Watching "Vaudeville" is much like seeing a portion of a Vaudeville variety show...only a portion. This is because such a show would usually last a couple hours and deliver many, many acts. But since this is a Vitaphone short, you only see four acts...all introduced by a cute young lady carrying a sign. You see a decent co-ed acrobat act, Reis & Dunn who are advertised as "Wandering Minstrel" but thankfully they do NOT perform in black-face (they're okay), a bizarre dance number where four women (later joined by a man) tap up and down steps all set to bells (it was horrid) and Herb Williams doing a comedy musical act that was very light on comedy!

Despite most of these acts being pretty bad, the idea must have impressed the Vitaphone folks as they made three more films in this Vaudeville series. I haven't seen them yet but they MUST be better than this lame short!!

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

Will Ferrell, Angela Grillo, and Lap-Gei Cheung in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

The musical genre features stories that combine music, singing, dancing, acting, and often spoken dialogue to tell a story or convey a narrative. Musicals incorporate various elements of drama, music, and choreography to create a cohesive theatrical experience that engages audiences on multiple levels.

Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

A cute gal carrying a title card announces each of four acts. The six-member Honey family - three women and three men - perform acrobatics. Reece and Dunn sing a ballad in harmony with piano accompaniment. The Stepping Stars - four women and a man - do a tap dance on stairs that are a giant xylophone. The short concludes with the headliner, Herb Williams, a comedian who first has a contretemps with the orchestra conductor, then, while promising to do a solo standing on his head, engages a trick piano. That's entertainment.

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

See who dazzled on the red carpet and took home gold at the 78th Primetime Creative Emmy Awards.

Primetime Creative Arts Emmys: Photos We Love

Pepper Pot (1934-1935 Season) #4: Vaudeville Reel #1

James Cagney, Joan Blondell, and Ruby Keeler in Footlight Parade (1933)

Artie Dunn and Les Reis in Vaudeville (1934)

Vaudeville

Photos7

Top Cast5

User reviews5

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed