Best movie of this year hands down!

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Blistering performances.

In antebellum New Orleans, two men vie for the affections of a beautiful young girl during Mardi Gras.Very early sound film with silent film star BeBE Daniels.Frankly, I really tired of people drinking the kool aid and having to highlight what they described as "racist" imagery of the film. This is 1930 not 2014. Get over it.Blacula has racist overtones and nobody says a peep.This is an odd film that somehow mixes the circus with the plantation. And the plantation owner has a Jewish accent. In fact a bunch of the actors have odd accents. Not the typical Hollywood accents of the time.The film mixes song and drama and comedy.So is this a good movie? Uh not really. It drags and wheeler and woolsy are not my cup of tea.However what makes the picture interesting are is the last two reels -- first time use of 2 strip technicolor. Its worth watching for that alone.

All right, putting aside the stereotypical characterizations of Old South slaves not to mention many operatic songs that date this movie today, I rather enjoyed this early talkie musical with the two-strip Technicolor that was used in the final sequence. I mean, I was a little disappointed how little Bert Wheeler & Robert Woolsey were used but when they were on screen, they were quite amusing. And seeing Dorothy Lee & Wheeler sing is always a treat and it was a nice surprise to see Woolsey have his own number here as well. Oh, and for both historical and entertainment purposes, an African-American tap dancer named Bill "Bojangles" Robinson does his thing in his film debut and in that color sequence, to boot! So on that note, Dixiana is a worthy movie to watch if you're interested in these old movies like yours truly. P.S. Though this supposedly takes place in New Orleans (where I only live a 2-hour drive from), I'm guessing this was wholly shot on a studio back lot.

This is a museum piece which got worse as it went along. I love Wheeler & Woolsey but this was tough sledding. Had never heard Met tenor Everett Marshall before - great singer, Nelson Eddy-type actor.I stuck with it because I wanted to hear him sing, to watch W&W be funny,to see Bill Robinson dance. Two out of three isn't bad, I guess, as W&W were trapped in their weakest comedy - Joseph Cawthorn was funnier than they were, to give you an idea.It is also a rare opportunity to see Jobyna Howland as the battle-axe wife - a role she was born to play. She died too soon. This must be one of the boys' poorest outings and from the looks of it their most expensive picture. Wish I had better news to relate regarding one of Hollywoods' best and most underrated comedy teams.

New Orleans songbird DIXIANA attracts both the noble son of a Dutch planter and the murderous owner of a music hall casino.Here is an interesting antique from 1930, the first year Hollywood was all-Talkie. William Haines comedies were the box-office winners & musicals - like this one - were also extremely popular. Given a lavish production, especially during the Technicolor finale, a close examination of the film revels that the mysteries of the microphone were quickly being deciphered.Bebe Daniels & Everett Marshall provide the romance & music. They certainly try their best, although the dialogue is not overly kind to them, and her fake Southern accent coupled with his wooden acting skills are two high hurdles for them to jump.The film is punctuated by burlesque interludes provided by one of the finest comedic teams of the 1930's - Wheeler & Woolsey. Bert Wheeler (the short, curly-headed one) and Robert Woolsey (the skinny fellow with glasses) were always great fun and their jokes still hit home today, even if they themselves are virtually forgotten. Here they are given great assistance by dialect comedian Joseph Cawthorn, playing their Dutch host at a sumptuous Louisiana plantation; he fits in so well, especially when pulling the Three Cigar Joke, that he practically becomes a third member of the team.Also on hand, as she was in so many of the Boys' films, is pert Dorothy Lee, as kewpie doll cute as ever. The massive Jobyna Howland, playing Cawthorn's temperamental wife, proves once again that she could handle the slapstick as well as the histrionics. Both ladies supply the extra oomph lacking in Miss Daniels' performance.Ralf Harolde makes a mean villain and unbilled George Herman appears as the impressively limber contortionist.It should be noted that there are some racist elements in the story; this was not unusual in American movies of that era.The early Technicolor sequence - featuring the Mardi Gras in full swing - is very pleasing to the eye, benefiting from a recent film restoration. However, scenes still seem to be missing, evidenced by Wheeler suddenly appearing in drag (or is that his Carnival costume?) without explanation. Best of all, the legendary Bill Robinson finally arrives, for a total of 3 minutes, to dance for our delight.