Footlight Parade + "Nocturne"

Lloyd Bacon directed Parade, but Busby Berkeley is once again the true star. It's a delightful backstage musical—which is saying a lot, since the cast includes not only Dick Powell, Joan Blondell and Ruby Keeler, but also James Cagney as a tyrannical director. Speaking of tyrannical directors, the short film on this bill, "Nocturne," is an early work by none other than Lars von Trier.