Dixiana (1930)

Dixiana (1930). Dixiana: Directed by Luther Reed. With Bebe Daniels, Everett Marshall, Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey. In antebellum New Orleans, two men vie for the affections of a beautiful young girl during Mardi Gras.

“Dixiana is a film that stands alone among early sound film restorations. The Technicolor sequences which make up the final twenty minutes of this lavish extravaganza are absolutely beautiful to behold. This restoration was first shown on the TNT cable network in the spring of 1990. I believe that this is one of the few early talkies that one can see in the manner in which it was first presented in the theaters. The beauty of the restoration aside, there is much to admire in this operetta, which stars the lovely Bebe Daniels and Metropolitan Opera Star Everett Marshall. The music, by Harry Tierney is lovely and melodic. The dances are well-executed by Pearl Eaton. The gorgeous costumes were designed by Walter Plunkett, although the opening titles credit Max Ree with costumes and scenery. Dixiana was issued in the late summer of 1930, at a time when the public was tiring of musical films. The film supposedly lost $300,000 in itu0026#39;s initial release. I believe that Everett Marshall was chosen to play the male lead in this film due to the enormous success of an earlier MGM film,u0026quot;The Rogue Songu0026quot; which starred Metropolitan Opera Star Lawrence Tibbett and Catherine Dale Owen. This film only exsists in fragments and a Vitaphone soundtrack recording, so we have no accurate way to compare the two films. Dixiana seems to have something for everyone. You like vintage comedy? You can see Wheeler and Woolsey do their stuff with the charming Dorothy Lee, who co-starred in many of their films. You want hissable villains? There is Ralf Harolde who is just about as hissable as can be, seconded by Jobyna Howland as Marshallu0026#39;s dragon of a stepmother (married to stage comedian Joseph Cawthorn). You want glorious extravaganza? Check out the Technicolor finale, which includes Bill u0026quot;Bojanglesu0026quot; Robinson in his feature film debut. All in all, Dixiana is a film which should please any fan of early talkies, as well as a few more people as well. Thanks for reading.”