Pirate Party on Catalina Isle

Enchanting short from producer Louis Lewyn, who specialised in star-packed revues such as this one, Star Night at the Cocoanut Grove, Starlit Days at the Lido, all shot in ravishing 3-strip Technicolor in the mid-30s. Here we catch glimpses of Cary Grant, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn, etc, supposedly enjoying the pirate revue outside the St Catherine Hotal on Descanso Beach, Avalon. (I'm sure they were there but revealingly we never see the stars in the same frame as the acts and it's a safe bet that the revue was filmed separately and the star shots blended seamlessly in). It doesn't matter a jot though, it's all hugely enjoyable, with Chester Morris hamming it up as the Pirate Captain, abetted by his motley crew of Leon Errol, Sid Silvers and others whom you feel you should recognize but don't quite.

Nice to see Lee Tracy pop up briefly. This was two years after the notorious incident on the Mexican shoot of Viva Villa which saw him fired from MGM by an incandescent LB Mayer and quickly smuggled back to the US. (Let's just say it involved a hotel balcony, a passing Mexican military parade below, and a jaybird-naked and drunken Lee Tracy answering the urgent call of Nature. Please don't rain on my parade indeed! To sum up, a glimpse of Paradise, Hollywood-style. I give it a resounding 10!

If anyone is still seeing this, do you know if it was Mr. Rogers who also sang the Avalon song at the movies beginning title? Am thinking it must have been, the singer pronounced every word so clearly and had such a pleasant voice. I think this Mr. Rogers must have been a wonderful person, and so talented! Not only was he so lively and cheerful, but he played all those musical instruments! I read also that he was an flying instructor during the war. Really multi talented! Am sorry failed to write him a letter before he died to tell him how much he is admired in this house.

We have the Pirates Party on one of those disks that look like a 45rmp record. It is so clear, almost "HD," and in full color. Enjoyed it very much. I think also their version of We're in the money was even better than the one from the Warner Bros. movie.

Here is another of the Lou Lewyn shorts in which various Hollywood celebrities dress up and attend a party. Lewyn had been doing sort of short since he had come up with the first successful property for Harry Cohan's CBC Pictures. 1920 was the year, and the idea was SCREEN SNAPSHOTS. After five years of that series, he was gone from what had become Columbia Pictures. He spent the next 15 years producing this sort of picture. Here, Metro is footing the bill for Technicolor, and the MGM performers get most of the screen time, except for Charles 'Buddy' Rogers. He was married to Mary Pickford, and you didn't annoy her, nor William Randolph Hearst, which explains why Marion Davies get good billing.

Some nice pictures, and ok musical numbers like "Smooth Sailing" round this out pleasantly.

I've only seen portions of the film on You Tube but it's really kind of like Avalon was in those days, with movie stars, big bands and plenty of Chamber of Commerce summer festivals which encouraged locals & tourists alike to dress up and be pirates, hillbillies, babies or whatever the current theme suggested. It offers glimpses of the Great White Steamers, the mahogany speedboats and stately St. Catherine Hotel, all long gone from 2008 Catalina.

The film's Technicolor is gorgeous, the musical numbers bouncy and cheerful. I always liked Buddy Rogers' music, & Johnny Downs' dancing & singing was fun to watch. JD always played the young college-types without a peer, later coming back to Coronado, CA to host local children's TV programs in the 50-'60s. He had a warm kind heart & gentle manner; it showed in his work. Please watch this film or Pigskin Parade and see for yourself.

Among the earliest Technicolor films using the Three-Color process are a set of promotional films made in the mid-1930s. They all supposedly show the stars in their off hours hanging out at a nightclub sort of setting...during which various adequate acts entertain.

In this one, Chester Morris is the emcee and he introduces the acts and points out the movie stars. A few of the stars hanging out on this beachfront nightclub DURING THE DAY is Mickey Rooney, Errol Flynn, Leon Errol, Cary Grant and Randolph Scott*. Most of the acts aren't very good, but their rendition of "We're in the Money" is very catchy. The theme is pirates and the acts mostly sport Hollywood versions of pirate costumes.

This is the sort of film that would appeal to folks who adore old Hollywood. Otherwise, it will be tough going as the film does come off as very staged and silly.