The Goldwyn Follies
The Goldwyn Follies

Movie spotlight

The Goldwyn Follies

1938
Movie
115 min
English

Movie producer chooses a simple girl to be "Miss Humanity" and to critically evalute his movies from the point of view of the ordinary person.

Insights

IMDb6.1/10
Director: George MarshallGenres: Musical, Comedy, Romance

Plot Summary

A movie producer, Oliver Farrell, is tasked with creating a new musical revue to save his studio from financial ruin. To do so, he decides to produce a show featuring talented individuals discovered through a nationwide talent search. Among the hopefuls are Laurel and Hardy, who end up unintentionally causing chaos and confusion during the production process. The film follows the chaotic but ultimately successful creation of the 'Goldwyn Follies' revue, with plenty of song, dance, and comedic mishaps along the way.

Critical Reception

The Goldwyn Follies was a lavish musical production that aimed for spectacle and entertainment, featuring a host of stars and musical numbers. While it was a commercial success upon its release, critical reception was mixed. Some critics praised its visual flair and musical performances, while others found its plot thin and its attempts at humor to be hit-or-miss. The film is often remembered more for its ambitious scale and the contributions of its various talents than for its narrative cohesion.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its grand scale and musical numbers.

  • Criticized for a weak and disjointed plot.

  • Laurel and Hardy's comedic contributions were a highlight for some.

Google audience: Information regarding specific Google user reviews and their sentiment for 'The Goldwyn Follies (1938)' is not readily available.

Fun Fact

The film was the first production to be released by the newly formed RKO-Pathé, a merger of RKO Radio Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Productions.

AI-generated overview · Verify ratings on official sources

My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

Adolphe Menjou is producer "Oliver Merlin" who selects "Hazel Dawes" (Andrea Leeds) to be his modern day arbiter elgantiae - to keep him in touch with the mood of the ordinary person on the street. Good idea, in principle, but he doesn't pa...

CyrusPK

CyrusPK

There is a sense of both hesitancy and confidence in this strange work from Samuel Goldwyn. The former comes through in the need to try and sell the idea of culture in the form of opera and ballet to his audience by having it seen and en...