The Gumm Sisters filmography
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The Gumm Sisters, later also known as The Garland Sisters, appeared in several film and television productions during the early 1930s. Their filmography consists of musical short subjects, which captured their vocal harmonies and stage presence during Hollywood’s early sound era. These films often featured the trio in elaborate musical numbers, reflecting the transition from vaudeville to motion pictures. While their cinematic career was brief, their performances remain notable for their historical and musical significance, particularly due to Judy Garland’s later rise to international stardom.
Their work included collaborations with major studios, early Technicolor productions, and performances in variety films that showcased multiple musical acts. Several of their short films have since been analyzed for their role in early musical cinema and for providing insight into Garland’s formative years as a performer. This article provides a comprehensive overview of their on-screen appearances, including production details, critical reception, and their contributions to the entertainment industry.[citation needed]
Filmography
[edit]| Title | Year | Role | Studio | Type | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Big Revue | 1929 | Themselves (as The Gumm Sisters) | Mayfair Pictures | Short film | |
| A Holiday in Storyland | 1929 | First National Pictures | Short film | ||
| The Wedding of Jack and Jill | 1930 | First National Pictures | Short film | ||
| Bubbles | 1930 | First National Pictures | Short film | ||
| La Fiesta de Santa Barbara | 1935 | Themselves (as The Garland Sisters) | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | Short film | [1] |
| The Big Revue | |
|---|---|
 Lobby card | |
| Directed by | Murray Roth |
| Produced by | Gordon Hollingshead [citation needed] |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Milton Ager |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Big Revue, also titled as The Starlet Revue,[3] is a 1929 American musical short film produced by Warner Bros. Pictures as part of their Vitaphone Varieties series. Directed by Murray Roth, the film includes performances by The Gumm Sisters and The Meglin Kiddies and additional child performers. Among the Gumm Sisters was seven-year-old Frances Gumm, who later became known as Judy Garland.[4][5]
The Big Revue features a variety of song and dance numbers performed by the young cast, reflecting the vaudeville style that was popular during that time. The short film is notable as it marks the film debut of Garland, who performed alongside her sisters under their family name, Gumm.
A Vitaphone Varieties production, The Big Revue was part of Warner Bros.' initiative to integrate synchronized sound into short films, a technology that was relatively new at the time. Its release played a role in the transition from silent films to "talkies," illustrating the changing dynamics of the entertainment industry.
The Big Revue, while not widely recognized today, holds historical significance for its early use of sound technology and as the film debut of Garland, who later became a prominent figure in Hollywood.[6][7]
| Bubbles | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Roy Mack |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography |
|
| Music by |
|
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 9 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Bubbles is a 1930 American Vitaphone Varieties short film released by Warner Bros. in Technicolor. It was filmed in December 1929 at the First National Pictures studio with Western Electric apparatus, an early sound-on-film system, Rel. No. 3898.[8][9] Bubbles is one of the earliest surviving recordings of Judy Garland on film, at 8 years old.[9][10][11]
Content
[edit]A Vitaphone short film directed by Roy Mack, Bubbles features a land of make-believe where The Vitaphone Kiddies perform seven short singing, dancing and acrobatic acts. The opening act is Marjorie Kane singing "My Pretty Bubble". The second act is Judy Garland and her two older sisters, then known collectively as The Gumm Sisters, singing "In the Land of Let's Pretend", a song from Warner Bros' 1929 film On with the Show!, with Garland singing a short solo.[12][9][13] Five more brief acts follow, including a tap dancing number in ballet pointe shoes.[8]
Cast
[edit]- Judy Garland as herself
- Mary Jane Gumm as herself
- Dorothy Virginia Gumm as herself
- Marjorie Kane as Mother in Checkered Dress
- The Vitaphone Kiddies as Themselves
Preservation status
[edit]This short film now exists in black and white through copies made for television syndication, and was included as an extra on the 2004 deluxe DVD edition of Meet Me in St. Louis (1944).[14]
Bubbles was one of the shorts included in the 1994 LaserDisc version of Judy Garland - The Golden Years at M-G-M.[15] The audio from the movie of Garland's song is included in the 2010 CD set Judy Garland – Lost Tracks 1929 - 1959.[16]
| La Fiesta de Santa Barbara | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Louis Lewyn |
| Produced by | Pete Smith |
| Cinematography | Ray Rennahan |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 19 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | English Spanish |
La Fiesta de Santa Barbara is a 1935 American comedy short film directed by Louis Lewyn. It was nominated for an Academy Award at the 9th Academy Awards in 1936 for Best Short Subject (Color).[17][18] It features a 13-year-old Judy Garland singing "La Cucaracha" with her two sisters (billed as The Garland Sisters).
Summaries
[edit]Hollywood stars participate in a Mexican-themed revue and festival in Santa Barbara. Andy Devine, the "World's Greatest Matador", engages in a bullfight with a dubious bovine supplied by Buster Keaton, and musical numbers are provided by Joe Morrison and The Garland Sisters. Comedy bits and dance numbers are also featured.
Preservation status
[edit]La Fiesta de Santa Barbara has been preserved due to its historical and cultural significance, particularly as an example of early color cinematography. The film was selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, which has prompted further preservation efforts to maintain both original film elements and restored versions. The inclusion in the registry underscores its value and encourages ongoing efforts to prevent deterioration from aging film stock and fading Technicolor prints. The short film has also been made available on home media, which has helped it reach a wider audience and maintain relevance in popular culture. It appears as a "special feature" on select DVD and Blu-ray compilations that focus on classic Hollywood shorts, early color films, and MGM retrospectives.[19]
Cast
[edit]- Pete Smith as himself, Narrator (voice)
- Eduardo Durant's Rhumba Band as Themselves
- The Spanish Troubadors as Themselves
- The Fanchonettes as Themselves
- The Garland Sisters as Themselves
- Kirby and DeGage as Themselves
- Dude Ranch Wranglers as Themselves
- Warner Baxter as himself
- Chester Conklin as himself
- Mary Carlisle as herself
- Cecilia Parker as herself
- Ralph Forbes as himself
- Shirley Ross as herself
- Rosalind Keith as herself
- Ida Lupino as herself
- Toby Wing as herself
- Edmund Lowe as himself
- Gilbert Roland as himself
- Binnie Barnes as herself
- Robert Taylor as himself
- Harpo Marx as himself
- Andy Devine as himself
- Buster Keaton as himself
- Irvin S. Cobb as himself
- Joe Morrison as himself
- Maria Gambarelli as herself
- Gary Cooper as himself
- Ted Healy as himself
- Leo Carrillo as himself
- Adrienne Ames as herself
- Steffi Duna as herself
- Paul Porcasi as himself
References
[edit]- ^ "Gumm Sisters Shorts". The Judy Room.
- ^ "Gumm Sisters Shorts – The Judy Room". www.thejudyroom.com. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
- ^ The Big Revue. Retrieved 2024-12-18 – via www.flickchart.com.
- ^ "The Big Revue (1929) - Cast & Crew on MUBI". mubi.com. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
- ^ The Big Revue (S) (1929). Retrieved 2024-12-18 – via www.filmaffinity.com.
- ^ The Big Revue (1929). Retrieved 2024-12-18 – via letterboxd.com.
- ^ Thompson, Joe (2017-06-08). "Big V Riot Squad: Judy Garland's First Movie: The Big Revue (1929) -- June 8, 2017". Big V Riot Squad. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
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liebmanwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Meet Me In St.Louis Blu-ray - Judy Garland". dvdbeaver.com.
- ^ "Judy Garland Discography: The Golden Years At MGM". thejudyroom.com.
- ^ "Judy Garland – Lost Tracks 1929 - 1959". thejudyroom.com.
- ^ "The 9th Academy Awards (1937) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- ^ "New York Times: La Fiesta de Santa Barbara". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2011. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2008.
- ^ "Gumm Sisters Shorts – The Judy Room". www.thejudyroom.com. Retrieved 2024-11-13.