''Footlights and Fools'' is a 1929 American

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 ...

film directed by

William A. Seiter William Alfred Seiter (June 10, 1890 – July 26, 1964) was an American film director. Life and career Seiter was born in New York City. After attending Hudson River Military Academy, Seiter broke into films in 1915 as a bit player at Mack Senne ...

that was billed by

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

as an all-talking

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the 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 serve merely as breaks ...

and released in

Vitaphone Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone was the last major analog sound-on-disc system and the only one th ...

with

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

sequences.

Plot

Moore plays the "dual" role of a French singer in America who was originally an American chorus girl in France to acquire a new persona.

Cast

* Colleen Moore as Betty Murphy / Fifi D'Auray *

Raymond Hackett Raymond Hackett (July 15, 1902 – July 7, 1958) was a stage and screen actor. He had been a child actor on the Broadway stage and was the brother of Albert Hackett. He was born in New York City the son of Maurice Hackett and Florence Hackett (n ...

as Jimmy Willet *

Fredric March Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated, versatile stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, ...

as Gregory Pyne *

Virginia Lee Corbin Virginia Lee Corbin (December 5, 1910 – June 4, 1942) was an American silent film actress. Early years Corbin was born Laverne Virginia Corbin in Prescott, Arizona to Leon Ernest Corbin and Virginia Frances (Cox) Corbin, and she had a siste ...

as Claire Floyd *

Mickey Bennett Michael Richard Bennett (born 27 August 1969) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger. During his career, he made over 150 appearances in the Football League. Since his retirement from playing, Bennett has become inv ...

as Call boy *

Edward Martindel Edward Martindel (July 8, 1876 – May 4, 1955) was an American stage and film actor who appeared on Broadway and in more than 80 films between 1915 and 1946. Born in Hamilton, Ohio, he was the son of Dr. and Mrs. Frank Martindell. His si ...

as Chandler Cunnungham * Adrienne D'Ambricourt as Jo *Fred Howard as Treasurer (credited as Frederick Howard) *Sydney Jarvis as Stage manager *Cleve Moore as Press agent *Andy Rice Jr. as Song plugger *Ben Hendricks Jr. as Stage doorman *Larry Banthim as Bud Burke *

Earl Bartlett Earl Elburn "Cowboy" Bartlett (December 16, 1908 – January 1987) was a professional American football halfback in the National Football League. He was born in Purcell, Oklahoma. He played college football at Centre College Centre College ...

as Trio Leader (uncredited) *

Nora Cecil Nora Cecil (September 26, 1878 – May 1, 1951) was an English-born American actress whose 30-year career spanned both the silent and sound film eras. Career Stage Cecil's career began on the stage, when she debuted in London at age 19 ...

(uncredited)

Production background

This film was Moore's fourth film under her contract signed February 28, 1929. It followed ''

Smiling Irish Eyes ''Smiling Irish Eyes'' (1929) is a Vitaphone American pre-Code musical film with Technicolor sequences. The film is now considered a lost film. However, the Vitaphone discs still exist. Plot Rory O'More leaves his sweetheart Kathleen O'Connor ba ...

'', also with Moore and directed by Seiter.

Preservation status

This is considered a

lost film A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress. Conditions During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy o ...

with only the

disks existing.

Soundtrack

* "If I Can't Have You (If You Can't Have Me)" :Lyric by Al Bryan :Music by George W. Meyer :Copyright 1929 by Remick Music Corporation * "You Can't Believe My Eyes" :Lyric by Al Bryan :Music by George W. Meyer :Copyright 1929 by Remick Music Corporation * "Ophelia Will Fool You" :Lyric by Al Bryan :Music by George W. Meyer :Copyright 1929 by Remick Music Corporation * "Pilly Pom Pom Plee" :Lyric by Al Bryan :Music by George W. Meyer :Copyright 1929 by Remick Music Corporation

Footnotes

*Jeff Codori (2012), ''Colleen Moore; A Biography of the Silent Film Star''
McFarland Publishing
(Print , EBook ).

External links

*
''Footlights and Fools'' at TCM Database

Answers.com
1929 films 1920s color films 1929 lost films First National Pictures films Lost American films Films directed by William A. Seiter American black-and-white films American musical drama films 1920s musical drama films Lost drama films 1929 drama films 1920s American films 1920s English-language films {{musical-drama-film-stub