Product Details

• Actors: Al Jolson, Kay Francis, Dick Powell
• Directors: Lloyd Bacon
• Format: Black & White, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Warner Bros.
• DVD Release Date: October 21, 2009
• Run Time: 84 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002TOL4EQ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #129,385 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Wonder Bar" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Al Jolson heads a cast of '30s luminaries in this escapist Depression Era mix of music and melodrama. But the biggest star is behind the camera: musical-number creator and director Busby Berkeley, whose genius shines brightest in the spectacular razzle-dazzle of Don't Say Goodnight. Here, Berkeley orchestrates stunning top shots, eye-popping geometry, mirrors that multiply the dancers into infinity and 60 white pillars that move as effortlessly as the human talent. One night at the Wonder Bar - don't be late!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vulgar fun, December 10, 2004

By 

Usonian33 (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wonder Bar [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I'm not surprised how this movie really turns people off. That's why I love it. I have been this movie's biggest fan for years (I even bought the lovely original poster at auction).

The movie--one of the last Warner Bros pre-Code gems (mid-1934 marked the turning point)--runs over the course of one evening in a Paris nightclub. In that time we get: a murder, a suicide, a cover-up, adultery, homosexuality, intergenerational flirting, gold-digging, racism, 2 gigantic Busby Berkeley numbers, Kay Francis and Delores Del Rio standing around looking captivating, and some glamorous art deco sets. This has to be one of the wildest of all the pre-Code films, and certainly one of the "last straws" for the zealous censorship boards that soon got their way and started dictating what Americans could and could not see (hmmm...sound familiar?). If you know how to enjoy good trash when you see it, then you will find the film irresistible.

As for the racist "Goin To Heaven on A Mule" number: yes it is in outrageously poor taste, but considering the smut and indelicacy of the rest of the film, it hardly seems out of place.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the last - and the best - precode films from Warner Brothers, October 31, 2009

By 

calvinnme - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Wonder Bar (DVD)

This film was released on March 31, 1934, just three months before the production code began to be enforced. As such, it is a buffet of items one would never see on film again in the U.S. until the 1960's - adultery as comedy, gigilos, a pair of men dancing with Jolson making the remark "Boys will be Boys", a dancing act involving a woman being whipped, what amounts to house-sponsored prostitution to keep the Wonder Bar's male patrons amused, a suicide that everyone knows about in advance and nobody bothers to stop, and a murder that goes unpunished and even undetected for that matter. However, this film is much more than just a last hurrah for the pre-code years, and I found it quite enjoyable. It is an intersection of Grand Hotel, the world's greatest entertainer, Al Jolson, and that genius of choreography, Busby Berkeley, with plenty of action and snappy dialogue to keep things going.

Of course, it is very ironic that the one part of the film that leaves everyone shocked today is probably one of the few things that the Hays Office had no problem with - that infamous musical number "Going to Heaven on a Mule". It is exactly what you would expect when the over-the-top style of Busby Berkeley's choreography meets the minstrel tradition of Al Jolson's musical style. Every racial stereotype in the book is in this musical number, and it was omitted on the VHS release of this film but was kept in the laserdisc Jolson set. That's probably because laserdisc was always seen as some specialty product whereas the VHS release was seen as something for consumption by the masses. The Warner Archives is also seen as a niche market, so the number is included in this DVD-R release. I am glad of that, because the present will never be made better by trying to erase or adjust the past, no matter how uncomfortable it may make people feel.

As for the audio and video quality, this appears to be a direct copy of the laserdisc release. The video is somewhat soft but still very acceptable. The audio quality is quite good too. Keep in mind that this product is a DVD-R with no extras and no ability to do scene selections. You can only go forward and backward in ten minute increments. That being said, this is probably Al Jolson's finest film and one of the best of the precode films available for viewing, and thus I heartily endorse this product.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars All Star Cast, March 21, 2006

By 

Samantha Glasser "Maliejandra" (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Wonder Bar [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Wonder Bar is like Grand Hotel in a nightclub. It features many notable stars including Al Jolson, Ricardo Cortez, Dolores del Rio, Dick Powell, Kay Francis, and Guy Kibbee. It focuses on the love lives of each character; most mingle together and are rather complex. However, this is more of an exhibition of the actor's and their own personalities than an important film, but that makes the film fun since it has a great cast. It also features some extravagant musical numbers choreographed by the wonderful Busby Berkeley.

Al Jolson is the star of the show; he absolutely exudes personality in every step and really carries the film. Ricardo Cortez and the exotic Dolores del Rio carry on a tempestuous but tepid relationship but add nothing memorable. Dick Powell's part is small but his trademark boyish quality shines brightly. Kay Francis is adequate as an adultering society girl; her speech impediment is very cute. Guy Kibbee is a boisterous drunk as usual, and fun as usual.

The musical numbers are very fun to watch. They could never have been staged in the Wonder Bar, but they bring the audience to another world, something vital during The Great Depression. Berkeley plays with mirrors and beautiful girls to trick and astound the eye. The final number is a vehicle for Jolson; he dons blackface and dances to snappy jazz tunes in a black heaven. This number is filled with stereotypes like watermelon, mules, and shooting craps, but all of it is done in fun and was not meant to offend or discriminate.