Roman Scandals
Scantily
clad roman slave girls, low brow comedy and some terrific tunes characterize
this romp set against the background of Imperial Rome. This Eddie Cantor
vehicle is full of the Busby Berkeley signatures dance numbers too and
was the last film he directed for Samual Goldwyn. His talents were put
to good use in a variety of numbers. For one slave market sequence, Busby
persuaded a number of dancers to appear in the nude; they consented, only
if the set was closed and they had long blond wigs covering them in strategic
places; even so, the girls look practically naked, one of Busby's specialities!
He audititioned hundreds of girls for this film, including Lucille Ball,
whom Samuel Goldwyn didn't like but Busby cast her anyway. Many people
forget that Ms. Ball was a dancer, showgirl, and a glamour girl before
she became a household name.
The
story focuses on a kid from a town called West Rome, Oklahoma. He accidently
discovers that the town's leading citizen is a crook. He dreams about
what he would do if he were living in Ancient Roman times, and how he
would amend the situation if he had the powers. The plot structure of
the film is almost like a steamy version of the "Wizard of Oz" in which
the protagonist goes to another place and time, to work out whatever conflicts
are presented. One sequence, is a showcase for an elaborate deco set,
which is a Roman Bath filled with the appropropriate steamy sequences.
Some
of the nude "slave girls"!
Harry
Warren and Al Dubin created five now famous songs for this movie: "Keep
Young and Beautiful", "No More Love" (a torch balad that is sung by Ruth
Etting) which includes dancing sequences that start at a quiet pace, and
then build to a huge climax in which lots of beautiful girls dance into
a finale. Also, the songs "Rome Wasn't Built In A Day, "Put A Tax On Love"
and "Build A Little Home".
The
"Slave Tower"
Screenwriters
George S. Kaufman and Robert Sherwood, both legendary broadway playwrites,
stipulated that no changes could be made to their script. But, Eddie Cantor
couldn't imagine that his changes would cause a problem! He made his changes
and landed in court and lost to the screenwriters who sued for damages.
Later on, they returned to New York. Busby also, was in hot water with
Samuel Goldwyn and Warners for a contract dispute involving this picture
and the dispensation of Busby's services. Busby was allowed to be released
from the Goldwyn company and returned to Warners where he continued his
track record of success there.
