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(More customer reviews)Applause is an important film in the history of the movies. It is one of the first talking pictures which really moves. Rather than using long static shots, Rouben Mamoulian directed the film in such a way that it is full of camera movement. Moreover the film uses interesting camera perspectives from above and below and is imaginatively edited. Many early talkies look like filmed stage plays and are often hard to enjoy. Applause is not only important it is also enjoyable. This is because Mamoulian uses his imaginative direction to tell a moving and involving story.
The film begins in the 1910s with burlesque star Kitty Darling (Helen Morgan) giving birth. She decides to send her daughter April to a convent. When April (Joan Peers) returns as an adult, she is pursued by Kitty's sleazy husband and against her will forced into the world of burlesque. Her mother is now a fading star and needs her, but she is repelled by the low class theatre lifestyle. April meets a clean-cut sailor and is faced with a choice, whether to go with him or remain with her mother in a job she hates. Mamoulian tells the story in a realistic way. Far from glamorising the dancing women, he accentuates all their flaws. He shows close-ups of women with gold teeth, unshapely legs and rumpled stockings. The dancing in the film is often mediocre as if Mamoulian is intent on showing that these women are just going through the motions; that they are dancing only because they need the money. Applause is not like later musicals where everyone sings and dances perfectly. It portrays the bottom rung of the entertainment ladder and tries to portray it accurately with all its faults.
The acting in Applause is on the whole very good. There are some scenes where the acting is rather stiff and stilted, but generally the performances are naturalistic. Helen Morgan does well as the aging Kitty. Hers is a courageous performance, sympathetic and moving. It is great to have the chance to hear the legendary Broadway star sing her signature tune "What Wouldn't I do for that Man?" Joan Peers is delightful. Her romantic scenes are sincere and believable. Her sweet, shy performance is one of the highlights of the film.
The print on the Kino DVD is very good. It seems to be complete and has only a few tiny scratches and nicks. The photography is clear and sharp with good image detail. Unfortunately the soundtrack is much less good. The problem is not so much with hiss and crackle as that the sound is at times indistinct. It is often, especially at the start of the film, difficult to hear all the dialogue. It is a pity that the sound quality is rather poor, but the story is never hard to follow and the film remains wonderfully enjoyable. The DVD has a good number of extras, including some clips of Morgan singing and galleries of production stills and promotional material. It should be enjoyed by anyone who is interested in early sound film and the beginnings of the movie musical.
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