The Big Revue

This short subject from 1929 is primarily interesting to a film buff because it is the first film appearance of Judy Garland. She was one of the Gumm Sisters at this point.

How is the film itself? Well, the print has all the problems of a multi-generational dupe, but it is a chorus show of young girls -- looks like about twenty of them -- dancing to some decent 1920s stage choreography. The camera-work is pretty good for a 1929 sound picture, with a couple of camera pans and the cutting is handled pretty well to show off the acts at appropriate distances. The chorus dance is in a middle long distance and the Gumm sisters have their act shot in medium and medium short distance.

I'm pretty sure the problems with the dupy look of the print could be fixed in a computer; they keep getting more and more clever about such things. Certainly the sound track can be cleaned up. I hope some one tries.