Name: Pointed Heels (1929) Director: A. Edward Sutherland Studio: Paramount Pictures Starring: William Powell, Fay Wray, Helen Kane, Richard “Skeets” Gallagher, Eugene Pallette, and Stanley Smith Release Date: November 23, 1929 Runtime: 86 minutes Format: Black and White, Sound-on-film (Western Electric system) Country: United States Language: English Genres: | Musical | Romance | Drama | --- Summary: Pointed Heels tells the story of Lora Moore, a young chorus girl caught between love and ambition in the dazzling yet cutthroat world of Broadway. When she falls for a struggling composer, their romance is tested by jealousy, success, and the allure of fame. As the curtain rises on her big debut, Lora must decide whether to follow her heart or the bright lights of stardom. --- Background: Produced by Paramount Pictures at the dawn of the sound era, Pointed Heels was one of the studio’s early all-talking musical films. Directed by A. Edward Sutherland, the film featured a blend of backstage melodrama and musical spectacle, a popular formula in the late 1920s. It is notable for featuring Helen Kane, the “Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl,” whose flapper persona and singing style inspired the creation of Betty Boop. The film also provided an early showcase for Fay Wray, who would gain international fame just a few years later in King Kong (1933). --- Trivia: * Helen Kane performs several musical numbers in her signature “Boop-Boop-a-Doop” style. * The film features early examples of synchronized musical performances using the Western Electric sound system. * Fay Wray’s costumes and dance sequences were considered risqué for the time, reflecting the pre-Code era’s looser moral standards. * William Powell, later known for The Thin Man series, was already becoming one of Hollywood’s leading suave gentlemen. * Pointed Heels was restored and preserved by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. --- Hashtags: #PointedHeels1929 #FayWray #WilliamPowell #HelenKane #PreCodeHollywood #ClassicMusicals #OldHollywood #ParamountPictures #1920sCinema #FilmHistory