Marion Davies is a young woman who quits her job as a teacher and is content to chase a singer (Bing Crosby) in "Going Hollywood," a 1934 film also starring Stuart Erwin, Fifi D'Orsay, Patsy Kelly and Ned Sparks. Davies fancies herself in love with a crooner and follows him to LA, where he's about to make a picture with a temperamental French actress (D'Orsay) who is also his current girlfriend.
Before becoming the singer of "White Christmas," Bing Crosby was an innovative performer, the first so-called "legit" singer to cross over into popular song. At one point in his career, Crosby actually was offered the title role in Verdi's "Rigoletto." Hearing him in the '20s and '30s, it's easy to understand why. Though Crosby's voice was always fluid and beautiful, he was less easygoing and took many more vocal risks back in the day, as evidenced in this film. The robustness with which he sang, and his beautiful high notes are sensational. The most striking number he does is "Temptation" with the camera focusing from time to time on a close-up of D'Orsay's face. The film is nearly all music, but nothing as good as "Temptation": "Our Big Love Scene," "Beautiful Girl," "Just an Echo in the Valley," etc.
There is a wonderful scene done by the Radio Rogues, who play techs in the film where they improvise a radio program that references stars of the era such as Morton Downey, Russ Columbo, Rudy Vallee and Kate Smith.
Marion Davies at this point was 36 - way, way, over the hill for a lead actress in those days - and she requested both Crosby and D'Orsay to be in the film. Hearst didn't want either one and had Lili Damita in mind for the D'Orsay role. He relented when others told him Crosby would be good for Davies' career. Though Davies will eternally get a bad rap because of the untalented Susan in "Citizen Kane," she was in fact a lovely actress and a very good comedienne. She couldn't sing and her dancing was from the Ruby Keeler Hoofer School - but I actually found her lighter on her feet than Keeler. That obviously was a style of tap back in those days that thankfully is gone.
This is a very entertaining film, and if you want to hear Crosby at his finest, this is one of the films that is a must. He is remembered as a wonderful singer and successful actor today, but in actuality, his contribution to music was much greater than is realized now.
Before becoming the singer of "White Christmas," Bing Crosby was an innovative performer, the first so-called "legit" singer to cross over into popular song. At one point in his career, Crosby actually was offered the title role in Verdi's "Rigoletto." Hearing him in the '20s and '30s, it's easy to understand why. Though Crosby's voice was always fluid and beautiful, he was less easygoing and took many more vocal risks back in the day, as evidenced in this film. The robustness with which he sang, and his beautiful high notes are sensational. The most striking number he does is "Temptation" with the camera focusing from time to time on a close-up of D'Orsay's face. The film is nearly all music, but nothing as good as "Temptation": "Our Big Love Scene," "Beautiful Girl," "Just an Echo in the Valley," etc.
There is a wonderful scene done by the Radio Rogues, who play techs in the film where they improvise a radio program that references stars of the era such as Morton Downey, Russ Columbo, Rudy Vallee and Kate Smith.
Marion Davies at this point was 36 - way, way, over the hill for a lead actress in those days - and she requested both Crosby and D'Orsay to be in the film. Hearst didn't want either one and had Lili Damita in mind for the D'Orsay role. He relented when others told him Crosby would be good for Davies' career. Though Davies will eternally get a bad rap because of the untalented Susan in "Citizen Kane," she was in fact a lovely actress and a very good comedienne. She couldn't sing and her dancing was from the Ruby Keeler Hoofer School - but I actually found her lighter on her feet than Keeler. That obviously was a style of tap back in those days that thankfully is gone.
This is a very entertaining film, and if you want to hear Crosby at his finest, this is one of the films that is a must. He is remembered as a wonderful singer and successful actor today, but in actuality, his contribution to music was much greater than is realized now.