Skunkyrate
Gripping story with well-crafted characters
WillSushyMedia
This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.
ChanFamous
I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
Sarita Rafferty
There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)
"Harry Warren: America's Foremost Composer" is an American 9-minute live action music short film from 1933, so this one is approaching its 85th anniversary. So old. The title already gives away the name of one protagonist and Harry Warren appears in here around the age of 40 (before his ongoing Oscar (win and nomination) glory) and he brought some guests for this black-and-white sound film. It runs for under 10 minutes overall and there was one voice that really reminded me of a voice from cartoons. Anyway, the music as a whole did not impress or entertain me a great deal here and as this component is not just key here, but really the very core and only core actually at the film's center, I must say for me personally it is a negative deal breaker. It's a thumbs-down for me here. Not recommended.
Edgar Allan Pooh
. . . but I assume that Warner Bros. is making every effort to insure that such a thing is as unpleasant as it sounds. The "pepper pot" in question is formally titled HARRY WARREN: AMERICA'S FOREMOST COMPOSER. Hopefully, this is meant to be as tongue-in-cheek as it sounds, as the slicked-back greaser geezer presented here as Warren can scarcely be taken seriously. Ditto for the mixed company warbling his ditties. I can picture this dinner party as occupying the Fifth or Sixth Circle of Warren's Personal Hell, as a sad-sack crew of mealy-mouthed losers mangle, mumble, and otherwise masticate the lyrics to Warren's tunes. The infantile-voiced blonde is particularly grating, guaranteed to jangle a composer's last nerve. But this just HAS to be some sort of Warner's Roast (perhaps taken ten steps too far), as the camera pans in on a Mixologist loudly shaking a drink in the middle of a soft and now unintelligible love ode. As another soloist delivers one of Harry's hallmark hymns slumped over in her easy chair, cigarette smoke and booze fumes wafting everywhere, it's pretty clear that Mr. Warren's goose is pretty thoroughly cooked.
Michael_Elliott
Harry Warren: America's Foremost Composer (1933) *** (out of 4) Warner promotional short for their 42ND STREET has composer Harry Warren being asked to say a speech but he informs everyone that he's too shy so instead he does a few songs. You and Healthy, I Found a Million Dollar Baby, Would You Like to Take a Walk?, Have a Little Faith in Me and Forty-Second Street are just a few of the songs performed here. Yes, this is just a promotional piece but it's actually a very entertaining one and it thankfully doesn't just show clips from the motion picture. I really enjoyed how much life these songs were given not only by Warren but those dancing everything out. The film runs a brief 8-minutes but it's packed with great music, some nice visuals and enough action for two movies. I think most music experts would say Warren wasn't the "foremost composer" but it seems time has remembered him a lot better and he's been given a lot more credit than he was when this was originally released.
kidboots
A short subject featuring Harry Warren at the piano and other performers singing and dancing to a medley of his songs. A word of warning - the short I saw was obviously cut and Hal LeRoy (even though he was listed in the credits as "LeRoy") was not featured in the "Young and Healthy" number. There was also some dancing featured in "Shadow Waltz" but again he was not among the dancers.Okay, Harry Warren may not have been "America's Foremost Composer" but he was certainly among them and oh those songs. "The Shadow Waltz", "Young and Healthy", "Ooh That Kiss", "42nd Street", "Have a Little Faith in Me", "Crying for the Carolines", "Would You Like To Take a Walk" and "Cheerful Little Earful" are his songs featured in the short.