Picture Palace

Despite the previous harsh reviews, this Vitaphone short is not bad at all. As a matter of a fact, it's an interesting and very enjoyable curio. On it's own, no it's not Rogers and Astair, but the two leads are quickly likable even though there is no time to develop in a quick two-reeler. Watch this in context of the time and era and you'll appreciate the music and talent that doesn't have the benefit of large orchestras, special effects, huge budget or Busby Berkeley. (Note that the "Dawn O'Day" listed in the credits is not Anne Shirley as it is linked in the cast list. Even Anne's IMDb bio warns to not confuse her with this Dawn O'Day.) Very likely your grandparents or great-grandparents enjoyed this short, so watch it through their eyes and you'll see it differently.

When all the performers are given lame dialog and all of them sound like their reading their lines for the first time, you know you're in trouble. Such is the case with this feeble Vitaphone musical featuring Hal LeRoy, Dawn O'Day and some overweight chorines, complete with a tenor who sings in a quavering high-pitched voice.

The "Aw, gee" and "Gee whiz" talk from LeRoy is consistently irritating in all of the small talk moments. At least he's capable of a few good tap routines but the clunky dancing of the heavy chorines is not exactly something to shout about. The storyline has LeRoy and O'Day as show biz wannabees in a theater where he works as an usher.

The badly choreographed dances and the banal musical numbers given LeRoy are the kind of stuff that killed vaudeville. The end credits call it a "Vitaphone Short--a Broadway Brevity". Not brief enough.

Summing up: A clumsy mess from start to finish.

Hal Leroy and Dawn O'Day are in show business! He's an usher in a theater in Atlantic City, and she's on the chorus line that plays between the movies and better acts. They discover this during a show, and are dumbstruck and fired for it. So they decide to start a double act and show them all.

They're both fine hoofers, of course, although Miss O'Day's line reading is a trifle weak. It's an entertaining short subject, one of 17 that Leroy starred in at Vitagraph in the 1930s, when he wasn't appearing on Broadway. It looks to be well produced, with a large supporting cast and popular singer Jack Fulton singing a song early on, and the two leads ending in a fine eccentric dance.

Couldn't disagree more with the other reviewers. This is a very fun short with good tunes and top-notch dancing -- just an all-around good time. But what's most interesting is Picture Palace, more than any other Hal Le Roy short, gives a glimpse of what his act on Broadway must have been like. His performance during the last number is worth the price of admission alone, as Hal seems completely in his element on a real, live stage. As for Dawn O'Day (not to be confused with Anne Shirley, who, as a child, also went by the name of Dawn O'Day), this is a rare opportunity to see her in action, as she appeared on-screen only a handful of times in her career. A real treat for fans of the genre.

Hal Le Roy approaches Dawn O'Day on the beach. He tells her that he's management at the Grand Majestic Theater. In reality, he's a lowly usher. She's a chorus girl for the new show at the theater. Dawn is struggling with her steps. Both Hal and Dawn get fired on the same night. They develop their own dance act.

It's not anything great. I wouldn't call Hal and Dawn as a great dance act although they seem to have fun together. Hal is a tall lanky guy. Dawn is exuberant. This is a short of some fun and limited excellence. Fans of this duo would probably like this. Otherwise, it's relatively harmless.