Wonder Bar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wonder Bar | |
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| Directed by | Lloyd Bacon Busby Berkeley |
| Written by | Geza Herczeg, Karl Farkas |
| Starring | Al Jolson, Kay Francis, Dolores del Rio, Ricardo Cortez, Dick Powell, Guy Kibbee |
| Cinematography | Sol Polito |
| Editing by | George Amy |
| Distributed by | First National Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 1934 |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Wonder Bar is a 1934 movie adaptation of a Broadway musical of the same name directed by Lloyd Bacon with musical numbers created by Busby Berkeley. It stars Al Jolson, Kay Francis, Dolores del Rio, Ricardo Cortez, Dick Powell, Guy Kibbee, Ruth Donnelly, Hugh Herbert, Louise Fazenda, Hal LeRoy, Fifi D'Orsay, Merna Kennedy, Henry O'Neill, Robert Barrat, Henry Kolker, and Spencer Charters in the main roles. For its time, Wonder Bar was considered risqué, barely passing the US censoring board [1].
[edit] Story
The story of Wonder Bar is typical of many movies of the time, a formula where dozens of the greatest stars gathered together to make a musical bonanza, playing the characters personalities off of each other.
Wonder Bar is set in a Parisian nightclub, with the stars playing the ‘regulars’ to the club. The movie revolves around two main story points, a romance and a more serious conflict with death, and several minor plots. All of the stories are permeated from time to time by extravagant musical numbers. The more serious story revolves around Captain Von Ferring (Robert Barrat), a German military officer. Ferring has gambled on the stock market and lost, now broke after dozens of failed investments, and is now at the Wonder Bar to try and pull a one night stand before killing himself the following day. Al Wonder (Al Jolson) knows about Ferring’s plan.
Meanwhile, an elaborate romance is unfolding at the Wonder Bar. The bar’s central attraction is the Latin lounge dancing group led by Inez (Dolores del Rio). Al Wonder has a secret attraction to Inez. The love-line continues when it is revealed that Inez has a burning passion for Harry (Ricardo Cortez). However, Harry is two-timing it with Liane (Kay Francis), who is married to the famous French Banker Renaud (Henry Kolker). The story comes to a climax when Inez finds out that Harry and Liane plan to run away together and head to the United States. Inez, in a haze of jealousy, kills Harry.
Sub plots are much more light in nature. They involve several drunken rountines by two businessmen (Hobart Cavanaugh, who was uncredited, and Hugh Herbert) and Al Wonder’s various narration as emcee of the floor show and manager of the club.
[edit] Music and controversy
The various scenes of Wonder Bar are permeated by musical numbers which were designed and directed by Busby Berkeley. The music was first written for the Broadway stage by Geza Herczeg, Karl Farkas, and Robert Katscher, and was adapted for the big screen by Earl Baldwin. Most of the musical numbers were typically 1930s; big-band led by an entertaining band director (Al), with lavish costumes packed with showgirls (the trailers promised ‘over 250 of the world’s most beautiful women’). Two scenes stand above the rest. One was the blackface minstrel show finale, “Goin’ to Heaven on a Mule”, full with racial stereotypes. The other involved a handsome man asking a dancing couple if he could cut in. The female partner, expecting his attention, agreed, only to see him dance with her male partner. Jolson then flaps his wrist and says, "Boys will be boys! Woo!" This scene almost caused the Production Code to reject the film, and was featured in the 1995 documentary The Celluloid Closet.
[edit] External links
- Wonder Bar at the Internet Movie Database
- Wonder Bar at the TCM Movie Database
- Wonder Bar at Moviefone
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