Pointed Heels (1929) DVD-R

Starring William Powell, Helen Kane, Fay Wray, Richard 'Skeets' Gallagher, Phillips Holmes,
Eugene Pallette
Directed by A. Edward Sutherland

Print: black/white
Runtime: 61 min.
Genre: comedy
Print Quality: B

William Powell was still in his tux-and-top-hat period when he starred in Pointed Heels. The
scene is Broadway, where millionaire Robert Courtland (Powell) promises to back a new
musical production on the proviso that bit player Lora Nixon (Fay Wray) be given a major
role. Lora is appreciative but drops out of the show upon falling in love with younger
millionaire Donald Ogden (Phillips Holmes). When Donald's mother cuts him off without a
cent, Lora shows that she's true-blue after all by returning to the stage to support him. Still
quite fond of Lora, Courtland arranges for her latest show, which threatens to be a flop, to
become a hit by getting the show's pretentious stars drunk so that their attempts at high
drama will be misinterpreted as comedy. Ungrateful Donald mistakenly believes that Lora is
having an affair with her benefactor and walks out on his 'unfaithful' wife, but with
Courtland's help the two sweethearts are reunited at film's end. Pointed Heels was
supposed to have been a vehicle for 'boop-boop-a-doop' girl Helen Kane, but by the time the
film was released, Kane's role was reduced to a supporting part.