The Show of Shows
Synopsis
Now hear this. The studio that gave the cinema its voice offered 1929 audiences a chance to see and hear multiple silent-screen favorites for the first time in a gaudy, grandiose music-comedy-novelty revue that also included Talkie stars, Broadway luminaries and of course, Rin-Tin-Tin. Frank Fay hosts a jamboree that, among its 70+ stars, features bicyclers, boxing champ Georges Carpentier, chorines in terpsichore kickery, sister acts, Myrna Loy in two-strip Technicolor as an exotic Far East beauty, John Barrymore in a Shakespearean soliloquy (adding an on-screen voice to his legendary profile for the first time) and Winnie Lightner famously warbling the joys of Singing in the Bathtub. Watch, rinse, repeat!
Top Cast
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Frank Fay
Master of Ceremonies
Lloyd Hamilton
Hansom Cabby in "What Became of the Floradora Boys" number" / (segment "Recitations") / Soldier (segment "Rifle Execution")
Lupino Lane
Street Cleaner in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' Number / 'Tramp' Ballet
Ben Turpin
Waiter in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' Number
John Barrymore
Richard III in 'Henry VI Part III'
Sally O'Neil
Performer in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' & 'Meet My Sister' Numbers
Alice Day
Performer in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' & 'Meet My Sister' Numbers
Patsy Ruth Miller
Performer in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' & 'If I Could Learn to Love' Numbers
Marian Nixon
Performer in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' Number
Lila Lee
Performer in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' Number
Myrna Loy
Performer in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' & 'Chinese Fantasy' Numbers
Chester Morris
Performer in $20 Bet Sketch and 'Bicycle Built for Two' Numbers
Jack Mulhall
Performer in '$20 Bet' Sketch and 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number
Sôjin Kamiyama
Performer in '$20 Bet' Sketch (as Sojin)
Ted Lewis
Performer in 'The Pirate' Number
Winnie Lightner
Performer in 'Pingo Pongo' & 'Singing in the Bathtub' Numbers
Nick Lucas
Lady Luck Solo for 'The Only Song I Know' & 'Chinese Fantasy' Numbers
Dolores Costello
Performer in 'Meet My Sister' Number
Release History & Theatrical Window
November 21, 1929
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$850K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
Pending
Total global ticket sales
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- John G. Adolfi
- Screenplay & Story
- J. Keirn Brennan, Frank Fay
- Original Title
- The Show of Shows
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 8m
- Production Budget
- $850K
- Production Studios
- The Vitaphone Corporation, Warner Bros. Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
John G. Adolfi
J. Keirn Brennan, Frank Fay
Barney McGill
Darryl F. Zanuck
Department Leadership Roster
John G. Adolfi
Director
Darryl F. Zanuck
Producer
J. Keirn Brennan
Writer
Frank Fay
Writer
Barney McGill
Director of Photography
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Show of Shows.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Show of Shows.
Medieval
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
Musicals
Every film Wikidata tags as a musical film.
More Stars Than There Are In The Heavens: Myrna Loy
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Show of Shows
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Show of Shows about?
Now hear this. The studio that gave the cinema its voice offered 1929 audiences a chance to see and hear multiple silent-screen favorites for the first time in a gaudy, grandiose music-comedy-novelty revue that also included Talkie stars, Broadway luminaries and of course, Rin-Tin-Tin. Frank Fay hosts a jamboree that, among its 70+ stars, features bicyclers, boxing champ Georges Carpentier, chorines in terpsichore kickery, sister acts, Myrna Loy in two-strip Technicolor as an exotic Far East beauty, John Barrymore in a Shakespearean soliloquy (adding an on-screen voice to his legendary profile for the first time) and Winnie Lightner famously warbling the joys of Singing in the Bathtub. Watch, rinse, repeat!
Who directed The Show of Shows?
The Show of Shows was directed by John G. Adolfi.
Who stars in The Show of Shows?
The principal cast of The Show of Shows includes Frank Fay, Lloyd Hamilton, Lupino Lane, Ben Turpin, John Barrymore.
When was The Show of Shows released and how long is it?
The Show of Shows was released in 1929 with a total runtime of 2h 8m.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Show of Shows?
The Show of Shows holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).