Fashions of 1934 | |
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theatrical poster
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Directed by | William Dieterle |
Produced by | Henry Blanke (uncredited) |
Written by |
Story: Harry Collins Warren Duff Screenplay: F. Hugh Herbert Carl Erickson |
Starring |
William Powell Bette Davis Frank McHugh Hugh Herbert |
Music by |
Sammy Fain (music) Irving Kahal (lyrics) |
Cinematography | William Rees |
Edited by | Jack Killifer |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date
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Running time
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78 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Fashions of 1934 is a 1934 American Pre-Code musical comedy film directed by William Dieterle with musical numbers created and directed by Busby Berkeley. The screenplay by F. Hugh Herbert and Carl Erickson was based on the story The Fashion Plate by Harry Collins and Warren Duff. The film stars William Powell, Bette Davis, Hugh Herbert and Frank McHugh, and has songs by Sammy Fain (music) and Irving Kahal (lyrics). (Sometime after the initial release, the title "Fashions of 1934" was changed to "Fashions", replacing the original title with an insert card stating William Powell in "Fashions").
When the Manhattan investment firm of Sherwood Nash (William Powell) goes broke, he joins forces with his partner Snap (Frank McHugh) and fashion designer Lynn Mason (Bette Davis) to provide discount shops with cheap copies of Paris couture dresses. Lynn discovers that top designer Oscar Baroque (Reginald Owen) gets his inspiration from old costume books, and she begins to create designs the same way, signing each one with the name of an established designer.
Sherwood realizes Baroque's companion, the alleged Grand Duchess Alix (Verree Teasdale), is really Mabel McGuire, his old friend from Hoboken, New Jersey, and threatens to reveal her identity unless she convinces Baroque to design the costumes of a musical revue in which she will star. Baroque buys a supply of ostrich feathers from Sherwood's crony Joe Ward (Hugh Herbert) and starts a fashion rage.