more historical curiosity that entertainment and manhattan parade be an early sound effort that have date badly . perhaps hysterically funny in 1932 and the film static shooting technique only emphasize the flatness of the joke . a recur pair of theatrical producer and play by the comedy team of smith and dale and overstay their welcome with a series of tiresome exchange . abbott and costello they be not . the story and which originally have song and revolve around a theatrical costume company and whose successful president be play by winnie lightner . however and lightner surrender her feminist credential early on when she meekly submits to her husband demand that he run the company and she stay home where she belong and care for their young son . needless to say and the philandering husband be no good at business than he be at marriage and and the company fall into debt . be it not for bobby watson and who play a designer name paisley and manhattan parade would rarely be unwound from it reel . however and watson limp wristed character be yet another prime example of gay stereotyping in early hollywood . his threat to slap his foe or quit and stay home to decorate his apartment be evidently accept by the other character a quite normal for a sissy . whine about fabric that should be maroon rather than cerise and watson underscore filmdom concept that gay be silly and shallow freak with no value of consequence in their life . while not as offensive a some gay characterization and paisley and nevertheless and will irritate viewer who be sensitive to negative stereotype . interestingly and the film also feature two other male character and a shy and daffy researcher and an effete and snobbish actor and whose sexuality could also be question . the concept of the theatrical world a a haven for gay have already take root . unfortunately and there be little to recommend in manhattan parade other than it status a a footnote in gay film history . the performance be competent and although dickie moore be a scene stealer a lightner son and and lloyd bacon direction be perfunctory give the restraint of the period . this short comedy will seem to drag on humorlessly for hour to viewer who be not dedicate film historian .