Footlight Parade

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Footlight Parade is yet another 1933 Warner Bros. musical featuring songs by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, though this time the songs were divided between them and Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal. It stars James Cagney as stage musical director Chester Kent, Joan Blondell as his long-suffering secretary Nan Prescott, and Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell as some of his cast members. In a failing business, they try to find success creating live musical numbers to be shown as "prologues" to main features in movie theaters.

This is, of course, all just an excuse for big Busby Berkeley Numbers.

Footlight Parade was added to the National Film Registry in 1992.

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Tropes used in Footlight Parade include:

• Busby Berkeley Number: the movie's raison d'etre.
• Girl Friday: Nan to Chester Kent.
• The Glasses Gotta Go: if Ruby Keeler wants to be a showgirl.
• Gold Digger: The optimistically named Vivian Rich.
• It Will Never Catch On: "Aw, talking pictures, it's just a fad."
• Last-Second Word Swap: "I know Miss B- Rich, if you remember."
• Me Love You Long Time: The "Shanghai Lil" number.
• The Mole
• Sassy Secretary: Nan Prescott.
• Smithical Marriage: en masse, in the "Honeymoon Hotel" number.