kbratk Previous reviewers have hit the high spots in summarizing this 1930s musical from MGM. Lots of criticism has been thrown at the perceived inadequacies of the music and dance aspects of the movie. Yes, when looking at it through today's eyes, it looks dated, simplistic, and fairly unpolished. But the higher standards of the coming years hadn't arrived yet, so let's give this a break! Indeed the dance numbers could have been better rehearsed. If one looks closely, the footwork in the production numbers, while lacking Astaire/Rogers-like precision, is still pretty close. Where the real problems come are in the areas of arm, hand, head, and other body motions. It looks like those aspects of performance were never discussed with the cast, so the resulting dances look sloppy. But this was a step in the process of giving us the higher-level musical that some of us love so very much! Watch this film when you get the chance and enjoy this chapter in the development of an All-American art form!

John Roberts "Children of Pleasure" is a 1930 curio turning up on TCM. The film is a very minor early MGM musical you can label low budget B picture. However, any MGM B looks first class compared to Poverty Row cheapies. "Children of Pleasure" arrived during the first wave of sound musicals and isn't as stodgy and crude as other musicals of the time period. In fact, there's a slight hint of how musicals would evolve in a few years hence under Busby Berkeley.The film is pre-code but the only risqué thing is the title. Story is simple and basic. Songs are forgettable. The actors are long forgotten names never achieving any kind of notable stardom. Songwriters and choreographer don't ring a bell. Director Harry Beaumont was a prominent name in silents and directed MGM's first sound musical "The Broadway Melody" (1929) winning a Best Picture Oscar.Danny (Lawrence Gray) is a hot shot songwriter. Partner Emma (Wynne Gibson) loves Danny who only has eyes for spoiled heiress Pat (Helen Johnson). Will Danny end up with Pat or Emma? That's a pretty thin storyline serving as framework for several production numbers, Gray at the piano singing songs and Jewish schtick by comedian Benny Rubin.There are delights to be found in "Children of Pleasure." Yes, that's a not yet really famous Jack Benny in a cameo. Also Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards. The music has the real deal syncopation bounce never successfully imitated in later films set in this era. Some nice chorus girl line tapping. The politically correct police will demand the film be destroyed for its black face line of tappers.The pleasure in viewing even a film this obscure lies in details. The sleek women with marcelled hair wearing great fashion. Gibson wears a dress that flows with her movement during her number. Set decoration is littered with art deco design showing on chairs and piano and distinct art deco objects.

dogwater-1 Lawrence Gray plays Danny Regan, composer of popular love songs. The shy sort who can only express himself through syrup and corn in his music. He falls hard for a beautiful society blonde who has been through most of the eligible men on Broadway, but Danny offers the convenience of "all I have to do is push a button and I get a love song"., which is enough to impress her family and friends. Wynne Gibson plays the loyal gal Friday who loves him and May Boley is Fanny Kaye, Broadway star. Why she is a star is not amply shown by the two numbers she's in or, really any of the scenes. Benny Rubin is her piano player and perhaps boyfriend who makes cruel jokes about her which are supposed to be funny, but aren't. Most of the musical numbers look under-rehearsed, particularly a black face routine early on with Boley. Judith Wood or Helen Johnson, as she is billed here is the Park Ave. mankiller who causes all the trouble and gives a very interestingly terrible performance. Most of the cast went on with their lives, but not with their careers, except Rubin, of course. Still, even though this film is bad, bad, bad. Its fun, fun, fun.

atlasmb Released in 1930--soon after the advent of talkies--"Children of Pleasure" must have been one of the earliest musicals. But it is not a musical as we know them now, where characters break out in song to express their emotions. Reveling in the possibilities of sound, the talkies were often stories about stage productions or nightclub venues, allowing production numbers, which pretty much stop the storyline. This film has those staged numbers, but since the main character, Danny Regan (Lawrence Gray) is a songwriter, and a guy who communicates better with his girlfriend when he sings to her, various songs become expressions of his love.The object of his affection is Patricia Thayer (Judith Wood), a socialite backed by family money. She uses and throws away boyfriends like chewing gum. When Emma (Wynne Gibson), Danny's friend and coworker sees him falling for Pat, she is concerned for him, but wants him to be happy. Pat eventually agrees to marry Danny. On the night of the wedding rehearsal, Danny overhears something that makes him second guess his decision to marry Pat. The sound quality of the film is sometimes fuzzy, sometimes excellent--what you might expect of a film from 1930. The storyline is fairly good until the ending, when instead of showing us what transpires, the film has a character tell us what happened. This also results in a jarring close to the film. The musical (and dance) numbers are typical for the era. Lots of "gee whiz" lyrics and shuffling. But the songs are not bad. One song Danny sings, titled "The Whole Darn Thing's For You" is charming.The entire cast feels like it was picked right out of vaudeville and the borscht circuit. So some of the humor is clever, some feels amateurish by today's standards. But I liked most of the characters. I particularly liked the acting/singing/comedy of Wynne Gibson.