Show Girl in Hollywood

Some years ago, I bought the novel for 25 cents in a library book sale. It was obviously published as a movie tie-in since it contained tantalizing stills from the film. Since I could not find a listing in any of the popular film guides, I presumed it was another "lost film" until I caught it on cable earlier this month. In this context, the quality of the film was irrelevant and I agree it was slow-going. The exception was Blanche Sweet-- a name entirely unknown to me until this film. Her performance was both understated and devastating, delineating the soul-rending panic that aging Hollywood actresses must still feel today. It's an odd feeling to be moved by performance that was filmed 70 years ago: I'm glad I wasn't alone in appreciating its underlying desperation.

In the closing days of the silent era and for a few years into talkies Alice White was a star at First National/Warners. She was most often seen as a wise-cracking blonde kewpie doll of a flapper, and the studio often put her into musicals or films with musical segments.

One of her biggest silent films, GENTLMEN PREFER BLONDES remains among the lost, but it made her a star in 1928. By the end of the year she had made her talkie debut. In SHOW GIRL IN HOLLYWOOD, White plays Dixie Dugan, that intrepid chorine for the second time, having starred in the silent SHOW GIRL in 1928 (a silent film with a Vitaphone synchronized score).

Dixie Dugan started out as a character in in a couple of novels by J.P. McEvoy that followed her exploits as a show girl. They caused a mild sensation and First National snapped up the right. These two films are based on the character in the novels. In 1929 Dixie Dugan popped up in the comic strips and ran until 1966.

The 1928 SHOW GIRL was discovered in an Italian film archive several years ago and has been reassembled with the Vitaphone disks but the film has not yet been released on DVD>

This 1930 film was released in April of 1930 and stars Alice White as Dugan, a lowly chorine in a show that has just flopped on Broadway. Written by her boyfriend (Jack Mulhall), the two go to a nightclub to drown their sorrows. Dixie is asked to sing a number from the show and she launches into "I've Got My Eye on You" which catches the attention of a visiting Hollywood director (John Miljan). He encourages her to look him up when she's in Hollywood.

Dixie immediately heads west and runs into studio interference after she meets the studio head (Ford Sterling) who's just about to fire Miljan. Coincidentally the studio buys the failed Broadway show and sends for Mulhall who insist Dixie get the starring role.

Meanwhile, Dixie is befriended by the down-and-out actress Donnie Hall (Blanche Sweet) who tries to warn Dixie about the perils of Hollywood, but to no avail. After an extended scene where Dixie again sings and dances in a mammoth production number, we see how the scene is filmed and recorded by the studio crew in a sort of documentary manner.

Dixie immediately "goes Hollywood" and starts demanding changes to the movie and is fired. Donnie, who had landed a role in the film, is also fired as the production shuts down. Despondent she accidentally takes too many pills. When Dixie realizes what she has done, she swallows her pride and crawls back to the studio head.

In the final scene, we see a movie premiere where stars like Loretta Young, Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, Noah Beery and son arrive. Next we see Dixie on screen in another gigantic production number, singing and dancing to "Hang on to a Rainbow" (originally filmed in 2-strip Technicolor). Dixie Dugan has become a star and is introduced by Walter Pidgeon to the cheering audience.

Alice White is sensational and is perfect as the boop-a-doop singer with her tossled hair and big eyes. Sweet is also a standout as the tragic has-been actress. She gets to sing "There's a Tear for Every Smile in Hollywood." Sweet was near the end of her Hollywood career and made only one more film. She was 34 years old and had been a big star in silent films.

Mulhall, Miljan, and Sterling are all fine. Spec O'Donnell plays the reception boy, Virginia Sale is the secretary, and Herman Bing plays a yes man. Natalie Moorhead and Jane Winton have bits as Miljan's dates.

Show Girl in Hollywood tells the story of a young girl, Dixie Dugan (Alice White), who is lured to Hollywood by the empty promises of a pompous film director (John Miljan). Her boyfriend (Jack Mulhall) is not too keen on the idea. Once there, she soon realizes who empty the director's promises were. She meets and becomes friends with Donny Harris (Blanche Sweet), a once popular film star. Dixie does get her break but ruins things by getting temperamental. In the process, she also ruins Donny's chances for a comeback, who then attempts suicide. She is saved and Dixie realizes her selfishness and convinces the studio bosses to "go on with the picture", for Donny's sake.

Oh what a treat! This movie was one of the first to attempt to show Hollywood as it really was--and it ended up being pretty true to life. Dashed hopes, lecherous directors, ex-stars brushed aside. The "behind-the-scenes" look of portions of the film gives the viewer a glimpse of film-making in the early talkie days. The "I've Got My Eye on You" production number has a catchy tune and even made me want to sing and dance myself! Alice White is good as the young, hopeful show girl of the title. Most notable is Blanche Sweet's excellent performance as the washed-up silent star. Her near-death scene is extremely moving and recalls some of Miss Sweet's own past glories. Mervyn LeRoy's direction keeps things moving along and it all comes together beautifully. Do yourself a favor and don't miss this one!

This is surprisingly so much better than you'd expect. Being a very early talkie I was expecting a creaky and stilted museum curiosity rather than a normal entertaining little picture. It does have quite an old feel to it but as soon as you've realigned your perspective - and you like early 30s movies of course - you'll enjoy this.

Like a lot of films from this tumultuous time in Hollywood, the story is beautifully pure with characters which are fairly one-dimensional, there simply to tell the story. There's not much depth to these people, there's no great meaning hidden in the plot - it's just a sweet, fun and happy little story made to entertain you. In 1930, The Depression hadn't quite kicked in yet so unlike what we see in Zanuck's Warner Brothers which this studio was just about to evolve into, there's no struggle for survival, triumph against corruption, gangsters or girls forced into prostitution. This is purely about a pretty girl trying to make it in Hollywood.

The star is Alice White has to be one of the prettiest actresses the world has ever seen. She had a reputation however of being nothing more than a pretty face but a pretty poor actress. After watching this a few might agree but most I think most won't. Nobody, including herself, would ever consider her a great actress but she's perfect in something like this. She's a 'modern day' princess in a 'modern day' fairytale. Alice White herself was a 1920s showgirl who had actually made it in Hollywood. I don't think she was badly acting this character, this was who she was, this was her own character. Some might have found her bubbly, girly girl persona irritating but I think she was lovely.

Is this a good film? No. Is it a good example of a 1930s musical? Definitely not! Is it worth watching? Yes, and not just to see the loveliness that was Alice White, if you like old movies, it's fascinating to watch an early talkie about making early talkies. It's also reasonably well made - it's not one Mervyn LeRoy would put on the top of his CV but he keeps your interest and doesn't waste a single frame.

Cast aside all your cynicism and just enjoy!

If you're fascinated by early "talkie" musicals, this should be considered a must-see. There's a lot to like about it, most especially, its three lead performers (Alice White, Jack Mulhall and Blanche Sweet). Alice White is adorable as 'Dixie Dugan'--and is ably assisted by Mulhall as her steadfast beau. Mulhall is largely forgotten today, though he shows a fresh naturalness in an era when many actors seemed strait-jacketed by the new technology of sound (the fact that Mulhall had already been acting in films for over 20 years when this one was made may have helped!). Blanche Sweet has some touching moments as the premature 'has-been' actress, 'Donnie Harris'. The film moves along fairly briskly, under the direction of Mervyn LeRoy (in one of his earliest feature film directing assignments). I was struck by the scoring of the film, too. It effectively uses the featured tunes in different variations that are unusually subtle for that era (presumably, scored by Leo Forbstein). The 'big finale' is fairly typical of early talkie musicals--and one can imagine how much more effective it must have been when it was originally released in early Technicolor (no color copy of the final reel is known to exist). All-in-all, a pleasant and appealing little film that's surely worth a peek.