Harmony Heaven

I had only managed to see this once before,about 25 years ago at the NFT.They showed the "colour"print.I understand that in fact the colour was in fact stenciled on rather like the process that George Melies used in the infancy of the cinema.The print that i viewed yesterday was in black and white. This film is essentially a "putting on the show" film and the plot has great similarities with 42nd Street.However that is where the similarity ends.Whereas 42nd Street is brash and fast moving with Busby Berkleys production numbers,this is the opposite.In fact the "It must be June" number in 42nd Street resembles the musical numbers in this film.Rather ponderous affairs with little originality.The numbers are virtually all photographed from the stalls and there is even a final reprise where the principal actors and chorus come on stage for a final bow as if they were in the theatre. The sound is rather interesting.Clearly the cast and crew were not familiar with sound films.There seems to be a static mike because the actors often seem to be rather distant from the mike and thus quieter than they should.There is one scene where the actors are trying to speak their dialogue above the din of an orchestra and fail miserably.Obviously no balance could be achieved on the sound at that time.Compare this though with "Blackmail"to see what could be achieved you are interested in early musicals or the British cinema this is a must for you.