Be Yourself! (1930) is basically just a Fanny Brice variety show with some boxing

Is it worth the watch?

Honestly, you should only sit through this if you have a soft spot for Fanny Brice or if you're a bit of a nerd for early talkies that haven't quite figured out how microphones work yet.

People who want a fast-paced comedy will probably get bored by the long pauses between jokes. But if you like seeing a legend do her thing, it's a fun enough time-capsule. 🎬

I watched this on a Tuesday night when I couldn't sleep, and it definitely feels like a movie made in 1930. The sound is a bit fuzzy, and everyone talks like they are trying to reach the back of a theater balcony.

Fanny plays Fannie (original, right?), a singer who falls for a big lug named Jerry who thinks he can box. Robert Armstrong plays the boxer, and he mostly just stands there looking confused while Fanny does all the heavy lifting.

The plot is paper-thin. It’s one of those "woman tries to fix a man" stories that usually ends poorly in real life, but here it's an excuse for Fanny to sing a few songs. 🎶

There is this one scene where she's trying to get him to train, and she's basically doing a comedy routine while he eats. Her facial expressions are everything.

It’s weird how the movie can’t decide if it’s a serious drama about a guy losing his way or a total slapstick comedy. One minute she’s singing a heart-wrenching song, and the next, Harry Green is doing a bit that feels like it belongs in a different movie entirely, like maybe Who Hit Me? or some other short.

The boxing scenes are... well, they aren't exactly Raging Bull. It looks like two guys trying to swat a fly in a dark room. 🥊

I noticed the camera doesn't move much. It just sits there, staring at the actors while they move in and out of the frame. It makes the whole thing feel a bit stiff, like a filmed play.

But when Fanny starts singing "Cooking Breakfast for the One I Love," you kind of forget about the clunky editing. She has this way of looking right into the camera that makes you feel like she’s sharing a secret with you. That is why she was a star.

There’s a lot of what they called "ethnic comedy" back then, which can feel a little uncomfortable now. Harry Green does a lot of Yiddish-inflected humor that was probably hilarious in 1930 but just feels a bit dated and loud today.

Still, it's not as bizarre as some of the stuff you see in The Kid Is Clever. It stays pretty grounded in its own weird world.

The movie gets a bit better once the "other woman" shows up, because it gives Fanny a reason to be jealous and angry. She’s much better at being angry than being sweet.

There is a specific moment where she realizes Jerry is a bit of a jerk, and her face just drops. It’s the only time the movie felt real to me. For about ten seconds, it wasn't a "show," it was just a person getting their heart broken.

The ending is exactly what you think it is. No surprises here. If you've seen one 1930s movie about a guy in a ring, you've seen this one.

It’s not quite as polished as The Americano, but it has more heart because of the lead performance. Fanny Brice is basically carrying the entire production on her back, and you can almost see her sweating from the effort.

Random things I wrote down:

• The hats in this movie are huge. How did anyone see anything?
• Robert Armstrong has a very strange way of walking into a room. Like he's afraid he's going to trip over the carpet.
• The nightclub sets look like they were made of cardboard and hope.
• Fanny’s singing voice is way more powerful than the recording equipment could handle. There's a bit of a buzz whenever she hits a high note. 🔊
• Why is there so much yelling? Everyone is always yelling.
• The "One-Eye" Connelly cameo is a deep cut for people who know 1920s sports history. It’s a weird detail to include.

I wouldn't call this a "must-see" unless you are doing a deep dive into Fanny Brice’s career. It’s a bit of a mess, but it’s a charitable mess.

It’s short enough that it doesn't overstay its welcome, though. I’ve sat through much longer and much worse films like Enticement.

If you just want to see a piece of history and hear some old-fashioned songs, give it a go. Just don't expect the boxing to look real. 🤷‍♂️

One more thing—the way the movie handles the "breakup" is so fast you might miss it if you blink. 1930s pacing is truly something else. One second they are in love, the next she’s throwing him out, and then there's a song. It's exhausting but sort of charming in its own way.

Overall, Be Yourself! is a Fanny Brice vehicle that barely has enough gas to get to the finish line, but she’s such a good driver that you don't mind the bumps too much.