Several pictures about nobodies becoming overnight stars were produced in 1932. These included RKO's searing dramatic take on the tale, WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD? Starring Constance Bennett as well as Harold Lloyd's raucous farce MOVIE CRAZY, which was released through Paramount. But Paramount also had this other film, MAKE ME A STAR, which sort of straddles the fence between humor and pathos and features Stuart Erwin and Joan Blondell in the lead roles.
MAKE ME A STAR was a remake of an earlier Paramount silent film called MERTON OF THE MOVIES which had been produced in 1924 and was based on a hit novel and play. In the mid-1940s, the studio sold the rights to MGM which remade it again as a vehicle for Red Skelton.
In the 1932 version, Erwin is playing a hick named Merton Gill, who like Danny Kaye in THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, has a rich fantasy life. When he's not messing up orders as a store clerk, he spends time with his horse, dressed in cowboy gear, emulating his favorite western movie star, Buck Benson (George Templeton).
He has even learned how to "act" by taking a correspondence course, which is rather amusing. Everyone in town thinks there's something wrong with him except maybe one person, a spinster (Helen Jerome Eddy) whose own dreams of leaving and enjoying a spectacular life elsewhere have pretty much died.
Erwin is forced to make a choice by his adoptive father (Charles Sellon, who also appeared in the same role in 1924). The choice: put an end to his crazy day-dreaming and get back to work, or get out. Erwin decides to pack his things, and he hops a train to California. After he arrives out west, we see him go to Majestic Pictures which is where his hero Buck works. He naively thinks he can just walk on to the lot and get a role with Buck. Instead, he learns he's going to have to start as an extra and work his way up in the movie business.
While he's struggling, he meets the receptionist (Ruth Donnelly) of the casting office as well as a comedy actress (Blondell) who often comes in to drop stuff off. They do not think he has what it takes to be a popular film actor and Donnelly in particular is hoping he'll give up and go back home. But Blondell sort of feels sorry for the guy, and she pulls a few strings to get him work on Buck's latest picture. But when he flubs his one and only line and is fired on the same day, he goes off the radar.
What they don't realize is that he's lost his apartment and has no money for food. He's hiding out in a soundstage and scrounging for leftovers in the trash. Again Blondell takes pity and comes to his rescue.
She takes him to breakfast, then gives him a few dollars to shave and wash up. Next, she speaks to a director (Sam Hardy) of slapstick films that she works with, to convince him to hire Erwin.
Part of the conflict is that Erwin thinks of himself as a serious actor, but Blondell recognizes his potential for clowning. When the director decides to make Erwin the star in a western burlesque picture, they all play it "straight" letting the sap think he's making a high-grade western drama.
It's fun to watch the rest of the cast of the movie within the movie play this joke on him. Of course, we are also bracing ourselves for the big turning point when he learns the truth.
It isn't until the preview screening that Erwin's character realizes he's been such a sucker. The film is a hit with the test audience, but Erwin has to face the reality that he'll never play Hamlet and that Blondell and the others turned him into a laughing stock. Of course, Blondell's character has a heart and expresses contrition for what she's done. We know she is going to end up spending the rest of her life with him.
As I watched the film, I didn't exactly feel sorry for Erwin, since I felt his character needed to develop a sense of humor. If you can't laugh at yourself, you have no place in the movies, because it's a funny business and everyone knows that. Also, I thought that while Erwin gives us a nice modulated performance, he was actually not the right type of actor for this role. I think it really needs someone with a clown-type persona, like Buster Keaton, Joe E. Brown or Red Skelton. Mainly because he has to be someone who is funny no matter what, and Mr. Erwin does not exactly come across that way. Does he?
One thing I do love about the film is how evenly paced the sequences are. Director William Beaudine allows things to slow down, allows us to see our "star" struggle, and along with this, we are allowed to see Blondell's character develop. We don't necessarily want him to become the next John Barrymore, or the next guy to make a fortune entertaining millions...we just want him to gain some self-respect and self-worth.
MAKE ME A STAR was a remake of an earlier Paramount silent film called MERTON OF THE MOVIES which had been produced in 1924 and was based on a hit novel and play. In the mid-1940s, the studio sold the rights to MGM which remade it again as a vehicle for Red Skelton.
In the 1932 version, Erwin is playing a hick named Merton Gill, who like Danny Kaye in THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, has a rich fantasy life. When he's not messing up orders as a store clerk, he spends time with his horse, dressed in cowboy gear, emulating his favorite western movie star, Buck Benson (George Templeton).
He has even learned how to "act" by taking a correspondence course, which is rather amusing. Everyone in town thinks there's something wrong with him except maybe one person, a spinster (Helen Jerome Eddy) whose own dreams of leaving and enjoying a spectacular life elsewhere have pretty much died.
Erwin is forced to make a choice by his adoptive father (Charles Sellon, who also appeared in the same role in 1924). The choice: put an end to his crazy day-dreaming and get back to work, or get out. Erwin decides to pack his things, and he hops a train to California. After he arrives out west, we see him go to Majestic Pictures which is where his hero Buck works. He naively thinks he can just walk on to the lot and get a role with Buck. Instead, he learns he's going to have to start as an extra and work his way up in the movie business.
While he's struggling, he meets the receptionist (Ruth Donnelly) of the casting office as well as a comedy actress (Blondell) who often comes in to drop stuff off. They do not think he has what it takes to be a popular film actor and Donnelly in particular is hoping he'll give up and go back home. But Blondell sort of feels sorry for the guy, and she pulls a few strings to get him work on Buck's latest picture. But when he flubs his one and only line and is fired on the same day, he goes off the radar.
What they don't realize is that he's lost his apartment and has no money for food. He's hiding out in a soundstage and scrounging for leftovers in the trash. Again Blondell takes pity and comes to his rescue.
She takes him to breakfast, then gives him a few dollars to shave and wash up. Next, she speaks to a director (Sam Hardy) of slapstick films that she works with, to convince him to hire Erwin.
Part of the conflict is that Erwin thinks of himself as a serious actor, but Blondell recognizes his potential for clowning. When the director decides to make Erwin the star in a western burlesque picture, they all play it "straight" letting the sap think he's making a high-grade western drama.
It's fun to watch the rest of the cast of the movie within the movie play this joke on him. Of course, we are also bracing ourselves for the big turning point when he learns the truth.
It isn't until the preview screening that Erwin's character realizes he's been such a sucker. The film is a hit with the test audience, but Erwin has to face the reality that he'll never play Hamlet and that Blondell and the others turned him into a laughing stock. Of course, Blondell's character has a heart and expresses contrition for what she's done. We know she is going to end up spending the rest of her life with him.
As I watched the film, I didn't exactly feel sorry for Erwin, since I felt his character needed to develop a sense of humor. If you can't laugh at yourself, you have no place in the movies, because it's a funny business and everyone knows that. Also, I thought that while Erwin gives us a nice modulated performance, he was actually not the right type of actor for this role. I think it really needs someone with a clown-type persona, like Buster Keaton, Joe E. Brown or Red Skelton. Mainly because he has to be someone who is funny no matter what, and Mr. Erwin does not exactly come across that way. Does he?
One thing I do love about the film is how evenly paced the sequences are. Director William Beaudine allows things to slow down, allows us to see our "star" struggle, and along with this, we are allowed to see Blondell's character develop. We don't necessarily want him to become the next John Barrymore, or the next guy to make a fortune entertaining millions...we just want him to gain some self-respect and self-worth.