Large Association of Movie Blogs
Large Association of Movie Blogs

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Let's Be Common

"Let's Be Common" is one spirited knockabout number from Ernst Lubitsch's classic musical The Love Parade (1929). I love it! For the first and last time, here's the team of British acrobatic comic Lupino Lane and the genuinely charming dancer, singer and comedianne Lillian Roth. Yes, the Lillian Roth, the one portrayed (by Susan Hayward) in the 1955 weepy I'll Cry Tomorrow, based on her autobiography. I prefer to remember her as she is here, very funny, very energetic and very cute.




Among the greatest acrobats to appear in movies, Lupino Lane starred in wonderful silent two-reel comedies, in which he performs seemingly impossible stunts, over and over and over. After retiring from movies, he starred for decades on the London stage. Lupino's niece: the formidable director and actress Ida Lupino.

2 comments:

Craig D said...

My wife & I saw some vintage Lupino Lane silent comedies at a film convention some years ago and did they ever get the audience's seal of approval! I bought a really bad-quality video of some of his shorts as a result.

The "moves" he executes in the clip you've posted are just priceless. Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

That was great . Thanks for posting it .

The pre-Code naughtiness of the song and their dancing is interesting. It's just the right balance . Certainly not crude or "dirty" , but no question of precisely what they are singing so vigorously about.

I agree , Lillian Roth is adorable. Funny, saucy, but oh so cute , too. That seemed to be so much more commmon in movies of the 20's and 30's .