Footlight Parade is a classic 1933 pre-Code musical that stars James Cagney as a Broadway producer of live stage prologues who must overcome industry espionage and tight deadlines to save his career. The film is celebrated for its spectacular, kaleidoscopic Busby Berkeley-choreographed production numbers, including "By a Waterfall" and "Shanghai Lil." It remains a landmark of the early 1930s musical genre, famous for its grand scale, fast pace, and energetic performances from Cagney, Joan Blonde