The eventual premise was that Kent was compelled - in only three days - to create three complete, fantastic, live, spectacular and show-stopping miniature musicals (known as "prologues") for movie theatres as an added pre-show featured attraction for their patrons during the early days of talkies. Its familiar plot was a typical-for-the-time backstage tale about putting on a lavish show - in this case, touring stage productions for major motion-picture houses.
It's one of most iconic and beloved Warner Brothers showbiz musicals even all these decades later.
The film's songs were written by Harry Warren (music), Al Dubin (lyrics), Sammy Fain (music) and Irving Kahal (lyrics), and include "By a Waterfall", "Honeymoon Hotel" and "Shanghai Lil". The film was written by Manuel Seff and James Seymour based on a story by Robert Lord and Peter Milne, and was directed by Lloyd Bacon, with musical numbers created and directed by Busby Berkeley. Footlight Parade is a 1933 American pre-Code musical film starring James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell and featuring Frank McHugh, Guy Kibbee, Hugh Herbert and Ruth Donnelly.