Murder at the Vanities

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Steve L. The movie is bad—overacted, predictable situations. But the music makes it worth suffering through the rest. Duke Ellington and Orchestra win a battle of the bands against a milktoast ensemble, and there’s a production number around “Marijuana,” a song later recorded with the toned-down title “Lotus Blossom.” Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/30/25 Full Review Audience Member This "pre-Code" backstage musical from Paramount is pretty ordinary. Not unlike in 42nd Street, Footlight Parade, and their ilk, the performers are seen onstage and off, and the plot revolves around maintaining the show despite trouble. This time the trouble is, of course, murder. Victor McLaglen is the homicide detective who spends more time ogling the chorus girls than solving the crime. Jack Oakie is the stage manager who withholds evidence in order to keep the show from being shut-down. Everybody else is a red-herring or them who done it. Unfortunately, the plot is hum-drum and the musical numbers are sub-Busby (though purposefully racy). Not worth your time. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member the murder mystery is a flimsy excuse to put on a musical within a musical and show case the singers & dancers paramount had under contract this pic is perhaps best known 'cos it faetures the 'marijuana song" sung infront of a giant prickly cactus! Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member 2: There's nothing about the story that is terribly controversial for a pre- or post-code film, but the camera angles and costumes are rather revealing. There are times when one isn't sure if the woman in the dance numbers are completely nude due to the skin-colored nature of their practically non-existent costumes. It's a silly murder mystery combined with a behind-the-scenes show business romance. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member OK pre-code would like to see an updated version Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Murder mystery with a musical backdrop shows its age but has some interesting numbers in particular Duke Ellington's orchestra's production and the now infamous Marijuana number with discreetly covered but unquestionably topless showgirls. Lost in amongst the hundreds of hopeful showgirls and chorus boys are Lucille Ball, Ann Sheridan and Alan Ladd all still years away from any kind of fame and hard to spot. The acting is okay but this is more of a curio as a good example of some of the things that were common before the code, implied or actual nudity, drug references and occasional swearing that would disappear for almost 3 decades when the Hayes code took full effect within a very short time after this film premiered. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Murder at the Vanities

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