It Happened in Hollywood

It happened in Hollywood is by no means a perfect film. Nevertheless I urge everyone to see it because of two reasons. On the one hand it's an interesting look at the shift from Silent Films to Talkies not merely 10 years after the industry had changed and endet the carriers of hundreds of actors. On the other hand there are 6 minutes near the end where close to all first grade movie stars of that time "meet" and "party" together. Dietrich kinda meets Garbo kinda meets Chaplin kinda meets Lloyd kinda meets ... and its such a joy to watch. 5 out of 10

RICHARD DIX plays a has-been western movie star who's romantically involved with FAY WRAY, whose stardom is on the rise, another variation on the "A Star Is Born" sort of theme. What makes this one interesting are all the behind-the-scenes looks at movies in the making with directors and script girls and lighting men doing their thing. When Dix gets a break to return to pictures in a gangster role, he walks off the set when the director decides to make him a cop killer. From then on, the fortunes of Dix and his sweetheart are on the downside and there's a sentimental sub-plot involving an avid fan, a young boy who idolizes Dix. However, all ends happily when Dix happens upon a bank robbery and becomes a hero by drawing a gun he intended to use to rob the bank himself. It's a bit of a stretch for the ending, but then nothing in the film bears much relation to reality. Low-budget film passes the time, nothing more.

A silent Western star gets left behind in the talkie era. Of course, this movie has some pretty stiff competition from SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and SUNSET BOULEVARD. And let's be honest, it doesn't even come close to either one, lacking the rapturous joy of the former or the incisive cynicism of the latter. But it is slightly interesting in that it was made so soon after the transition. For Richard Dix this was surely a real concern (probably not so much for Fay Wray). However, Dix's character is such a golly-gee swell egg (he can't play a gangster, it would let down his fans!) that the film feels rather lightweight and bland. The earnest little boy who worships him doesn't make it any easier to swallow. Still, it goes down easy enough to be watchable, and includes one genuinely terrific scene of a party featuring star doubles, including pretty good facsimiles of Garbo, West, Chaplin, Dietrich and Fields.

Wonderful flick about the transition from silent movies to talkies. For a B movie, the direction by Lachman is top drawer, and the acting by Dix and Wray (far better here than in famously screamy role in KING KONG, for instance) quite splendid. The cherry on the cake is that it takes a touching approach to the problem of overnight joblessness in a glamorous, no failure accepted, world, without losing contact with reality. True love can really save the day!