AllMovie

Screen veteran Mickey Rooney narrates Hooray for Hollywood, a new home-video release offering those film buffs nostalgic for the golden era of Tinseltown a trip through virtually every American genre of the 1930s. Included are precious clips from dozens of Hollywood's most acclaimed motion pictures, which together form a paragon of American cinematic art. The film places particularly strong emphasis on the classic American musical, with footage of countless lavish production numbers -- choreographed by Busby Berkeley and others. Moreover, Hooray juxtaposes its film clips alongside exceptionally rare behind-the-scenes footage of celebrities in their off time, such as Fred Astaire working on his golf swings, John Wayne practicing his vocal skills, and Jimmy Cagney tap dancing -- and those are only three of the 25 celebrities who make appearances, candidly pulling us into their private lives.