''Roman Scandals'' is a 1933 American black-and-white

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

musical film starring

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences ...

, Ruth Etting,

Gloria Stuart Gloria Frances Stuart (born Gloria Stewart; July 4, 1910 September 26, 2010) was an American actress, visual artist, and activist. She was known for her roles in Pre-Code films, and garnered renewed fame late in life for her portrayal of Rose ...

, Edward Arnold and

David Manners David Joseph Manners (born Rauff de Ryther Duan Acklom; April 30, 1900 – December 23, 1998) was a Canadians, Canadian-American actor who plays Jonathan Harker, John Harker in Tod Browning's 1931 horror classic ''Dracula (1931 English-language ...

. It was directed by

Frank Tuttle Frank Wright Tuttle (August 6, 1892 – January 6, 1963) was a Hollywood film director and writer who directed films from 1922 (''The Cradle Buster'') to 1959 ('' Island of Lost Women''). Biography Frank Tuttle was educated at Yale Universi ...

. The film features a number of intricate production numbers choreographed by

Busby Berkeley Busby Berkeley (born Berkeley William Enos; November 29, 1895 – March 14, 1976) was an American film director and musical choreographer. Berkeley devised elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns. Berke ...

. The song " Keep Young and Beautiful" is from this film. In addition to the starring actors in the picture, the elaborate dance numbers are performed by the "

Goldwyn Girls The Goldwyn Girls were a musical stock company of female dancers employed by Samuel Goldwyn. Famous actresses, dancers, and models whose career included a stint in the Goldwyn Girls include Lucille Ball, Virginia Bruce, Claire Dodd, Paulette Go ...

" (who in this film include future stars such as

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Gold ...

Paulette Goddard Paulette Goddard (born Marion Levy; June 3, 1910 – April 23, 1990) was an American actress notable for her film career in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Born in Manhattan and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Goddard initially began her career ...

and

Barbara Pepper Barbara Pepper (born Marion Pepper; May 31, 1915 – July 18, 1969) was an American stage, television, radio, and film actress. She is best known as the first Doris Ziffel on the sitcom '' Green Acres''. Early life and career Marion Pepper ...

). The title of the film is a pun on Roman sandals.

Plot summary

Easily the best of Eddie Cantor's gargantuan musical comedies, ''Roman Scandals'' begins in the middle-America community of West Rome, Oklahoma, where Eddie (Cantor) is employed as a delivery boy. A self-styled authority of Ancient Roman history, Eddie bemoans the fact that the local shanty community is about to be wiped out by scheming politicians, certain that such an outrage could never have happened during Rome's Golden Days. After a blow to the head, Eddie wakes up in Imperial Rome, where he is sold on the slave auction block to good-natured tribune Josephus (

). Eddie soon discovers that the evil emperor Valerius ( Edward Arnold) is every bit a crook and grafter as the politicians in West Rome, and he intends to do something about it. He gets a job as food taster for Valerius—a none-too-secure position, inasmuch as the emperor's wife, Agrippa ( Veree Teasdale), is constantly trying to poison him—and does his best to smooth the path of romance for Josephus and recently captured princess Sylvia (

). Eddie's well-intentioned interference earns him a session in the torture chamber, but he escapes and commandeers a chariot. On the verge of capture, Eddie wakes to find himself in West Rome, OK again, where he quickly foils the modern-day despots and brings about a happy ending for all his friends.

Cast list

as Eddie/Oedipus *

The Goldwyn Girls The Goldwyn Girls were a musical stock company of female dancers employed by Samuel Goldwyn. Famous actresses, dancers, and models whose career included a stint in the Goldwyn Girls include Lucille Ball, Virginia Bruce, Claire Dodd, Paulette Godd ...

as Slave Girls * Ruth Etting as Olga *

as Princess Sylvia * Edward Arnold as Emperor Valerius *

as Josephus *

Verree Teasdale Verree Teasdale (March 15, 1903 – February 17, 1987) was an American actress born in Spokane, Washington. Early years A second cousin of Edith Wharton, Teasdale attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn and trained as a stage actr ...

as Empress Agrippa *

Alan Mowbray Alan Mowbray (born Alfred Ernest Allen; 18 August 1896 – 25 March 1969) was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood. Early life Mowbray was born in London, England. He served with distinction in the British Army in Wo ...

as Majordomo * Jack Rutherford as Manius *

Willard Robertson Willard Robertson (January 1, 1886 – April 5, 1948) was an American actor and writer. He appeared in more than 140 films between 1924 and 1948. He was born in Runnels, Texas, and died in Hollywood, California. Biography Robertson first ...

as Warren Finley Cooper *

Lee Kohlmar Lee Kohlmar (27 February 1873 – 14 May 1946) was a German film actor and director. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1916 and 1941. He also directed nine films between 1916 and 1921. He was born in Forth and died in Hollywood, Cali ...

as Storekeeper *

Harry Cording Hector William "Harry" Cording (26 April 1891 – 1 September 1954) was an English-American actor. He is perhaps best remembered for his roles in the films '' The Black Cat'' (1934) and ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938). Life and career ...

as Soldier (uncredited) * Francis Ford as Citizen (uncredited) *

Murdock MacQuarrie Murdock MacQuarrie (August 25, 1878 – August 20, 1942) was an American silent film actor and director. His name was also seen as Murdock McQuarrie. MacQuarrie was born in San Francisco, California, and attended school there. He was the ...

as Senator (uncredited)

Soundtrack

* "Build a Little Home" :Music by Harry Warren :Lyrics by Al Dubin :Performed by Eddie Cantor and chorus :Reprised by Eddie Cantor and chorus * "No More Love" :Music by Harry Warren :Lyrics by Al Dubin :Sung by Ruth Etting :Danced by chorus * "Keep Young and Beautiful" :Music by Harry Warren :Lyrics by Al Dubin :Performed by Eddie Cantor with chorus :Danced by chorus * "Put a Tax on Love" :Music by Harry Warren :Lyrics by Al Dubin :Sung by Eddie Cantor * "All of Me" :Music by Gerald Marks :Lyrics by Seymour Simons :Sung by Eddie Cantor * "Dinah" :Music by Harry Akst :Lyrics by Sam Lewis and Joe Young :Sung by Eddie Cantor * "Kickin' the Gong Around" :Music by Harold Arlen :Lyrics by Ted Koehler :Sung by Eddie Cantor * "Turkey in the Straw" :Traditional :Played in the opening scene

Critical response

*A written media review is located in ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' (UK), Vol. 1, Iss. 8, September 1934, (MG)

Reception

The film was one of United Artists' most popular films of the year.By D. W. (1934, Nov 25)
"TAKING A LOOK AT THE RECORD"
''New York Times'' Retrieved from ProQuest

References

External links

*

{{Frank Tuttle 1933 films 1933 musical films American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films Films scored by Alfred Newman Films directed by Frank Tuttle Films set in the Roman Empire Films set in the 3rd century Films set in the 4th century Samuel Goldwyn Productions films United Artists films American musical films 1930s American films