Wonder Bar [VHS]

Wonder Bar [VHS]
by Lloyd Bacon

Wonder Bar [VHS]
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Product details

Actor: Al Jolson, Dick Powell, Dolores del Rio, Kay Francis, Ricardo Cortez
Director: Lloyd Bacon
Cinematographer: Sol Polito
Editor: George Amy
Writer: Earl Baldwin
Writer: Geza Herczeg
Writer: Karl Farkas
Writer: Robert Katscher
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Black & White, NTSC
Running Time: 84 minutes
Release Date: 1998-09-01
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: MGM (Warner)
Studio: MGM (Warner)

VHS Movie Reviews of Wonder Bar [VHS]

Movie Review: zany, outre, over the top
Summary: 3 Stars

t's interesting to see the wide variety ratings here instead of the usual Amazon five's and one's. It is not shocking although it is complex. It is like a three-ring circus with the antics occurring while the show goes on rather than an opera were the show illustrates the action. Three men love Delores del Rio, there is intrigue involving a bracelet hidden for insurance purposes, multiple breakups, two older men cheating on their wives who are trying to cheat on them (they were pretty free-wheeling and funny), a man whipping his girlfriend (they are dancing) as part of the show and non-stop action.There are pre-code references to adultery and homosexuality but those never should have been banned in the first place. Berkeley's choreography is terrific as always. The problem is that there is too much going on and the plot is hard to follow especially at this pace. Although I try to place the black-face number into historical context, I just can't tolerate it and it lasts around a third of the movie. Overall, I'm glad I watched it; very unusual but very flawed and strange and I didn't find myself identifying with any particular character. It all around amoral rather than immoral.

Movie Review: A pre-code classic that will never be on DVD
Summary: 4 Stars

This film was released on March 31, 1934, just three months before the production code began to be enforced. As such, it is a buffet of items one would never see on film again in the U.S. until the 1960's - adultery as comedy, gigilos, a pair of homosexuals dancing with Jolson making the remark "Boys will be Boys", a dancing act involving a woman being whipped, what amounts to house-sponsored prostitution to keep the Wonder Bar's male patrons amused, a suicide that everyone knows about in advance and nobody bothers to stop, and a murder that goes unpunished and even undetected for that matter. However, this film is much more than just a last hurrah for the pre-code years, and I found it quite enjoyable. It is an intersection of Grand Hotel, the world's greatest entertainer, Al Jolson, and that genius of choreography, Busby Berkeley, with plenty of action and snappy dialogue to keep things going.

Of course, it is very ironic that the one part of the film that leaves everyone shocked today is probably one of the few things that the Hays Office had no problem with - that infamous musical number "Going to Heaven on a Mule". It is exactly what you would expect when the over-the-top style of Busby Berkeley's choreography meets the minstrel tradition of Al Jolson's musical style. Every racial stereotype in the book is in this musical number, and it is probably the reason that this film will never be on DVD, although oddly enough it was on a laserdisc set of Jolson's films that came out as recently as 1993.

Movie Review: All Star Cast
Summary: 4 Stars

Wonder Bar is like Grand Hotel in a nightclub. It features many notable stars including Al Jolson, Ricardo Cortez, Dolores del Rio, Dick Powell, Kay Francis, and Guy Kibbee. It focuses on the love lives of each character; most mingle together and are rather complex. However, this is more of an exhibition of the actor's and their own personalities than an important film, but that makes the film fun since it has a great cast. It also features some extravagant musical numbers choreographed by the wonderful Busby Berkeley.

Al Jolson is the star of the show; he absolutely exudes personality in every step and really carries the film. Ricardo Cortez and the exotic Dolores del Rio carry on a tempestuous but tepid relationship but add nothing memorable. Dick Powell's part is small but his trademark boyish quality shines brightly. Kay Francis is adequate as an adultering society girl; her speech impediment is very cute. Guy Kibbee is a boisterous drunk as usual, and fun as usual.

The musical numbers are very fun to watch. They could never have been staged in the Wonder Bar, but they bring the audience to another world, something vital during The Great Depression. Berkeley plays with mirrors and beautiful girls to trick and astound the eye. The final number is a vehicle for Jolson; he dons blackface and dances to snappy jazz tunes in a black heaven. This number is filled with stereotypes like watermelon, mules, and shooting craps, but all of it is done in fun and was not meant to offend or discriminate.

Movie Review: Vulgar fun
Summary: 4 Stars

I'm not surprised how this movie really turns people off. That's why I love it. I have been this movie's biggest fan for years (I even bought the lovely original poster at auction).

The movie--one of the last Warner Bros pre-Code gems (mid-1934 marked the turning point)--runs over the course of one evening in a Paris nightclub. In that time we get: a murder, a suicide, a cover-up, adultery, homosexuality, intergenerational flirting, gold-digging, racism, 2 gigantic Busby Berkeley numbers, Kay Francis and Delores Del Rio standing around looking captivating, and some glamorous art deco sets. This has to be one of the wildest of all the pre-Code films, and certainly one of the "last straws" for the zealous censorship boards that soon got their way and started dictating what Americans could and could not see (hmmm...sound familiar?). If you know how to enjoy good trash when you see it, then you will find the film irresistible.

As for the racist "Goin To Heaven on A Mule" number: yes it is in outrageously poor taste, but considering the smut and indelicacy of the rest of the film, it hardly seems out of place.

Movie Review: It's A "Wonder" Anyone Goes Into This "Bar"!
Summary: 2 Stars

"Wonder Bar" is a place where nothing ever happens.

If you recall that was the tagline for the 1932 best picture Oscar winner "Grand Hotel", that's the movie where Greta Garbo wants to be alone.

"Wonder Bar" was a movie that tried to be another "Grand Hotel" only it is a major disappointment.

The film deals with very serious issues including suicide and premartial sex.

Like the 1932 film, "Wonder Bar" has its own all-star cast headed by Al Jolson (Al Wonder), Kay Francis (Liana Renaud), Dolores Del Rio (Inez), Dick Powell (Tommy), Guy Kibbee (Henry Simpson), and Hugh Herbert (Corey Pratt).

The story goes something like this (try to keep up!) Al is the owner of a very sought after club "Wonder Bar", he is also in love with Inez (Del Rio), but Inez loves Harry (Ricardo Cortez). Now we have Tommy (Powell) who works at the club, he too loves Inez, in fact, the two were an item before. Meanwhile Liane Renaud (Francis) is cheating on her husband with Harry! Henry Simpson (Kibbee) and Pratt (Herbert) have decided to take their wives to the club, but the two men keep flirting with much younger women. And finally there's Capt. Hugo Von Ferring, who has lost all of his money to the stock market, and has decided to do away with himself.

Now think, all of these stories aregoing on and it's all done to music! That was one fo the film's big mistakes.

I know what a lot of you are thinking. So what if a musical takes on serious subjects, just look at opera. And you are right, but, the difference is in opera the songs serve a purpose. They justify the characters feeling. In "Wonder Bar" the songs take away from the plot. They are two seperate things.

In "Grand Hotel" many of the same issues were dealth with, but, "Hotel" succeeds because it knew how to deal with its material.

The material in "Wonder Bar" cries out for drama. It is meant to be taken serious, but for some reason it was decided to go against the overtone of the material and turn it into a musical.

What does work in the film's favor is the suprising frankness of the script. Issues are dealth with head on. We know the captain wants to committ suicide. We know Liane has been cheating on her husband. We know what Kibbee and Herbert are up to. And in a turn of event that really surprised me Kibbee and Herbert's wives fo not take this lying down. They flirt with men as well, both wanting to achieve the same things.

I always thought the production code went into effect in 1933, but, I guess I was wrong, because I don't see how any of this could have gotten past.

"Wonder Bar" also has a disappointing ending. There doesn't seem to be a sense of a real "conclusion". We can't believe the actions some of these characters make. There are also missed comedic opportunities dealing with the Kibbee story-line.

Both Kibbee and his wife have agreed to meet someone at midnight, now each has to get the other to go to sleep, but the film never shows us scenes dealing with that. In the process they pass a good opportunity for some laughs.

The music in the film was by Harry Warren, one of the great composers of the times. Sadly the songs are not up to par with some of the other songs he wrote during the period such as "I Only Have Eyes For You", "Lullaby of Broadway", and "42nd Street". The best song in this film is "Why Do I Dream Those Dreams" the worst "Goin' To Heaven On A Mule", a perfect example of how the songs do not match the story-line, but insteadwas used as a showcase for Jolson.

"Wonder Bar" had the makings of a great film, it's sad to see how things went so badly.

Bottom-line: An unclever hybrid of drama and music. The story deserved to be taken serious instead comes second to the songs. Missed comedic opportunities don't help either. One big mess of a film.
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