''Puttin' On the Ritz'' is a 1930 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship gui ...

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...

directed by

Edward Sloman Edward Sloman (19 July 1883, London - 29 September 1972, Woodland Hills, California) was an England, English silent film Film director, director, actor, screenwriter and radio broadcaster. He directed over 100 films and starred in over 30 fi ...

and starring

Harry Richman Harry Richman (born Henry Reichman Jr.; August 10, 1895 – November 3, 1972) was an American singer, actor, dancer, comedian, pianist, songwriter, bandleader, and nightclub performer, at his most popular in the 1920s and 1930s. In his peak yea ...

Joan Bennett Joan Geraldine Bennett (February 27, 1910 – December 7, 1990) was an American stage, film, and television actress, one of three acting sisters from a show-business family. Beginning her career on the stage, Bennett appeared in more than 70 fil ...

, and

James Gleason James Austin Gleason (May 23, 1882 – April 12, 1959) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter born in New York City. Gleason often portrayed "tough-talking, world-weary guys with a secret heart-of-gold." Early life Gleason was ...

. The screenplay was written by Gleason and William K. Wells based on a story by John W. Considine Jr. It was the first of many films to feature the popular song " Puttin' On the Ritz", which was written and published by

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Isidore Beilin; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-born American composer and songwriter. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Berlin received numerous honors including an Acade ...

in 1929.

Plot

Harry Raymond and his friend Jim Tierney work as song promoters for a music publisher. Harry pesters his boss to put out a song he's written with showgirl Dolores Fenton and the boss, irritated, fires him. Loyal friend Jim quits his job in solidarity. Harry and Jim then team up with Dolores and her friend Goldie to work up an act. Harry and Dolores become a Broadway sensation with their number "With You". They fall in love and get engaged, but as his fame grows, success goes to Harry's head. He spurns his old friends in favor of socializing with the upper crust. He becomes drunk and snubs Goldie and Jim at a Christmas party. Dolores leaves him. Harry consumes bad liquor and is struck blind. Jim stands by his old friend, but Harry makes him promise not to tell Dolores about his blindness. Time passes, and Jim persuades Harry to accompany him to the opening of a new musical show starring Dolores. At the curtain call, the audience insists she sing the hit "With You". Midway through the song she falters, and Harry joins in from the audience. He tries to leave quickly after, but Dolores follows, and they are reunited.

Cast

as Harry Raymond *

as Dolores Fenton *

as James 'Jimmy' Tierney * Aileen Pringle as Mrs. Teddy Von Rennsler *

Lilyan Tashman Lilyan Tashman (October 23, 1896 – March 21, 1934) was an American stage, silent film, and sound film actress. Early life Born Lillian Tashman in 1896 in Brooklyn, New York to a Jewish family, Tashman was the youngest of eight children, bor ...

as Goldie Devere *

Purnell Pratt Purnell Pratt (October 20, 1885 – July 25, 1941) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1914 and 1941. He was born in Bethel, Illinois and died in Hollywood, California. Pratt spent more than a year in Fra ...

as George Barnes *

Richard Tucker Richard Tucker (August 28, 1913January 8, 1975) was an American operatic tenor and cantor. Long associated with the Metropolitan Opera, Tucker's career was primarily centered in the United States. Early life Tucker was born Rivn (Rubin) Ticker ...

as Fenway Brooks *

Eddie Kane Eddie Kane (August 12, 1889 – April 30, 1969) was an American actor who appeared in over 250 productions from 1928 to 1959. Biography Kane was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His early career was in vaudeville as a member of the two-man te ...

as Bob Wagner * George Irving as Dr. Blair * Sidney Franklin as Schmidt

Preservation

All current prints derive from a 1940s re-release print that was censored for

content and cut down by about twenty minutes. The title cards at the start and end of the film have also been edited and altered. ''Puttin' On the Ritz'' was originally shot with two-color

Technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...

sequences, but today those sequences partially survive only in black and white.

References

External links

* 1930 films 1930s musical drama films 1930s color films American musical drama films Films scored by Irving Berlin Films directed by Edward Sloman United Artists films 1930 drama films 1930s American films {{musical-drama-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Preservation

See also

References

External links