The Show of Shows

2h 8min

Music

Now hear this. The studio that gave the cinema its voice offered 1929 audiences a chance to see and hear multiple silent-screen favorites for the first time in a gaudy, grandiose music-comedy-novelty revue that also included Talkie stars, Broadway luminaries and of course, Rin-Tin-Tin. Frank Fay hosts a jamboree that, among its 70+ stars, features bicyclers, boxing champ Georges Carpentier, chorines in terpsichore kickery, sister acts, Myrna Loy in two-strip Technicolor as an exotic Far East beauty, John Barrymore in a Shakespearean soliloquy (adding an on-screen voice to his legendary profile for the first time) and Winnie Lightner famously warbling the joys of Singing in the Bathtub. Watch, rinse, repeat!

Production Companies

The Vitaphone Corporation

Warner Bros. Pictures

Cast

Frank Fay

Frank Fay

Master of Ceremonies
Lloyd Hamilton

Lloyd Hamilton

Hansom Cabby in "What Became of the Floradora Boys" number" / (segment "Recitations") / Soldier (segment "Rifle Execution")
Lupino Lane

Lupino Lane

Street Cleaner in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' Number / 'Tramp' Ballet
Ben Turpin

Ben Turpin

Waiter in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' Number
Sally O'Neil

Sally O'Neil

Performer in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' & 'Meet My Sister' Numbers
Alice Day

Alice Day

Performer in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' & 'Meet My Sister' Numbers
Patsy Ruth Miller

Patsy Ruth Miller

Performer in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' & 'If I Could Learn to Love' Numbers
Marian Nixon

Marian Nixon

Performer in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' Number
Lila Lee

Lila Lee

Performer in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' Number
Myrna Loy

Myrna Loy

Performer in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' & 'Chinese Fantasy' Numbers
Chester Morris

Chester Morris

Performer in $20 Bet Sketch and 'Bicycle Built for Two' Numbers
Jack Mulhall

Jack Mulhall

Performer in '$20 Bet' Sketch and 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number
Sôjin Kamiyama

Sôjin Kamiyama

Performer in '$20 Bet' Sketch (as Sojin)
Ted Lewis

Ted Lewis

Performer in 'The Pirate' Number
Winnie Lightner

Winnie Lightner

Performer in 'Pingo Pongo' & 'Singing in the Bathtub' Numbers
Nick Lucas

Nick Lucas

Lady Luck Solo for 'The Only Song I Know' & 'Chinese Fantasy' Numbers
Dolores Costello

Dolores Costello

Performer in 'Meet My Sister' Number
Helene Costello

Helene Costello

Performer in 'Meet My Sister' Number
Molly O'Day

Molly O'Day

Performer in 'Meet My Sister' Number
Marceline Day

Marceline Day

Performer in 'Meet My Sister' Number
Sally Blane

Sally Blane

Performer in 'Meet My Sister' Number
Loretta Young

Loretta Young

Performer in 'Meet My Sister' Number
Armida

Armida

Performer in 'Meet My Sister' Number (as Mimi Vendrell)
Lolita Vendrell

Lolita Vendrell

Performer in 'Meet My Sister' Number (as Lola Vendrell)
Marion Byron

Marion Byron

Performer in 'Meet My Sister' Number
Ann Sothern

Ann Sothern

Performer in 'Meet My Sister' & 'Bicycle Built for Two' Numbers (as Harriet Lake)
Alberta Vaughn

Alberta Vaughn

Performer in 'Meet My Sister' Number
Ada Mae Vaughn

Ada Mae Vaughn

Performer in 'Meet My Sister' Number
Viola Dana

Viola Dana

Performer in 'The Pirate,' 'Meet My Sister' & 'Ladies of the Ensemble' Numbers
Shirley Mason

Shirley Mason

Performer in 'Meet My Sister' & 'Ladies of the Ensemble' Numbers
Irène Bordoni

Irène Bordoni

Performer in 'Just for One Hour of Love' Number
Rin-Tin-Tin

Rin-Tin-Tin

'Chinese Fantasty' Presenter
Sid Silvers

Sid Silvers

Al Jolson Impersonator / Introducing Larry Ceballos Black and White Girls Number
Harry Akst

Harry Akst

Pianist Accompanying Irene Bordoni
Johnny Arthur

Johnny Arthur

Hero - Performer in 'The Pirate' (uncredited)
Mary Astor

Mary Astor

Performer in 'The Pirate' Number (uncredited)
William Bakewell

William Bakewell

Performer in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited)
John Barrymore

John Barrymore

Richard III in 'Henry VI Part III' (uncredited)
Richard Barthelmess

Richard Barthelmess

Meet My Sister Presenter (uncredited)
Noah Beery

Noah Beery

Performer in "The Pirate" Number / Soldier (segment "Rifle Execution") (uncredited)
Monte Blue

Monte Blue

Condemned Man (segment "Rifle Execution") (uncredited)
Hobart Bosworth

Hobart Bosworth

Executioner - Guillotine Sequence (uncredited)
Jack Buchanan

Jack Buchanan

Jack (uncredited)
Joseph A. Burke

Joseph A. Burke

Joe Burke (as Joe Burke) (uncredited)
Georges Carpentier

Georges Carpentier

Boulevardier in 'If I Could Learn to Love' Number (uncredited)
Ethlyne Clair

Ethlyne Clair

Performer in 'Ladies of the Ensemble' Number (uncredited)
James Clemens

James Clemens

Performer (as Jimmy Clemons) (uncredited)
Ruth Clifford

Ruth Clifford

Performer in 'Ladies of the Ensemble' Number (uncredited)
William Collier Jr.

William Collier Jr.

Performer in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited)
Betty Compson

Betty Compson

Performer in 'The Pirate Number' & 'Lady Luck' Numbers (uncredited)
Chester Conklin

Chester Conklin

Traffic Cop in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin

Heinie Conklin

Ice Man in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' Number (uncredited)
William Courtenay

William Courtenay

The Minister - Guillotine Sequence (uncredited)
Jack Curtis

Jack Curtis

Performer in 'The Pirate' Number (uncredited)
Sally Eilers

Sally Eilers

Performer in 'Ladies of the Ensemble' Number (uncredited)
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

Ambrose in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited)
Louise Fazenda

Louise Fazenda

'Recitations' Sketch (uncredited)
Frances Lee

Frances Lee

Performer in 'Ladies of the Ensemble' Number (uncredited)
Beatrice Lillie

Beatrice Lillie

Performer in 'Recitations' Number (uncredited)
Jacqueline Logan

Jacqueline Logan

Performer in 'The Pirate' & 'Bicycle Built for Two' Numbers (uncredited)
Tully Marshall

Tully Marshall

Performer in "The Pirate" / Soldier (segment "Rifle Execution") (uncredited)
Edna Murphy

Edna Murphy

Performer in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited)
Carmel Myers

Carmel Myers

Performer in 'Ladies of the Ensemble' Number (uncredited)
Gertrude Olmstead

Gertrude Olmstead

Performer in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited)
H.B. Warner

H.B. Warner

The Victim - Guillotine Sequence (uncredited)
Alice White

Alice White

Performer in 'If I Could Learn to Love' Number (uncredited)
Lois Wilson

Lois Wilson

Performer in 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number (uncredited)
Grant Withers

Grant Withers

Performer in 'Bicycle Built for Two Number (uncredited)

Release date

21st Nov 1929

Status

Released

Spoken languages

English