This week’s mystery movie was the 1934 Warner Bros. film Fashions, with William Powell, Bette Davis, Frank McHugh, Hugh Herbert, Verree Teasdale, Reginald Owen, Henry O’Neill, Phillip Reed, Gordon Westcott, Dorothy Burgess, Etienne Giradot, William Burress, Nella Walker, Spencer Charters, George Humbert, Frank Darien and Harry Beresford.
Directed by William Dieterle.
Numbers created and directed by Busby Berkeley.
Screenplay by F. Hugh Herbert and Carl Erickson.
Story by Harry Collins and Warren Duff.
Music and lyrics by Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal.
Dialogue director Stanley Logan.
Gowns created by Orry-Kelly.
Edited by Jack Killifer.
Art direction by Jack Okey and Willy Pogany.
Photographed by William Rees.
Vitaphone Orchestra conducted by Leo F. Forbstein.
Further information on Fashions of 1934 is available from the AFI Catalog.
Fashions of 1934 is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
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I picked Fashions because it’s the movie with the harp girls. It’s an extremely racy pre-Code as it deals with fashion and features women in and out of their clothes. Notice that Harrison’s Reports says it’s unsuitable for children, adolescents and Sunday. There is also the Girl/Harp sequence.
I suspect The New York Times (Mordaunt Hall? Andre Sennwald?) did not approve of such goings-on.
Well! It’s reviewed by the previously unknown “alphabet critic” M.H. (January 20, 1934):
It is a brisk show that has come to the screen of the Hollywood Theatre under the tag of Fashions of 1934. The story is lively, the gowns are interesting and the Busby Berkeley spectacles with Hollywood dancing girls are impressive. Instead of the stereotyped narrative about the enchantress who becomes an overnight queen of the Broadway stage, there is in this film something original, for it is concerned with a scamp who either copies the latest Parisian sartorial creations or invents others and disposes of them in America as the latest models from various Rue de la Paix concerns.
The Girl/Harp dream sequence in Fashions of 1934.
For Monday, we have some Back of the Head Persons.
Update: This is William Powell and Bette Davis.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Sam McDaniel.
Brain Trust roll call: Funky PhD (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Greg (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Suz N Chaz (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Boebert (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Sylvia (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Allie (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy), Megan and Thom (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy) and Mary Mallory (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious woman.
Update: This is Dorothy Burgess.
We also have a mysterious fellow in a mystery costume.
Update: This is Hugh Herbert.
Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (Tuesday’s mysterious porter), Stacia (mystery movie, Monday’s Back of the Head Persons and Tuesday’s porter), Mary Mallory (mystery movie, Monday’s Back of the Head Persons and Tuesday’s mysterious porter), B.J. Merholz (Monday’s Back of the Head Guy and Tuesday’s mysterious porter), Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mysterious porter), Benito (Tuesday’s mystery porter) and Sylvia (mystery movie, Monday’s Back of the Head Persons and Tuesday’s mysterious porter).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious woman.
Update: This is Verree Teasdale.
We also have two mysterious fellows who seem to be having a very good time!
Update: This is Frank McHugh, left, and Adrian Rosley.
Brain Trust roll call: Greg (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery guests), Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Stacia (Wednesday’s mystery guests), L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast), Chrisbo (mystery movie, all mystery guests), Anne Papineau (mystery movie Monday’s and Wednesday’s mysterious guests), B.J. Merholz (Wednesday’s mysterious fellow), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie, Monday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Monday’s and Wednesday’s mysterious guests), Suz N Chaz (mystery movie, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mysterious gents), Sylvia (Wednesday’s mystery guests) and Megan and Thom (mystery movie, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mysterious guests).
For Friday, we have our mysterious leading man and enigmatic leading lady.
Update: This is Bette Davis and William Powell.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery woman and mysterious man No. 1), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery guests), Chrisbo (Thursday’s mystery woman and mysterious man No. 1), Dan Nather (mystery movie, Monday’s, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests and Thursday’s mystery woman and mysterious man No. 1), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery woman and mysterious man No. 1), Sylvia (Thursday’s mystery guests), Benito (Wednesday’s mystery man) and B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery man).
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William Powell and Jean Arthur in The Canary Murder Case?
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Is the Back of the Head Guy possibly, by some chance, William Powell?
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William Powell and Jean Arthur in “The Ex-Mrs. Bradford” from 1936?
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I’m going to guess William Powell. Love that lamp, BTW.
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Another “Monday, just for grins” guess.
BOTHG looks like William Powell.
If it is, maybe BOTHW is Carole Lombard.
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William Powell?
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Is William Powell our guest?
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Franklin Pangborn?
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Wild guess: Robert Taylor and Jean Harlow in “Personal Property.”
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STAR OF MIDNIGHT. William Powell and Ginger Rogers.
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Sam McDaniel on Tuesday
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This must be FASHIONS OF 1934, I wasn’t sure because Monday’s Back of the Head Guy didn’t look tall enough to be William Powell and Bette Davis’s hair didn’t look shellacked enough (seriously, between the wig and the false eyelashes, Warner Bros. stylists really did Bette dirty on this film), but Tuesday must be Sam McDaniel, so this must be FASHIONS.
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Evelyn Prentice. Powell and unauthorized Merkel Monday, sam McDaniel today.
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fashions of 1934. Powell and Bette Davis Monday, Sam McDaniel today.
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Sam McDaniel. Yesterday’s comment seems unacknowledged.
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Word Press log in is confusing me.
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Trying Monday’s comment, for what it’s worth, from another computer: Carole Lombard getting away from her man William.
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Sam McDaniel.
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Sam McDaniel, aka Hattie’s bro, today
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I think Tuesday’s porter is Sam McDaniel. So have a choice of several movies with him and Powell. I hope it’s this one so that maybe you’ll show a bit of that ostrich feather number.
“Fashions of 1934” (1934)
Mon – Powell as BOTHG and Bette Davis as BOTHW
Tues – Sam McDaniel
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Wednesday is Hugh Herbert and Dorothy Burgess in Fashions of 1934.
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Dorothy BurHerbert. Woo hoo! Hugh herbert.
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I wondered when Hugh Herbert would show up! The man drove me crazy in every movie I saw him in, yet I was an early defender of the Hugh Herbert vehicle Sh! The Octopus (1937). I’m tough but fair.
The lovely lady on Wednesday is Dorothy Burgess, I believe.
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Fashions of 1934 w/William Powell, Bette Davis, Hugh Herbert, Verree Teasdale, Frank McHugh, Reginald Owen, Henry O’Neill, Sam McDaniel…
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Hugh Herbert, Fashions of 1934?
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“Fashions of 1934” featuring William Powell and Bette Davis as back of the head persons, Dorothy Burgess and Hugh Herbert.
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Hugh Herbert in an (un)fashionable tribute to Giorgio Armani.
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Dorothy Burgess and Hugh Herbert in “Fashions of 1934”, with William Powell and Bette Davis as Monday’s back of the head persons
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Dorothy Burgess and Hugh Herbert and William Powell and Bette Davis in FASHIONS OF 1934.
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Sam McDaniel, Hugh Herbert in “Fashions of 1934″….sorry, don’t recognize the lady with the mole.
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Wed – Dorothy Burgess and Hugh Herbert
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also Willaim Powell and Bette Davis, Sam McDaniel, Dorothy Burgess
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Our movie is Fashions of 1934 with Hugh Herbert, Dorothy Burgess, and Sam McDaniel.
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Verree Teasdale, Frank McHugh, Hugh Herbwrt.
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On Thursday, Veree Teasdale, Frank NcHugh and Adrian Rosley
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Verree Teasdale, Frank McHugh
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FASHIONS OF 1934!
Monday — I’m guessing these are the leads, William Powell and Bette Davis.
Tuesday — Sam McDaniel
Wednesday — Dorothy Burgess and Hugh Herbert
Thursday — Verree Teasdale, Frank McHugh, and (I’m guessing) Leo White
Waiting to see the leads again tomorrow . . .
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Veeree Teasdale and Frank McHugh.
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Thur – Image 1) Verree Teasdale
Image 2) Frank McHugh and Adrian Rosley
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THE SINGING MARINE 1937. PS Hugh Herbert is a lousy feather dancer
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I guess Hugh Herbert’s wrap was not unfashionable in 1934.
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Bette and Bill.
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Thursday is Verree Teasedale! Frank McHugh is also on Thursday but I don’t know who the other guy is. Friday is William Powell and Bette Davis and Bette Davis’s terrible wig, which unfortunately often stole the scene in this movie.
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Bette and Bill.
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Aww. Friday shows Bette and Bill.
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Dammit! Foiled by a sequel.
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