''Roman Scandals'' is a 1933 American black-and-white

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship gui ...

musical film starring

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Cantor was one of the prominent entertainers of his era. Some of h ...

Ruth Etting Ruth Etting (November 23, 1896 – September 24, 1978) was an American singer and actress during the 1920s and 1930s, who had over 60 hit recordings and worked in stage, radio, and film. Known as "America's sweetheart of song", her signature tu ...

Gloria Stuart Gloria Frances Stuart (born Gloria Stewart; July 4, 1910 – September 26, 2010) was an American actress, visual artist, and activist. She was known for her roles in pre-code films, and garnered renewed fame late in life for her portrayal of Ro ...

, Edward Arnold and David Manners. It was directed by

Frank Tuttle Frank Wright Tuttle (August 6, 1892 – January 6, 1963) was a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film director and writer who directed films from 1922 (''The Cradle Buster'') to 1959 (''Island of Lost Women''). Biography Frank Tuttle was ...

. The film features a number of intricate production numbers choreographed by

Busby Berkeley Berkeley William Enos, (November 29, 1895 – March 14, 1976) known professionally as Busby Berkeley, was an American film director and musical choreographer. Berkeley devised elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geo ...

. The song " Keep Young and Beautiful" is from this film. In addition to the starring actors in the picture, the elaborate dance numbers are performed by the " Goldwyn Girls" (who in this film include future stars such as

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...

Paulette Goddard Paulette Goddard (born Marion Levy; June 3, 1910 – April 23, 1990) was an American actress and socialite. Her career spanned six decades, from the 1920s to the early 1970s. She was a prominent leading actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood ...

and

Barbara Pepper Barbara Pepper (born Marion Pepper; May 31, 1915 – July 18, 1969) was an American stage, television, radio, and film actress. She is best known as the first Doris Ziffel on the sitcom '' Green Acres''. Early life and career Marion Pepper ...

). The title of the film is a pun on Roman sandals.

Plot

In the middle-America community of West Rome, Oklahoma, Eddie is employed as a delivery boy. A self-styled authority of Ancient Roman history, Eddie bemoans the fact that the local shanty community is about to be wiped out by scheming politicians, certain that such an outrage could never have happened during Rome's Golden Days. After a blow to the head, Eddie wakes up in Imperial Rome, where he is sold on the slave auction block to good-natured tribune Josephus. Eddie soon discovers that the evil emperor Valerius is every bit a crook and grafter as the politicians in West Rome, and he intends to do something about it. He gets a job as food taster for Valerius—a none-too-secure position, inasmuch as the emperor's wife, Agrippa, is constantly trying to poison him—and does his best to smooth the path of romance for Josephus and the recently captured Princess Sylvia. Eddie's well-intentioned interference earns him a session in the torture chamber, but he escapes and commandeers a chariot. On the verge of capture, Eddie wakes to find himself in West Rome, OK again, where he quickly foils the modern-day despots and brings about a happy ending for all his friends.

Cast

as Eddie/Oedipus * The Goldwyn Girls as Slave Girls *

as Olga *

as Princess Sylvia * Edward Arnold as Emperor Valerius * David Manners as Josephus * Verree Teasdale as Empress Agrippa *

Alan Mowbray Alan Mowbray MM (born Alfred Ernest Allen; 18 August 1896 – 25 March 1969) was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood. Early life Mowbray was born in London, England. He served with distinction in the British Army ...

as Majordomo * Jack Rutherford as Manius *

Willard Robertson Willard Robertson (January 1, 1886 – April 5, 1948) was an American actor and writer. He appeared in more than 140 films from 1924 to 1948. He was born in Runnels, Texas and died in Hollywood, California. Biography Robertson first worked ...

as Warren Finley Cooper *

Lee Kohlmar Lee Kohlmar (27 February 1873 – 14 May 1946) was a German film actor and director. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1916 and 1941. He also directed nine films between 1916 and 1921. He was born in Forth and died in Hollywood, Ca ...

as Storekeeper *

Harry Cording Hector William "Harry" Cording (26 April 1891 – 1 September 1954) was an English-American actor. He is perhaps best remembered for his roles in the films '' The Black Cat'' (1934) and ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938). Life and career ...

as Soldier (uncredited) * Francis Ford as Citizen (uncredited) * Murdock MacQuarrie as Senator (uncredited)

Soundtrack

* "Build a Little Home" :Music by Harry Warren :Lyrics by Al Dubin :Performed by Eddie Cantor and chorus :Reprised by Eddie Cantor and chorus * "No More Love" :Music by Harry Warren :Lyrics by Al Dubin :Sung by Ruth Etting :Danced by chorus * "Keep Young and Beautiful" :Music by Harry Warren :Lyrics by Al Dubin :Performed by Eddie Cantor with chorus :Danced by chorus * "Put a Tax on Love" :Music by Harry Warren :Lyrics by Al Dubin :Sung by Eddie Cantor * "All of Me" :Music by Gerald Marks :Lyrics by Seymour Simons :Sung by Eddie Cantor * "Dinah" :Music by Harry Akst :Lyrics by Sam Lewis and Joe Young :Sung by Eddie Cantor * "Kickin' the Gong Around" :Music by Harold Arlen :Lyrics by Ted Koehler :Sung by Eddie Cantor * "Turkey in the Straw" :Traditional :Played in the opening scene

Critical response

A written media review is located in ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' (UK), Vol. 1, Iss. 8, September 1934, (MG)

Reception

The film was one of United Artists' most popular films of the year.By D. W. (1934, Nov 25)
"TAKING A LOOK AT THE RECORD"
''New York Times'' Retrieved from ProQuest

References

External links

*
Film profile
san.beck.org

scifilm.org {{Frank Tuttle 1933 films 1933 musical films American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films Films scored by Alfred Newman Films directed by Frank Tuttle Films set in the Roman Empire Musicals set in the Roman Empire Films set in 3rd-century Roman Empire Films set in 4th-century Roman Empire Samuel Goldwyn Productions films United Artists films American musical films 1930s American films English-language musical films