warner Brothers (WB) entry into Studio self promotion through a Vaudeville 'Revue' in the early sound era. M.G.M. the same year would contribute THE Hollywood REVUE OF 1929 and Paramount would respond with PARAMOUNT ON PARADE (1930). Both are better efforts and rate them IMDB******Six(6), why can be easily discerned with one viewing of this film.THE SHOW OF SHOWS featured about 70+ 'Stars' of the W.B. of the time, most who would evaporate within the next five (5) years. It was filmed in the two-strip TechniColor process in which only one sequence survives, more about that later. The rest is gone as well as the quality of the surviving footage in B&W, nor is it enhanced by the soundtrack which is of poor quality, sometimes barely audible. Which may be a saving grace particularly when emcee FRANK FAY is on hand, BARBARA STANWYCK's first Husband.Like its rivals, THE SHOW OF SHOWS features a series of skits mostly featuring Dancing and Singing. The Dancing is some of the most poorly choreographed ever recorded for the Silver Screen, with unfit and out of time chorus girls. As for the songs most are forgettable except for the dimly remembered 'Lady Luck'. Which is pummeled into the audience through 1/2 dozen permutations from the first reel too the last. When the entire cast pretends to sing it, except JOHN BARRYMORE who hams it up. BARRYMORE's main contribution is a extract from HENRY VI/RICHARD III. BARRYMORE at the time being considered the finest interpreter of Shakespeare and the best American stage actor since EDWIN BOOTH. The other hi-lites are WINNIE LIGHTNER who is featured in several skits and a underused BEATRICE LILLE. Who completely upstages her three (3) co-stars.The surviving TechniColor sequence features jazz guitarist NICK LUCAS singing Li-Po-Li (?) and the alleged dancing talents of MYRNA LOY. Ms. Loy trying to do her 'best' interpretation of ISADORA DUNCAN and failing. Actually coming across like the Hippopotomus in FANTASIA (1940) and about as graceful, with the same thick ankles and the flat chested appearance of the two-dimensional cartoon. Fortunetly when She moved on to M.G.M. designer ADRIAN was able to disguise her physical shortcomings with a 'chic' wardrobe. Her acting ability made up for the rest.Despite our low rating the film should be seen, once, along with its competitors efforts. Contrast these efforts with those just made three (3) years later. It is just not a leap in technological accomplishment, but a advancement in every phase of film making.

This is a deliriously colossal vulgar silly all star extravaganza revue of all the early talkie stars that Warner Bros could afford. ...and like most other rarely seen films actually made during the late 20s, an unforgettable opportunity to see and hear the genuine roaring twenties' exuberance and youthfulness put to song and dance. THE SHOW OF SHOWS is pretty gigantic. Vaudeville act after soliloquy after tap dance after acrobat after comedian after fan-dance after ukulele lunacy after Rin Tin Tin who introduces 'an oriental number'...(!)... and on and on it lumbers, grinning and squeaking away in fabulous gramophone quality Vitaphone sound. It is far too long, but among it's delirious delights are the awesome "Singin in the Bathtub" number created on a scale of which The QE2 architects would be proud...Beatrice Lillie lounging by a grand piano with some happiness boys amusingly warbling a witty ditty, Nick Lucas, and the never-ending grand finale in two color color...which is all set to the song LADY LUCK. . So keen are the tubby chorus line and leaping teenagers to en-ter-tain us that they almost kick themselves repeatedly in their own faces with glee and effort. Row after row of "Doll" characters hop past and some even emerge from the floor. I kid you not, there are even girls strapped to the crystal chandeliers, mummified with shiny gauze and chained up with pearl ropes, unable to move (for days, I imagine, during production) whilst this katzenjammer of toy-box athleticism twitch and spasm below to the Ukulele orchestra. Of course I loved it and had to watch this color finale over and over and then invite friends and family to the screen for weeks on end just to horrify and terrify them each separately and to roll about on the lounge in shrieking in delight at each and every exclamation of their startled reactions. And so should you...and rejoice that there was an era when this was created simply to entertain and thrill. It is all so demented.

It is difficult to evaluate this or any other comparable film of the early sound era in terms that one might use for ordinary film commentary. At times there is almost a desperation, as many film personalities of the silent era try their wings at sound, surely fearing that they will be left by the wayside (as did happen to some), Rin-Tin-Tin. however, was pertfectly natural. In such a vaudeville of unrelated sequences, some were sure to stand out John Barrymore's soliloquy from Richard II is a moment certainly worth preserving. By and large, only those with earlier stage training exuded confidence. However, this is over all reasonably entertaining, and a must for "film buffs" especially interested in the silent to sound transition