Hollywood Cavalcade

In this sweet salute to old Hollywood, Alice Faye plays a silent movie star vaguely reminiscent of Mabel Normand, often remembered by her pie-throwing work in silent comedies. When Alice goes to Hollywood with her ambitious director Don Ameche in tow, she and Buster Keaton accidentally become responsible for inventing the pie-in-the-face gag. She rockets to stardom, but when Don seems like he's more interested in her career than her heart, she finds comfort in Alan Curtis's arms.

The romance in Hollywood Cavalcade is predictable, but still manages to be sweet and tragic. It's obvious to the audience that Don cares, and when Alice confronts him, he shows off his acting chops in a wonderfully dramatic scene. His character is extremely strong, stubborn, and prideful, but he gives enough humanity in his performance to make the audience root for him unconditionally. In contrast, Alice comes across as flaky and weak, but since Don's the protagonist, it's alright.

The other half of Hollywood Cavalcade shows what it's like to be in the business. Here today, gone tomorrow, and all at the whim of the audience and the studio. Several silent legends gave cameos and received a special thank-you during the opening credits-Buster Keaton, Lee Duncan, Chester Conklin, Ben Turpin, Hank Mann, Jed Prouty, Snub Pollard, and Al Jolson-and it was sweet to see them reliving their heydays. And when talking pictures come, Don delivers an incredible monologue about the power of sound in films. "They were looking at shadows on the screen, only they weren't shadows anymore," he describes. I'm sure audiences of 1939 remembered how they felt in 1929 during that speech.

All in all, this is a very good movie, but generally overlooked because of the year it was released. If you're looking for a better, more dramatic version of Singin' in the Rain, check this one out.