And She Learned About Dames

A straight promotional short about the film "Dames." A woman (supposedly a schoolgirl, but certainly in her 20s) wins a "Miss Complexion" contest and goes to Hollywood to meet the cast of "Dames" as they "rehearse" (actual scenes from the film are used). She talks with some of the actors and Busby Berkeley. Interesting as an example of promotional material, but the story isn't much.

And She Learned About Dames (1934)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Warner short has a woman (Martha Merrill) winning a trip to Hollywood where she gets a tour of the studio by Lyle Talbot himself. Talbot takes the star struck beauty onto the set of DAMES where she meets Busby Berkeley and star Dick Powell. If you're a fan of DAMES then you might want to check this out as it turns out to be nothing more than a promotional piece. As such, I think the film does a good job at building up some hype for Warner's (then) upcoming movie. Merrill has a lot of charm even though her Hollywood career never took off. Talbot, Berkeley and Powell also do fine, if brief, work.

It was fortunate that I saw this immediately after seeing "Dames", as Turner Classic Movies showed it immediately after the film it had promoted. And, if you get the Busby Berkeley DVD set, you can also see it. Now this is NOT a must-see short film--it's simply a case of self-promotion that was aired in the weeks preceding the release of "Dames" in order to drum up interest in this rather ordinary Busby Berkeley musical.

The film begins with some ladies talking about the film "Dames" and how the film can give ladies a lot of tips about beauty and elegance. Seconds later, the unattractive lady listening in has apparently taken this advice and has won some sort of beauty contest. Then, Lyle Talbot takes the lady around the studio and talks about the upcoming movie. It culminates with her seeing her idol, Dick Powell, and getting 'souvenirs' to take home with her.

All in all, a harmless film that you don't need to see BUT which makes seeing "Dames" a bit more interesting.

Beautiful women ... as they will become as soon as they take off their glasses and get their hair marcelled ... enter a beauty contest. The reward will be a tour of the Warner Brothers studios, conducted by Lyle Talbot.

It's a promotional short to sell the audiences on seeing the newest WB musical, DAMES. Because of that, they keep running into actors from the movie, and Busby Berkeley. Hugh Herbert is a lot more coherent than his usual befuddled screen character; there's a brief clip from "I Only Have Eyes For You" and a scene between Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler.

Lyle Talbot would soon lose his contract with the Warner's and begin his long, slow plunge into Poverty Row.

One of the best movie trailers ever done in terms of the fact that it really made one want to plunk down a depression era dime to see the movie Dames. And She Learned About Dames even acquired a following its own.

Martha Merrill who graduated with honors from beauty school and being named Miss Complexion gets a tour of Warner Brothers courtesy of Lyle Talbot conducting the tour. She wants to meet her favorite movie star and of course she does meet Dick Powell of the piping tenor from Arkansas. It's a girl's dream come true.

We also get to meet the rest of the principal players from Dames and get to see the two famous numbers that come from the Harry Warren-Al Dubin score, the title song and I Only Have Eyes For You. After that some might argue you might not want to see the film.

A cut down version of one of Busby Berkeley's best extravaganzas from Warner Brothers. That's recommendation in and of itself.