While most of the movie is rather forgettable (especially some of the more extravagant song and dance numbers, which range from swinging jazz to classical opera), it does provide a lot of laughs from some snazzy dialogue as well as its big cast of supporting comedians. The Ritz Brothers (love ‘em or hate ‘em) bring their over-the-top zany antics along for the ride as three animal wranglers who infiltrate Merlin’s studio, hoping to get in on the action; and Phil Baker plays the hapless would-be star who keeps getting cut out of one draft and recast in the next. But the most notable guest comics of all in The Goldwyn Follies are ventriloquist Edgar Bergen (father of Candice) and his iconic partner Charlie McCarthy, who lend their razor-sharp repartee to the fun. Fans of George and Ira Gershwin may want to seek this one out as it contains several works that one and/or the other of the dynamic duo co-wrote, including “Spring Time,” “Love Is Here To Stay,” and “Love Walked In.”
Considering it’s been more than 70 years since this production first hit the silver screen, MGM has done an admirable job in transferring it to DVD, preserving the title in its original theatrical ratio of 1.33:1 (the standard at the time, long before CinemaScope came along). Since the Technicolor process was still in what some may refer to as its infancy in 1938, some of the colors have an almost surreal appearance to them (color itself in the movies was still a relatively new novelty), which may lead some to wonder if The Goldwyn Follies has been colorized. It hasn’t, folks; that’s just the way it looks.
Since there is only one sound selection to choose from on The Goldwyn Follies (English Mono Stereo), I feel somewhat compelled to point out that it's the best soundtrack on the entire DVD. As a matter of fact, the mono stereo sound doesn’t disappoint — and comes through loud and clear (which may not be such a great thing if you hate musical numbers, in which case you’ll be gritting your teeth and covering your head with a throw pillow — serves you right for not appreciating a good set of lungs anyhow).
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