Prolific actor/director Irving Cummings had past form with biopics and big musical extravaganzas and was also used to helming vehicles for big female stars such as Betty Grable, Shirley Temple and the leading lady here, Alice Faye. This is a lavish, big budget affair but a highly sanitised account of American songstress and actress Lillian Russell's life. She is depicted here as nothing short of a saint and though one wouldn't wish a hatchet job, it stops her from being a fully rounded, complex human being. That's not to say that Faye is bad, the fact we buy into this saintliness, shows how magnetic her presence is. Director Cummings marshalls a superb cast and does just enough with the musical segments without over egging the pudding. There are too many good performances for me to list them all here but in the main cast Henry Fonda is wonderfully earnest and Edward Arnold wonderfully hearty as two of her suitors, Helen Westley brings cheekiness and twinkle to Russell's grandmother and Leo Carillo is charismatic as the man who 'discovers' her and gives her her stage name. The support is no less good with Weber & Fields appearing as themselves and Eddie Foy Jr playing his own father in thoroughly enjoyable music hall skits (even though we don't really need them!). Una O'Connor also pops up and gives warmth to her role as a maid and finally, Nigel Bruce and Claud Allister are great fun as a bickering Gilbert & Sullivan who put you in mind of Waldorf & Statler! Bruce is on particularly good form, cantakerous but still loveable and funny. The duo have three short scenes and it is a pity we don't see more of them. Recommended viewing then but look elsewhere if ou want the true story!
Review of Lillian Russell
