Director/Actor Lowell Sherman was a major star in the early 1930's, but yet he is mostly forgotten today, perhaps because he appears to be a "poor man's John Barrymore". That being said (and the fact that research I did on him revealed he was a close friend of "The Great Profile's"), Sherman on his own has a presence that cannot be denied. Not as handsome as Barrymore in his heyday as he was slightly overweight and sometimes more bombastic in his performances as a usually aging Lothario, Sherman seems like an actor whose career was guided by his ego rather than reality. In the case of "What Price Hollywood?", however, he gives his best performance, and is certainly comparable to Fredric March and James Mason in the film's two unofficial (and much better well known) remakes.
George Cukor, directing Barrymore and Katharine Hepburn the very same year in the outstanding "A Bill of Divorcement", is at the helm here, and just like he would later do with the Judy Garland/James Mason 1954 version of "A Star is Born", the focus is on the emotions charged up by the relationship of the star who is born (in this case the beautiful Constance Bennett) and the man who discovers her (Sherman) and makes her a big star after simply spotting her on the set of one of his films. He's not the leading man like Norman Maine was; He's the director, having enjoyed the Hollywood spotlight a bit too much, and now suffering from obvious alcohol problems.
Unlike Esther Blodgett/Vicki Lester and Norman Maine, Bennett and Sherman do not end up in a romantic relationship, but are simply colleagues whose admiration goes beyond a working relationship. So when she becomes a huge star and his reputation at the studio begins to suffer, it is up to her to save him from himself, but at what price? The romantic lead here is Neil Hamilton, later Commissioner Gordon on "Batman", who loves Bennett but isn't willing to simply be known as the husband of a star. He wants a real marriage with her but is aghast at the absurdities of the publicity machine, especially a rather obnoxious Hedda/Louella like gossip columnist (a very amusing Josephine Whittell) whom Hamilton puts down much to Bennett's dismay.
He's also greatly offended by Sherman's constant infiltration into their lives and this causes a great deal of tension in the marriage. Sherman really shows the dangers of extreme drunkenness, especially when he threatens to set their house on fire. It's up to Bennett to step in, now alone, and try to sober him up for good, even though she knows he's through in Hollywood. A shocking twist has her fighting to save her career, and Bennett must rise above her pride and sudden success to figure out what the important things to her really are.
Unique enough to stand out on its own, this is still considered by film historians the first unofficial version of "A Star is Born", and it ranks as truly powerful drama. Why it isn't more well known is quite a mystery in itself, especially since the film parallels some real-life scandals which took place the same year of its release. Gregory Ratoff plays the studio head who is devoted to both director and star but is in a powerless position to help them after some bad publicity. Louise Beavers is amusing as Bennett and Hamilton's maid. If the screenplay based upon Adela Rogers St. John hadn't been so well written, this might have dwindled down into sappy melodrama, but thanks to the superb writing and outstanding performances, this ranks as one of the top films of the pre-code era and a true Hollywood story that "E" has told over and over again many times.
George Cukor, directing Barrymore and Katharine Hepburn the very same year in the outstanding "A Bill of Divorcement", is at the helm here, and just like he would later do with the Judy Garland/James Mason 1954 version of "A Star is Born", the focus is on the emotions charged up by the relationship of the star who is born (in this case the beautiful Constance Bennett) and the man who discovers her (Sherman) and makes her a big star after simply spotting her on the set of one of his films. He's not the leading man like Norman Maine was; He's the director, having enjoyed the Hollywood spotlight a bit too much, and now suffering from obvious alcohol problems.
Unlike Esther Blodgett/Vicki Lester and Norman Maine, Bennett and Sherman do not end up in a romantic relationship, but are simply colleagues whose admiration goes beyond a working relationship. So when she becomes a huge star and his reputation at the studio begins to suffer, it is up to her to save him from himself, but at what price? The romantic lead here is Neil Hamilton, later Commissioner Gordon on "Batman", who loves Bennett but isn't willing to simply be known as the husband of a star. He wants a real marriage with her but is aghast at the absurdities of the publicity machine, especially a rather obnoxious Hedda/Louella like gossip columnist (a very amusing Josephine Whittell) whom Hamilton puts down much to Bennett's dismay.
He's also greatly offended by Sherman's constant infiltration into their lives and this causes a great deal of tension in the marriage. Sherman really shows the dangers of extreme drunkenness, especially when he threatens to set their house on fire. It's up to Bennett to step in, now alone, and try to sober him up for good, even though she knows he's through in Hollywood. A shocking twist has her fighting to save her career, and Bennett must rise above her pride and sudden success to figure out what the important things to her really are.
Unique enough to stand out on its own, this is still considered by film historians the first unofficial version of "A Star is Born", and it ranks as truly powerful drama. Why it isn't more well known is quite a mystery in itself, especially since the film parallels some real-life scandals which took place the same year of its release. Gregory Ratoff plays the studio head who is devoted to both director and star but is in a powerless position to help them after some bad publicity. Louise Beavers is amusing as Bennett and Hamilton's maid. If the screenplay based upon Adela Rogers St. John hadn't been so well written, this might have dwindled down into sappy melodrama, but thanks to the superb writing and outstanding performances, this ranks as one of the top films of the pre-code era and a true Hollywood story that "E" has told over and over again many times.