Fashions of 1934

1934 film by William Dieterle

Fashions of 1934

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| William Dieterle
Busby Berkeley (musical numbers)
Stanley Logan (dialogue)
Written by| Adaptation:
Gene Markey
Kathryn Scola[1]
Screenplay by|

* F. Hugh Herbert
* Carl Erickson

Story by|

* Harry Collins
* Warren Duff

Produced by| Henry Blanke (uncredited)
Starring|

* William Powell
* Bette Davis
* Frank McHugh
* Hugh Herbert
* Verree Teasdale
* Reginald Owen

Cinematography| William Rees
Edited by| Jack Killifer
Music by|

* Sammy Fain (music)
* Irving Kahal (lyrics)

Production
company

Warner Bros.

Distributed by| Warner Bros.

Release date

* February 14, 1934 (1934-02-14)

Running time

| 78 or 80 minutes[1]
Country| United States
Language| English
Budget| $317,000[2]
Box office| $965,000[2]

Fashions of 1934 is a 1934 American pre-Code musical comedy film directed by William Dieterle with musical numbers created and directed by Busby Berkeley. The screenplay by F. Hugh Herbert and Carl Erickson was based on the story The Fashion Plate by Harry Collins and Warren Duff. The film stars William Powell, Bette Davis, Frank McHugh, Hugh Herbert, Verree Teasdale, and Reginald Owen, and features Henry O'Neill, Phillip Reed, Gordon Westcott, and Dorothy Burgess. The film's songs are by Sammy Fain (music) and Irving Kahal (lyrics). Sometime after its initial release, the title Fashions of 1934 was changed to Fashions, replacing the original title with an insert card stating "William Powell in 'Fashions'".

## Plot

[edit]

When the Manhattan investment firm of Sherwood Nash (William Powell) goes broke, he joins forces with his partner Snap (Frank McHugh) and fashion designer Lynn Mason (Bette Davis) to provide discount shops with cheap copies of Paris couture dresses. Lynn discovers that top designer Oscar Baroque (Reginald Owen) gets his inspiration from old costume books, and she begins to create designs the same way, signing each one with the name of an established designer.

Sherwood realizes Baroque's companion, the alleged Grand Duchess Alix (Verree Teasdale), is really Mabel McGuire, his old friend from Hoboken, New Jersey, and threatens to reveal her identity unless she convinces Baroque to design the costumes of a musical revue in which she will star. Baroque buys a supply of ostrich feathers from Sherwood's crony Joe Ward (Hugh Herbert) and starts a fashion rage.

Sherwood then opens Maison Elegance, a new Paris fashion house that's a great success until Baroque discovers Lynn is forging his sketches. He has him arrested, but Sherwood convinces the police to give him time to straighten out the situation. He crashes Baroque and Alix's wedding and promises to humiliate the designer by publicly revealing who his bride really is unless Baroque withdraws the charges. The designer agrees and purchases Maison Elegance from Sherwood, who assures Lynn he'll never get involved in another illegal activity if she returns to America with him.

## Cast

[edit]

* William Powell as Sherwood Nash
* Bette Davis as Lynn Mason
* Frank McHugh as Snap
* Hugh Herbert as Joe Ward
* Verree Teasdale as Grand Duchess Alix, also known as Mabel
* Reginald Owen as Oscar Baroque
* Henry O'Neill as Duryea
* Phillip Reed as Jimmy Blake
* Gordon Westcott as Harry Brent
* Dorothy Burgess as Glenda
* Etienne Girardot as Glass
* William Burress as Feldman
* Nella Walker as Mrs. Van Tyle
* Spencer Charters as Man removing telephone
* Harry Beresford as Paris bookseller

Cast notes:

* Arthur Treacher, appearing in his fourth Hollywood film, played his first part as a butler, a role he was to play many times in his long career.[3]

Bette Davis and William Powell; Davis disliked the glamorous look Warner Bros. created for her

## Production

[edit]

With this film, Warner Bros. chief Jack L. Warner tried to change Bette Davis' screen persona by putting her in a platinum blonde wig and false eyelashes and dressing her in glamorous costumes. The actress, who had been trying to convince the studio head to loan her to RKO so she could portray slatternly waitress Mildred Rogers in Of Human Bondage, was appalled at the transformation, complaining they were trying to turn her into Greta Garbo.[4] In an interview with Photoplay editor Kathryn Dougherty, she complained, "I can't get out of these awful ruts. They just won't take me seriously. Look at me in this picture all done up like a third-rate imitation of the MGM glamour queens. That isn't me. I'll never be a clothes horse or romantic symbol."[5] To Gerald Clarke of Time she lamented, "I looked like somebody dressed up in mother's clothes. But it was a great break because I learned from the experience. I'll never let them do that to me again. Ever!"[6]

Filming took place at Warner Bros.' Burbank studios in 1933, under the working titles King of Fashion and Fashion Follies of 1934.[1] On a copy of the film used in previews, Warners listed writers Gene Markey and Kathryn Scola as having adapted the original story that was the basis of the film, but then later announced that they had nothing to do with the film. As a result of this, the Screen Writers' Guild was asked to take action against the studio.[1]

## Songs

[edit]

The film's musical numbers were staged and directed by Busby Berkeley, and included "Spin a Little Web of Dreams" and "Broken Melody" by Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal,[1] and "Mon Homme (My Man)" by Maurice Yvain, Albert Willemetz and Jacques Charles.[citation needed] Harry Warren wrote the untitled theme that accompanies the fashion show.[citation needed]

## Reception

[edit]

Main title from the original trailer.

### Box office

[edit]

The film was considered a box office disappointment for Warner Bros.[7] According to their records, it earned $570,000 domestically and $395,000 internationally.[2]

### Critical reception

[edit]

The New York Times described it as "a brisk show" and added, "The story is lively, the gowns are interesting and the Busby Berkeley spectacles with Hollywood dancing girls are impressive ... William Dieterle, that expert director who has been responsible for several imaginative pictures, does well by this particular production."[8]

Variety called it "a bit far-fetched and inconsistent ... but it has color, flash, dash, class, girls and plenty of clothes ... Just why and how Bette Davis enters the picture never quite rings true."[9]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e Fashions of 1934 at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
2. ^ a b c Warner Bros financial information in The William Schaefer Ledger. See Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1-31 p 15 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551
3. ^ Arthur Treacher at IMDb
4. ^ Davis, Bette (1962). The Lonely Life. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. p. 141\. ISBN 978-1121961241.
5. ^ LoBianco, Lorraine "Fashions of 1934" (article) Turner Classic Movies
6. ^ Clarke, Gerald (April 14, 1980) "Just a Dame from New England" Time
7. ^ D. W. (November 25, 1934). "Taking a Look at the Record". The New York Times. ProQuest 101193306.
8. ^ "M.H." (January 20, 1934) "An Ace of Swindlers" The New York Times
9. ^ Staff (December 31, 1933) "Fashions of 1934 " Variety

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fashions of 1934.

* Fashions of 1934 at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
* Fashions of 1934 at IMDb
* Fashions of 1934 at the TCM Movie Database

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by William Dieterle

1920s|

* Man by the Wayside (1923)
* Behind the Altar (1927)
* The Saint and Her Fool (1928)
* Sex in Chains (1928)
* Rustle of Spring (1929)
* Ludwig II, King of Bavaria (1929)
* Triumph of Love (1929)
* The Brandenburg Arch (1929)
* Silence in the Forest (1929)

1930s|

* The Dance Goes On (1930)
* Demon of the Sea (1931)
* One Hour of Happiness (1931)
* The Sacred Flame (1931)
* The Last Flight (1931)
* Her Majesty, Love (1931)
* Man Wanted (1932)
* Jewel Robbery (1932)
* The Crash (1932)
* Six Hours to Live (1932)
* Scarlet Dawn (1932)
* Lawyer Man (1933)
* Adorable (1933)
* The Devil's in Love (1933)
* Grand Slam (1933)
* Female (1933)
* From Headquarters (1933)
* Fog Over Frisco (1934)
* Fashions of 1934 (1934)
* Madame Du Barry (1934)
* Dr. Monica (1934)
* The Firebird (1934)
* The Secret Bride (1934)
* A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)
* Dr. Socrates (1935)
* The Story of Louis Pasteur (1935)
* The White Angel (1936)
* Satan Met a Lady (1936)
* The Great O'Malley (1937)
* The Prince and the Pauper (1937)
* Another Dawn (1937)
* The Life of Emile Zola (1937)
* Blockade (1938)
* Juarez (1939)
* The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)

1940s|

* Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940)
* A Dispatch from Reuters (1940)
* The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941)
* Syncopation (1942)
* Tennessee Johnson (1943)
* Kismet (1944)
* I'll Be Seeing You (1944)
* Love Letters (1945)
* This Love of Ours (1945)
* The Searching Wind (1946)
* Duel in the Sun (1946)
* Portrait of Jennie (1948)
* The Accused (1949)
* Rope of Sand (1949)

1950s|

* Paid in Full (1950)
* Vulcano (1950)
* September Affair (1950)
* Dark City (1950)
* Peking Express (1951)
* Red Mountain (1951)
* Boots Malone (1952)
* The Turning Point (1952)
* Salome (1953)
* Elephant Walk (1954)
* Magic Fire (1955)
* Omar Khayyam (1957)
* Dubrowsky (1959)

1960s|

* Mistress of the World (1960)
* Carnival Confession (1960)
* Quick, Let's Get Married (1964)

* v
* t
* e

Busby Berkeley

Broadway plays
choreographed|

* A Connecticut Yankee (1927)
* Present Arms (1928)
* Sweet and Low (1930)

Films directed|

* 42nd Street (musical numbers, 1933)
* She Had to Say Yes (1933)
* Footlight Parade (musical numbers, 1933)
* Dames (musical numbers, 1934)
* Fashions of 1934 (musical numbers, 1934)
* Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
* Bright Lights (1935)
* I Live for Love (1935)
* In Caliente (musical numbers, 1935)
* Stars Over Broadway (musical numbers, 1935)
* Stage Struck (1936)
* Varsity Show (finale, 1937)
* The Singing Marine (musical numbers, 1937)
* Gold Diggers of 1937 (musical numbers, 1937)
* The Go Getter (1937)
* Hollywood Hotel (1937)
* Men Are Such Fools (1938)
* Gold Diggers in Paris (musical numbers, 1938)
* Garden of the Moon (1938)
* Comet Over Broadway (1938)
* Broadway Serenade (finale, 1939)
* They Made Me a Criminal (1939)
* Fast and Furious (1939)
* Babes in Arms (1939)
* The Wizard of Oz (scenes cut, 1939)
* Forty Little Mothers (1940)
* Strike Up The Band (1940)
* Blonde Inspiration (1941)
* Lady Be Good (musical numbers, 1941)
* Ziegfeld Girl (musical numbers, 1941)
* Babes on Broadway (1941)
* For Me and My Gal (1942)
* Born to Sing (finale, 1942)
* Cabin in the Sky ("Shine" sequence, 1943)
* The Gang's All Here (1943)
* Girl Crazy ("I Got Rhythm" sequence, 1943)
* Cinderella Jones (1946)
* Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949)
* Annie Get Your Gun (scenes cut, 1950)

Films
choreographed
only|

* Whoopee! (1930)
* Kiki (1931)
* Palmy Days (1931)
* Flying High (1931)
* Sky Devils (1932)
* Girl Crazy (1932)
* Night World (1932)
* Bird of Paradise (1932)
* The Kid From Spain (1932)
* Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)
* Roman Scandals (1933)
* Wonder Bar (1934)
* Romance on the High Seas (1948)
* Call Me Mister (1951)
* Million Dollar Mermaid (1952)
* Small Town Girl (1953)
* Rose Marie (1954)
* Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962)

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