Showgirl in Hollywood is a 1930 American pre-Code all-talking musical film with Technicolor sequences, produced and distributed by First National Pictures, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. The film stars Alice White, Jack Mulhall and Blanche Sweet. It was adapted from the 1929 novel Hollywood Girl by J.P. McEvoy.[2]
| Showgirl In Hollywood | |
|---|---|
 theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Mervyn LeRoy |
| Written by | Adaptation: Harvey F. Thew James A. Starr Dialogue: Harvey F. Thew |
| Based on | Hollywood Girl by J. P. McEvoy |
| Produced by | Robert North |
| Starring | Alice White |
| Cinematography | Sol Polito |
| Edited by | Pete Fritch |
| Music by | Joseph Burke Ray Henderson |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | First National Pictures[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 77 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, Noah Beery, Walter Pidgeon, and Loretta Young make cameo appearances in the final reel, which was photographed in Technicolor. Showgirl in Hollywood is a sequel to the 1928 Warner Bros. silent film Show Girl, which starred Alice White as Dixie Dugan.[2][3]
A French version of the film, titled Le masque d'Hollywood, was directed by Clarence G. Badger and John Daumery.[4]
Plot
editWhen the film begins, a musical show closed down before it has had a chance to open. Jimmie Doyle (Jack Mulhall), who wrote the musical intends to rewrite it, and his girlfriend Dixie Dugan (Alice White), fed up at wasting her time for a show that never opened, is intent on finding a new career. While at a nightclub, Dixie does a musical number and catches the eye of Frank Buelow (John Miljan), a Hollywood director. Buelow persuades Dixie to go to Hollywood, where he will have a part waiting for her in his upcoming films.
Dixie takes the next train to California. When she arrives, she is disappointed to find that Buelow has been fired from the studio and that there is no part for her. Dixie meets Donny Harris (Blanche Sweet), a former star who is out of work because she is considered "as old as the hills" at the age of 32.[5] Soon after, Dixie discovers that Jimmie Doyle is in Hollywood because one of the film studios had bought the film rights to his musical play. Jimmie had insisted that Dixie be given the lead in the film version of his play. The film goes into production, and Dixie manages to get Donny included in the cast.
One day, Dixie meets Frank Buelow at a restaurant and tells her that he is now working for another studio. Through his influence, Buelow manages to change Dixie into a temperamental and conceited actress, and this change leads to complications that almost end her film career.
Cast
edit- Alice White as Dixie Dugan
- Jack Mulhall as Jimmy Doyle
- Blanche Sweet as Donny Harris (Mrs. Buelow)
- Ford Sterling as Sam Otis, film producer
- John Miljan as Frank Buelow, a director
- Virginia Sale as Miss J. Rule, Otis' secretary
- Lee Shumway as Mr. Kramer
- Herman Bing as Bing, assistant director
Cameos
editSongs
edit- "I've Got My Eye on You"
- "Hang onto a Rainbow"
- "There's a Tear for Every Smile in Hollywood"
- "Merrily We Roll Along"
- "Buy, Buy for Baby" (Or "Baby Will Bye Bye You")
Reception
editShowgirl in Hollywood received good reviews. Photoplay called the film Alice White's best sound film and described it as "first-rate entertainment, in spite of a soggy spot or two."[6]
Preservation
editThe film only survives in a black-and-white copy. The last reel was filmed in Technicolor but is considered lost.
Home media
editShowgirl in Hollywood was released on DVD as part of the Warner Archive Collection in December 2009.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Showgirl in Hollywood at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- ^ a b Bradley, Edwin M. (2004). The First Hollywood Musicals: A Critical Filmography of 171 Features, 1927 Through 1932. McFarland. p. 230. ISBN 0-786-42029-4.
- ^ Parish, James Robert; Pitts, Michael R. & Mank, Gregory W. (1978). Hollywood on Hollywood. Scarecrow Press. p. 315. ISBN 0-810-81164-2.
- ^ Liebman, Roy (2003). Vitaphone Films: A Catalogue of the Features and Shorts. McFarland. p. 209. ISBN 0-786-41279-8.
- ^ Bradley 2004 p.231
- ^ Kreuger, Miles ed. (1974) The Movie Musical from Vitaphone to 42nd Street as Reported in a Great Fan Magazine (New York: Dover Publications) p. 188. ISBN 0-486-23154-2
- ^ Kehr, Dave (January 15, 2010). "When Hollywood Learned to Talk, Sing and Dance". The New York Times. Retrieved October 12, 2014.