Renee Whitney as Cynthia Kent, Chester's greedy estranged wife.

Arthur Hohl as Al Frazer, the other producer.

Gordon Westcott as Harry Thompson, Kent's assistant.

Claire Dodd as Vivian Rich, Nan's gold-digging friend who sets her sights on Chester.

Gould's brother and the censor of Kent's programs

Guy Kibbee as Silas 'Si' Gould, producer.

Ruth Donnelly as Harriet Gould, the producer's spoiled and nepotistic wife.

Frank McHugh as Francis, the dance director.

Dick Powell as Scott 'Scotty' Blair, juvenile lead who is Mrs.

Ruby Keeler as Bea Thorn, dancer turned secretary turned dancer.

Joan Blondell as Nan Prescott, Chester's secretary.James Cagney as Chester Kent, creator of musical prologues.Kent then stages 'Honeymoon Hotel', ' By a Waterfall' (featuring the famous 'Human Waterfall') and ' Shanghai Lil', featuring Cagney and Ruby Keeler dancing together. Kent locks himself and his staff in the offices to prevent espionage leaks while they choreograph and rehearse the three production numbers. Apolinaris ( Paul Porcasi) with three spectacular prologues, presented on the same night, one after another at three different theaters. Kent's business partners announce that they have a big deal pending with the Apolinaris theater circuit, but getting the contract depends on Kent impressing Mr. Kent is so overwhelmed with work that he doesn't realize that his secretary Nan ( Joan Blondell) has fallen in love with him and is doing her best to protect him as well as his interests.

He faces pressure from his business partners to continuously create a large number of marketable prologues to service theaters throughout the country, but his job is made harder by a rival who is stealing his ideas, probably with assistance from someone working inside his own company. Right: Cagney as Kent and Joan Blondell as Nan.Ĭhester Kent ( James Cagney) replaces his failing career as a director of Broadway musicals with a new one as the creator of musical numbers called 'prologues', short live stage productions presented in movie theaters before the main feature is shown. Left: Kent ( James Cagney) rallies his troops for their tall order: create three lavish prologues in three days.

Footlight parade trailer