Fashion's Mirror (1930) User Reviews

Any Positive Score Is Strictly As A Curio

[redryan64 · 4/10 · 21 July 2018]

IT'S QUITE OBVIOUS from the very get-go that this is a product of the 1930's; that being the very early '30's, when the various studios were all gearing up for this age of the Talkies. In fact, the fashion design presented appears to be all left-overs from that era of the 'Flapper' and the Hip Flask. Small wonder as to why they weren't selling !

THE OPENING SETS the stage for the musical presentation/fashion show hybrid that follows. Things aren't going so well, the company chief exec laments and his office stooge hatches the on-stage singing & dancing extravaganza; all designed to push the product.

THIS VITAPHONE SHORT holds up least well of all that we have seen. This is perhaps due to the musical numbers, which, of course, were of that long bygone era. Also, the fascination with the very notion of the sound film was itself a contributor.

Pretty weird and the singing is rather limp.

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 31 January 2012]

Jack Thompson and Barbara Newberry star in this short. The film begins in an office and the boss is complaining that his son is just a no-good playboy. The obnoxious son then arrives and isn't the least bit repentant. He tells his dad that he likes living the wild life--drinking and going out with a dancer from a nite club.

The scene then switches to a brief cab ride and then to a fashion show in which a not particularly talented (and flat) singer performs as the ladies show off the clothing. In addition, one of the models sing...again, not particularly well. Then, a group of ladies dressed in clothing circa 1750 begin dancing. Following this, there's some more singing which is far from inspired. Even by 1920s standards, this isn't great stuff. But, considering that musicals were THE rage at the time (since they showed off the talkies best), I am sure audiences enjoyed this despite it aging very, very poorly.

All in all, not a particularly good short. It does, surprisingly, appear to be a glowing endorsement of adultery at the end--further evidence that this was made in the pre-Code era. Weird and not all that great.

Roberta In Brief

[boblipton · 5/10 · 5 October 2020]

His father thinks that their high fashion house is failing because his son,Jack Thompson, is spending too much time with showgirl Barbara Newberry. However, it's she who comes up with the idea of offering a musical fashion show and not going to the casino

Fashion shows were occasional features in movies - particularly in color -- for many a year. Even if they wound up dating the movie, they offered the ladies in the audience a chance to look at some lovely clothes. This blackand-white short is more of a musical comedy number, including a line of tap-dancing chorines dressed like Cavaliers, and Pert Kelton in a wedding gown singing.

Decent Leads but Weak Music

[Michael_Elliott · 13 September 2011]

Fashion's Mirror (1930)

** (out of 4)

Warner/Vitaphone musical about a man (Jack Thompson) who decides to help his father's store, which is falling apart, by having a fashion show with a famous model (Barbara Newberry) from Paris. It would be interesting to know how many of these shorts were released on a weekly basis but film buffs today can at least be happy to know that they're being released on MOD programs as well as being shown on Turner Classic Movies. This one here certainly isn't among the best out there so it will only be recommended to those such as myself who needs to see everything ever released from Warner's New York studios. I thought Thompson had some good energy that came across on the screen and there's no question that Newberry was easy on the eyes but neither one were able to save this film. It's clear that not too much thought went into the screenplay as it really offers us nothing new and instead it's obvious that the only goal was to get a couple songs on the screen and of course show off a few legs. None of the dance sequences were overly impressive and the songs, all written around clothes, are rather lame. You Can Tell a Lady by the Way She Wears Her clothes certainly isn't going to make it into the music Hall of Fame.