I rated this movie with six stars mostly because of Joan Blondell, one of my favorite actresses. When I came across the movie on Turner Classics (thanks, Turner!), I immediately recorded and then watched it, expecting a comedy because it sounded like a comedy. Boy was I disappointed. It starts out with a Hollywood wannabe leaving his hick town for tinseltown in hopes of fame and fortune as a "serious actor." But when it quickly becomes painfully obvious that he has zero talent and should've stayed home, Joan Blondell's actress character feels sorry for him for no apparent reason, buys him a meal, and introduces him to a guy who directs movies with the kid's idol, a famous cowboy. As other reviewers have pointed out, the catch is that this innocent and totally inept kid will be made to believe he's starring in a serious Western but it will in fact be made strictly for laughs, at his expense. This seems rather cruel, even by Hollywood standards, but I found it unbelievable for two reasons. One, not for an instant did I believe Joan Blondell would find this kid likable, much less develop strong feelings for him. He was a pathetic untalented idiot. What was the attraction? Two, if she really did have feelings for him, she would have told him to his face that he didn't have a chance in the world of succeeding in movies. She never would have aided and abetted the scheme of letting him believe he'd become an instant success and making him a laughingstock. Originally I rated this with only three stars, but changed it to six because I really do enjoy watching Joan Blondell, but that final pathetic scene, evidently meant to be heartbreaking, was too long and frankly absurd.
Review of Make Me a Star
