Blondie of the Follies

Directed by Edmund Goulding, Blondie of the Follies follows Marion Davies’ Blondie McClune as she attempts to start a new life as a burlesque performer. Filmmaker Goulding, armed with a screenplay by Anita Loos and Frances Marion, delivers a perpetually uninvolving misfire that establishes its arms-length atmosphere right from the get-go, as Blondie of the Follies kicks off with a seriously sluggish opening stretch that contains little in the way of compelling, interesting attributes – with the movie’s freewheeling, meandering vibe perpetuated by a repetitive midsection that’s focused predominantly on a hopelessly underwhelming love triangle. The pronounced lack of forward momentum paves the way for a shapeless narrative that’s been suffused with unappealing, time-wasting elements, with this particularly true of a bizarre third-act digression involving Jimmy Durante, and it goes without saying, certainly, that the picture runs out of gas long before arriving at its less-than-satisfying conclusion – with the final result a distressingly half-baked endeavor that squanders an admittedly appealing star turn by Davies.

*1/2 out of ****