| 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 | |
| Story by |
|
| Produced by | Henry Blanke(uncredited) |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | William Rees |
| Edited by | Jack Killifer |
| Music by |
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Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
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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 Americanpre-Codemusical comedy film directed byWilliam Dieterle with musical numbers created and directed byBusby Berkeley. Thescreenplay byF. Hugh Herbert andCarl Erickson was based on the storyThe Fashion Plate byHarry Collins andWarren Duff. The film starsWilliam Powell,Bette Davis,Frank McHugh,Hugh Herbert,Verree Teasdale, andReginald Owen, and featuresHenry O'Neill,Phillip Reed,Gordon Westcott, andDorothy Burgess. The film's songs are bySammy Fain (music) andIrving Kahal (lyrics). Sometime after its initial release, the titleFashions of 1934 was changed toFashions, replacing the original title with an insert card stating "William Powell in 'Fashions'".
When the Manhattan investment firm of Sherwood Nash (William Powell) goes broke, he joins forces with his partner Snap (Frank McHugh) andfashion designer Lynn Mason (Bette Davis) to provide discount shops with cheap copies of Pariscouture dresses. Lynn discovers that top designer Oscar Baroque (Reginald Owen) gets his inspiration from oldcostume 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 allegedGrand Duchess Alix (Verree Teasdale), is really Mabel McGuire, his old friend fromHoboken, New Jersey, and threatens to reveal her identity unless she convinces Baroque to design the costumes of amusicalrevue 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. Baroque has Sherwood 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 notes:
With this film,Warner Bros. chiefJack L. Warner tried to changeBette Davis' screen persona by putting her in aplatinum 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 toRKO so she could portray slatternly waitress Mildred Rogers inOf Human Bondage, was appalled at the transformation, complaining they were trying to turn her intoGreta Garbo.[4] In an interview withPhotoplay 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 theMGM glamour queens. That isn't me. I'll never be a clothes horse or romantic symbol."[5] To Gerald Clarke ofTime 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 titlesKing of Fashion andFashion Follies of 1934.[1] On a copy of the film used in previews, Warners listed writersGene Markey andKathryn 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, theScreen Writers' Guild was asked to take action against the studio.[1]
The film's musical numbers were staged and directed byBusby Berkeley, and included "Spin a Little Web of Dreams" and "Broken Melody" bySammy Fain andIrving Kahal,[1] and "Mon Homme (My Man)" byMaurice Yvain,Albert Willemetz and Jacques Charles.[citation needed]Harry Warren wrote the untitled theme that accompanies the fashion show.[citation needed]
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]
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]
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