Footlight Parade (BD)

Footlight Parade (BD)Footlight Parade is sheer cinematic joy. In this Depression era romp, a timid stenographer (Ruby Keeler) removes her glasses and wow! she's a star. A gee whiz tenor (Dick Powell) asserts his independence. Plucky chorines tap, greedy hangers on get their comeuppances, and an indefatigable producer dancer (James Cagney) and his Girl Friday (Joan Blondell) work showbiz miracles to stage live prologues for talkie houses to keep their company afloat during

Two cinema legends first stepped onto the sound stage here

aims to live by it

the composer whose life was the subject of the biopic Deep in My Heart

pitted against the brutal thugs of ruthless auto tycoon Peter Dellaplane (Craig T

Physician Carol Nelson (Kay Francis)

Humphrey Bogart portrays a champion of wayward boys in this social-conscience movie

) and new foes (Eight is Enough's Willie Aames taking up the "best frenemy" role previously enjoyed by Jodie Foster)

bad (including times the showman could scarcely rub two nickels together) and rarely lacking optimistic excess

If you like nifty '50s horror

clever battle-of-the-sexes banter and a handy way with a 7-iron

Good thing he has a livewire secretary with plenty of bureaucratic moxie to get him out of (but sometimes into) hot water

and Poison Ivy by artist Cameron Scott Davis