Ann Dvorak’s first movie as an MGM chorine was The Hollywood Revue of 1929. The film is basically a vaudeville show featuring Metro players performing skits and musical numbers for almost two hours, with Jack Benny as MC. Hollywood Revue is a great example of the growing pains the industry was going through as it transitioned to sound, and a couple of segments feature early two strip Technicolor. While pretty painful to watch in one sitting, it’s fun enough to view in snippets.

Most of the musical numbers feature the chorus, so Ann can be found hoofing her way across the screen in a big chunk of the movie. She’s pretty easy to pick out and is usually the most enthusiastic member of the bunch.

This clip features a musical number with Conrad Nagel, Anita Page and Charles King, followed by Cliff Edwards singing “Nobody But You.” In between the two numbers, around 3:50 into it, Ann shows up to take a chair off the stage and slaps Jack Benny when he throws her, what I guess is, a pick up line. She was only 16 at the time and it’s impressive that the inexperienced dancer would get speak a couple of words in her first appearance. By the end of the year, she would be become assistant choreographer to Sammy Lee. In the Cliff Edwards number she is visible just to left of him, above his shoulder.