The Show of Shows

1929Movie2 h 8 minNR

62
DecentGoodWatch score

A nostalgic, hopeful music movie about history and show business.

Good for date night · family movie night · friends night

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Not streaming in any country yet.

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Not for scares or brutality.

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Story

Now hear this. The studio that gave the cinema its voice offered 1929 audiences a chance to see and hear multiple silent-screen favorites for the first time in a gaudy, grandiose music-comedy-novelty revue that also included Talkie stars, Broadway luminaries and of course, Rin-Tin-Tin. Frank Fay hosts a jamboree that, among its 70+ stars, features bicyclers, boxing champ Georges Carpentier, chorines in terpsichore kickery, sister acts, Myrna Loy in two-strip Technicolor as an exotic Far East beauty, John Barrymore in a Shakespearean soliloquy (adding an on-screen voice to his legendary profile for the first time) and Winnie Lightner famously warbling the joys of Singing in the Bathtub. Watch, rinse, repeat!

Feels like

  • Early Talkie Revue
  • Vaudeville
  • Musical Variety
  • Pop Culture History
  • Golden Age of Hollywood
  • Camp Aesthetic
  • Nostalgic Charm
  • Spectacular Production
  • Historical Artifact

Cast

24 of 63

Crew

Directed by
John G. Adolfi
Produced by
Darryl F. Zanuck

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

November 21, 1929 · 2 h 8 min · NR

Released
November 21, 1929
Runtime
2 h 8 min
Age rating
NR
Genres
Music
Original language
English
Made in
United States
Budget
$850,000

Q&A

3 questions, like "Is The Show of Shows worth watching?"

Questions about The Show of Shows

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Is The Show of Shows worth watching?

62
DecentGoodWatch score

Opinions are mixed, with a GoodWatch score of 62 (IMDb 5.8).

Is The Show of Shows okay for kids?

NR

Yes: it's rated NR in the United States, and the viewing guide lists it for kids.

Can I half-watch The Show of Shows?

Easy watchDemanding

Yes: it's easy to follow, with complexity at only 5 of 10, and the viewing guide calls it good for background watching.