"Paramount On Parade" is both a musical revue and a collection of skits by Hollywood stars who can sing and some who cannot. The entertainment value is uneven as some of their stints in front of the camera range from pretty good to mediocre, from Maurice Chevalier to George Bancroft, whose forte was gangster roles. The movie was an excuse for Paramount to showcase as much of their stable of stars as they could assemble, and there were quite a lot of them. I understand that there were a spate of star revue-type pictures produced around the start of the sound era, and this was another one in that mold.The main reason to see this picture in 2010, I found, was as a museum piece, watching old stars that I had only heard of. Hadn't seen much of Mitzi Green to speak of, ditto Skeets Gallagher, and had never seen Harry Green before. From that standpoint it was fascinating, but maybe not for moviegoers older than me. There was a good skit with four old-time movie sleuths, Warner Oland, William Powell, Clive Brook and Eugene Palette (who was more of a movie dim-witted cop).On the IMDb site it is clocked at 77 minutes but at Capitolfest in Rome,N.Y. (8/10), a 102 minute 35mm print restored by the UCLA film department was shown which made it extra special.

I've just watched the current restoration and can add some information to the 2002 review.The footage of the opening "Showgirls on Parade" sequence is missing but the sound survives.The sound disc for "Isadore the Toreador" has been located (only a few days ago) and will be put into the next restoration with the surviving Technicolor footage..Nino Martini's number is now complete, and in Technicolor.The "Dream Girl" Technicolor footage survives but the sound is missing.The "Gallows Scene" is missing most of the sound except for Dennis King's song.

When "Paramount on Parade" was filmed - Paramount had more musical stars than any other studio. The other studio revues (MGM's "Hollywood Revue of 1929" and Warner's "Show of Shows") may have been more flashy but most of the stars were not singers or dancers and people went for the novelty of seeing their favourites trying to sing or dance.In 1930 Nancy Carroll was voted "Queen of the Screen" and Maurice Chevalier was the new sensation of the movies - both were Paramount players. Helen Kane was also very much in vogue (although within a year her popularity had nose -dived). There are three Masters of Ceremonies - Leon Errol, Skeets Gallagher and Jack Oakie are introduced singing "Paramount on Parade".As dredmn says several of the segments are missing. Among the sketches I liked:- "Any Time's the Time to Fall in Love" - was sung by Buddy Rogers and Lillian Roth looking vibrant and happy."What Did Cleopatra Say" - Helen Kane attempts to teach history to a class (including Mitzi Green and Jackie Searle)."I'm True to the Navy Now" - Clara Bow was fantastic - she could really sing (apparently she had to film her segment during a break from another movie and also do her own hair.)Jack Oakie and Skeets Gallagher were sailors."Dance Mad" - "Dancing to Save Your Soul" was the highlight for me. Coming out of a shoe box Abe Lyman and his band played the song. Nancy Carroll was completely gorgeous and sang in a very sweet voice. Al "Rubberlegs" Norman was on hand and he and Nancy did a funny, eccentric dance."I'm in Training for You" - Jack Oakie and Zelma O'Neal did a novelty song and dance in a girl's gym.( I think Mitzi Mayfair was a featured dancer.)Maurice Chevalier came on for his first number "All I Want is Just One Girl" - it's great - Chevalier plays a gendarme who is helping out lovers in a park in Paris.Mitzi Green then comes out to sing the song as Maurice Chevalier and Moran and Mack would sing it. I actually really like her and found her very talented."Impulses" - I really loved - I thought it was very funny. George Bancroft (a movie tough guy of the day) in a sketch where people followed their impulses (elegant Kay Francis cracked a vase over Bancroft's head.)The finale was "Sweeping the Clouds Away". Maurice Chevalier was a chimney sweep with a chorus of pretty sweeps. It was originally in colour and would have been beautiful. Chevalier climbs a ladder to the top of the rainbow and the sweeps have transformed into the colours of the rainbow. I enjoyed this film so much.

"Paramount on Parade" (Paramount, 1930), with various directorial credit including Ernst Lubitsch, A. Edward Sutherland and Victor Schertzinger, among others, became Paramount's attempt in an all-star movie revue, following the earlier attempts of MGM's "The Hollywood Revue of 1929" and "The Show of Shows" for Warner Brothers, and while many claim this to be the best of the revues, I find it to be a disappointment mainly because the print that's been circulating on television over the last couple of decades, and later cable television, not being the entire movie. Even though I wasn't around when the 102 minute presentation of "Paramount on Parade" was released in theaters, the cuts are quite obvious, especially when French entertainer Maurice Chevalier gives Italian singer Nino Martini a special introduction, and later on in the revue, director Edmund Goulding preparing his cast of actors who are to appear in a Civil War setting musical skit, "Let Us Drink to the Girl of My Dreams," with Gary Cooper, Fay Wray, among others, which never comes. At present, "Paramount on Parade" runs 78 minutes, minus Technicolor segments. Whether the missing scenes are lost forever, or a complete copy is displayed somewhere in a dark vault gathering dust, is anyone's guess. However, at present, it appears that possible restoration of this movie is unlikely to occur.The "Paramount on Parade" program is as follows, with the deleted scenes preceded with asterisks (*): * SHOWGIRLS ON PARADE (with Virginia Bruce); * PARAMOUNT ON PARADE (chorus); "We're the Masters of Ceremonies" (sung by Jack Oakie, Richard "Skeets" Gallagher and Leon Errol); "Any Time's the Time to Fall in Love" (sung by Buddy Rogers and Lillian Roth); MURDER WILL OUT (a comedy sketch with William Powell as Philo Vance; Clive Brook as Sherlock Holmes; Warner Oland as Fu Manchu, with Eugene Palette and Jack Oakie; THE ORIGIN OF THE APACHE (with Maurice Chevalier and Evelyn Brent); IN A HOSPITAL (comedy sketch with Leon Errol, Jean Arthur, Phillips Holmes and David Newell); "I'm in Training for You" (sung by Zelma O'Neal and Jack Oakie); * THE TOREADOR (with Harry Green singing "I'm Isador the Toreador" from Bizet's CARMEN, with Kay Francis); "My Marine" (sung by Ruth Chatterton, with Fredric March, Stanley Smith and Stuart Erwin as Marines); "All I Want is Just One Girl" (sung by Chevalier); MITZI GREEN HERSELF (with Mitzi Green reprising "All I Want Is Just One Girl" and doing imitations of Chevalier and Charles Mack of the comedy team of Moran and Mack, The Two Black Crows); "What Did Cleopatra Say?" (sung by Helen Kane); *THE GALLOWS SONG (sung by Dennis King); "Dancing to Save My Sole" (sung and danced by Nancy Carroll and Al Norman, the eccentric rubber-legs dancer); * DREAM GIRL, "Let Us Drink to the Girl of My Dreams" (with Richard Arlen, Jean Arthur, Gary Cooper, Mary Brian, Virginia Bruce, Fay Wray, and others); "I'm True to the Navy Now" (sung by Clara Bow and sailors); FOLLOWING YOUR IMPULSE: (Introduced by George Bancroft in a comedy sketch about social manners showing how people at a function normally act, then presenting them on how they really feel. Kay Francis partakes in this skit); and the finale, "Sweeping the Clouds Away" (sung by Maurice Chevalier).As with the previous Hollywood revues, portions of the film succeed musically and comically, while others don't. Highlights include Zelma O'Neal's energetic singing and opposite Jack Oakie in the gymnasium; Nancy Carroll's dance number on top of a giant shoe; Maurice Chevalier's finale; and of course Clara Bow, who brings this revue to life as the sole female vocalist amongst a group of sailors. Her singing voice does record well, but her career in talkies came to an end by 1933. The lesser moments are the comedy skits, including Leon Errol in the hospital bed with his good-for-nothing sons ignoring his requests and telling their dad to "Shut up"; Mitzi Green's dated impersonations of Moran and Mack; and the singing of "My Marine" by Ruth Chatterton, who performs better as dramatic actress than as a singer, making this eight minute segment seems longer than it is. Helen Kane's "Boop, Boopa Doop" number in the classroom starts off well, but grows tiresome only after a few minutes.American Movie Classics formerly presented the edited version of "Paramount on Parade" back in 1988-89, and since then, is hardly shown at all these days. However, if this revue should ever resurrect again, whether on video or on Turner Classic Movies, let's hope for a restored complete version. Maybe the complete version might not make much of a difference entertainment wise, but it certainly will be a rare treat indeed. As it now stands, (***)