BroadcastChic Excellent, a Must See

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

salvidienusorfitus Rosetta Duncan has to be one of the most annoying actresses I have ever seen. Jed Prouty deserves an academy award for pretending to be in love with this *blank* .... must have been the most difficult acting job in his career. At one point, during the first Technicolor sequence, Lawrence Gray almost kicks Rosetta Duncan....and you can't help wishing he had and right off the stage at that. Rosetta Duncan is about as funny as a room full of cockroaches. The film would have been improved greatly if she had been entirely removed from the cast.Lawrence Gray has a pleasing voice and it is a shame he doesn't get to sing more.. and he is really the only reason I don't give this picture a 1. His rendition of "Following You" and "I'm Sailing on a Sunbeam" (the second in Technicolor) are the highlights of the picture. Vivian Duncan has a pleasant voice, but she is unfortunately drown out by her annoying sister's croaks. Benny Rubin is pretty much wasted in his tiny part.

cynthiahost I first heard about this film aback in the lat 70's when i check out a book ," the m.g.m. story. It was a huge book. I saw years and years later a bad faded version. That had 4 early Technicolor sequences . One I would learn later was not a part of the film .It was from lost film ,"Red hot rhythm. with Alan hale s.r. doing a song and dance number. This was a version of the movie that was privately owned by Rosetta Duncan. She obviously knew about nitrate and color fading and preserved it in a cool storage. Thanks to her we got this film. The rogue song was stored carelessly. There's only two clips and a faded trailer.Well I learned in that in the early 90's before t.c.m. tn.t.. had this version on. I used to watch T.n.t, how did I miss it? Well T. c. M. had a version in which the last final of the Technicolor musical sequence was edited out as well as the red hot rhythm. The real disturbing part about the version on t.n.T. was that the finale number of the last color sequence was enhanced . They made the chorus girls feathers colorized to blue making that whole final looking like three strip. Making it uneven. This revisionism against history is wrong. This is typical of big corporate greed fearing that some of the audience won't like two color Technicolor , enhancing this to ensure their greedy ratings will be made.m.g.m .u.a did this against Dr, X. and Mystery of the wax museum by the mid 90's out of fear that some of the audience may not understand two strip. I got the d.v.d. version recently . The first color sequence is original. The first finale stays original.But the last of the finale is that enhanced version. I'm disappointed . They did remove red hot rhythm sequence. That wasn't part of the movie to begin with.They should of removed that blue and it would of looked the way it was suppose to look.the way it was made.But m.g.m side of Time Warner is still anti two color cause of greed.The only reason why they didn't enhanced all the sequences cause it was too expensive .In spite of this fault it's still an entertaining film.Which explores the history of Vaudeville , which was dying when this movie was made,in which too struggling sisters, Babe and Casey Hogan, struggle every day.Casey promising her dying mother that she would take care of her young sister.But babe starts to fall for the piano music sheet man , played by Lawrence Gray. but Casey is over protective of her sister. When there store has their show . Casey thinks that the original way of the act stinks. Since Babe is getting nervous, Casey comes in and makes it better. but James ,played by Lawrence, thinks she ruined the show . But it becomes a hit. But Casey and Babe and James are fired. But are rescued by Benny Ruben as the talent manager, puts them on the stage. They are a hit . But James and Casey can't get along.This causes the act too break up and Casey is mad at Babe for marrying James.without all three the individual performers flop.It's when babes get's sick that this united all three. I have gotten a feeling that the original plans for this picture was going to be all Technicolor. But since the Duncan sister weren't known in films and Mayors attitude for color. It was decided just to have 3 sequences only. Lawrence Tibbet was a bigger name than them on the screen. i'm just guessing it. It's still collectible . Warner brother shop dot com and also at amazon.com

drednm What a treat! Early talkie musical starring Broadway and Vaudeville stars, the Duncan Sisters. They sang, danced, and did comedy. This film is sort of a knock-off of THE Broadway MELODY. The Duncan Sisters were wanted for that film but were on the road, so the producers copied them in hiring Bessie Love and Anita Page. Later that year MGM snagged the Duncan Sisters for this film.They play sisters who work in a department store along with handsome Jimmy (Lawrence Gray). When smart-alec Casey (Rosetta Duncan) gets fired, they all quit and launch a career in "the show business." Jimmy is sweet on Babe (Vivian Duncan) which infuriates Casey.Anyway, they form an act built around Jimmy's songs. He plays piano while the girls sing and dance. They are a hit, but there is constant friction between Casey and Jimmy. The couple gets married and Casey goes berserk, breaking up the act. Casey goes solo, while the couple tries to make it alone. They all flop. Some time after, Babe gets really sick and Jimmy is forced to track down Casey and bring her back home.While the plot is creaky and the acting is not always very good, the musical numbers are vintage gold. "I'm Following You," which was a big hit, is sung several times. There is also a great comic version of "Tell Me Pretty Maiden," which was the theme song of FLORODORA GIRL, the terrific Marion Davies film which also starred Lawrence Gray. "The Hoosier Hop" is also solid and done in 2-strip Technicolor. Another color sequence is a fashion parade that goes comically wrong.Gray is charming and handsome and it's hard to figure why he wasn't a bigger success in talkies. He also has a great singing voice. Benny Rubin and Jed Prouty co-star.Of the sisters: Rosetta is the shorter one and the broad comic. She kept reminding me of Patsy Kelly and Beryl Mercer. Vivian was "the pretty one" and has an OK soprano voice. They duet on several songs and are quite effective. They both are passable dancers and comics. They were big stage stars but didn't do all that well in films. Their only other feature together was TOPSY AND EVA, based on their smash hit stage musical. They also did a few shorts.I liked them and thought they were both talented and personable. Maybe they could have found a niche in films. Rosetta was on the verge of a comeback on TV (WILD BILL HICKCOK) when she was killed in a car accident. Vivian apparently retired and lived to be 90.IT'S A GREAT LIFE is creaky and stagy but what a treat to see these big stars on film.

Ron Oliver A sister act finds IT'S A GREAT LIFE in show business as long as they can stick together.MGM crafted this confection as a showcase for the talents of the Duncan Sisters, of Vaudeville & Broadway fame, and as such it's an interesting relic of its era. The sound quality is remarkably good, considering its age, one of the songs is quite good, and the antique color, which highlights a couple of stage sequences, is very pleasing to the eye. As a vehicle for screen stardom, however, the film proved a disappointment. The Sisters' movie career was over almost before if could get started.Rosetta (1900-1959) and Vivian (1902-1986) do quite well as siblings who rise from performing in retail follies to the Vaudeville stage. Vivian, the pretty one, gets most of the film's few romantic moments, but Rosetta, who was an true clown able to do hilarious things with her face & body, steals the picture. When allowed to be silly she is enormous fun to watch. The script, unfortunately, keeps her character in a bad temper for much of the time, eventually wearying the viewer with her interminable fuming. She's so much more enjoyable when in a jolly mood, especially when teamed with sister Vivian. Their lovely duet, "I'm Following You," is a genuine heartwarmer.Lawrence Gray, who had made a name for himself in comic Silent film roles, makes the most of his somewhat thankless part as the piano player who captures Vivian's heart. Jed Prouty, as the department store manager who quietly loves Rosetta, and Benny Rubin, playing a Vaudeville booking agent, both do well with their small roles.The opening scene, with the Sisters madly dashing down the street to work, hotly pursued by a cop and a mob of excited New Yorkers, is one of the movie's best and gets the proceedings off to a frenzied start.