What Price Hollywood?

Audience Reviews

View More

Russ G Dec 7 A pre-Code picture that has a mixture of charm, wit, and some awkward moments. Sure, the happy ending is predictable but forgivable. There are little nuggets of pre-Code scriptwriting in the dialog; Mary: "I have a baby in every picture!" Her producer: "This time is different; you're married first!" There's a scene where Mary and Lonnie briefly share a bed; that was verboten after the Hayes Code was enforced. Yes, it's the blueprint for "A Star is Born" right down to our protagonist's discoverer's tragic end. See more Steve D 02/24/2024 A lot like A Star is Born but not quite as powerful acting wise. See more Blu B 01/22/2024 The True Original Star is Born isn't half bad. The acting (which can be wooden at times), pacing, and cinematography is pretty decent and the editing is solid. Really the problems boil down to this really could've used a soundtrack as it does feel dry at times with no music. Also, it does feel a bit rushed under 90 minutes at times as we don't get a lot of backstory on Mary and were just thrown into the story. Despite that you can follow it pretty easily although I'm not sure why the drama with her husband was needed as it takes away from the director/actor rise/fall dynamic. Also, it is a bit primative and basic at times camerawork wise and it would've helped if this was in color as well. It's crazy they "show" suicide in this as well. Anyone who is a hardcore fan of A Star is Born (any version) should check this out, fans of any actors in this, or any Cukor fans. See more CodyZamboni Z @CodyZamboni 03/08/2023 Movie starts off as a light hearted spoof of Hollywood, but soon becomes the blueprint for A Star Is Born. Film's biggest asset is Constance Bennett. She is so likeable and kind, Most fascinating for me are the behind the scenes look at old school moviemaking, See more Raymond H @RayHortonIndiana 08/26/2022 I had heard of this film for years, as being the "other version" of "a star is born". I'm very tired of all the versions of the latter, so I didn't think I would enjoy it, but I enjoyed it immensely! Stars Constance Bennett and Lowell Sherman light up the screen - Bennett sparkles and Sherman charms, all through the first half or so of the movie. And, it is a pleasant surprise to see Eddie "Rochester" Anderson as a butler (an uncredited role, unlike Louise Beavers as a maid. Such was the treatment of blacks in Hollywood back then, of course, although the role was small.) BETTER than "A Star is Born"? Probably not, at least of the first two versions, but highly recommended! See more Jordan M 05/30/2021 It's rather hard to judge this one because it certainly wasn't poorly made, in fact they broke some new ground with their rise-to-stardom montage sequence and the story they told was more realistic than the Star is Born movies it inspired. They fully earned the designation of "good early talkie" as this is a solid example of Hollywood successfully shifting to dialogue-heavy stories; it's also better than many of its early-30s peers in that lots of those movies had people speaking unnaturally fast, where this one didn't. The problem is that a lot more money was invested in even the '37 Star is Born with color cinematography and a starrier cast. They pared the story down in those movies to be less realistic but somehow more compelling, and by the first remake were telling it partly by way of song, leaving this movie with the rather unfair legacy of having provided the story basis for a string of superior movies. See more Read all reviews

What Price Hollywood?

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW