Show People (1928)

A young lady from Georgia goes to Hollywood in the hopes of becoming an actress.

Director:

King Vidor

Writers:

Agnes Christine Johnston (treatment), Laurence Stallings (treatment),

Stars:

Marion Davies, William Haines, Dell Henderson

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Marion Davies	...	Peggy Pepper
William Haines	...	Billy Boone
Dell Henderson	...	Colonel Pepper
Paul Ralli	...	Andre
Tenen Holtz	...	Casting Director
Harry Gribbon	...	Comedy Director
Sidney Bracey	...	Dramatic Director (as Sidney Bracy)
Polly Moran	...	The Maid
Albert Conti	...	Producer

Storyline

Colonel Pepper brings his daughter, Peggy, to Hollywood from Georgia to be an actress. There she meets Billy who gets her work at Comet Studio doing comedies with him. But Peggy is discovered by High Art Studio and she leaves Billy and Comet to work there. For her new image, she is now Patricia Pepoire and ignores Billy when he sees her on location. When she is not longer wanted by the little people who do not understand "ART", she plans to marry Andre to get a fake title. Billy will not let her go without a fight.

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Plot Keywords:

studio | actress | georgia | hollywood | showbiz | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

20 November 1928 (USA)

Also Known As:

Es tut sich was beim Film

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Cosmopolitan Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min 83 min (copyright length) 78 min (Turner Library Print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (musical score and sound effects) Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Turner Classic Movies broadcasts the originally released print with the original score.

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Quotes

Billy Boone: [looks at Peggy's makeup] Remember, Baby, you're not painting a bungalow.

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Connections

Featured in So Funny It Hurt: Buster Keaton & MGM (2004)

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Soundtracks

"I'm Sitting on Top of the World"
(1925) (uncredited)
Music by Ray Henderson
Played after Charlie Chaplin gets Peggy and Billy's autographs
Also played when Peggy and Billy are waiting at High Arts Studio

User Reviews

Great Silent Comedy

Updated from a previous comment. The great and underrated Marion Davies shows her comedic stuff in this late (1928) silent comedy that also showcases the wonderful William Haines. Davies plays a hick from Georgia who crashes Hollywood with help from Haines, a bit player in crude comedies. They appear together in cheap comedies until Marion is "discovered" and becomes a big dramatic star.

A great lampoon on Hollywood and its pretensions. Davies & Haines are a wonderful team, and the guest shots from the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, William S. Hart, John Gilbert, Elinor Glyn, Norma Talmadge, Mae Murray, Rod LaRocque, Leatrice Joy, Dorothy Sebastian, Estelle Taylor, Louella Parsons, Renee Adoree, Aileen Pringle, and Marion Davies (you have to see it) are a hoot. A must for any serious film buff or for anyone interested in the still-maligned Marion Davies! Dell Henderson plays the father. Polly Moran is a maid. Paul Ralli is the slimy leading man.

SHOW PEOPLE was said to have used the career of Gloria Swanson as its model (I think Mae Murray is closer). Davies and Swanson were friends. But this film's story does parallel the rise of Swanson from one-reel Mack Sennett comedies with Charlie Chaplin to STAR in Cecil B. DeMille films of the late teens and early 20s.

Davies and Haines were huge MGM stars and friends. Odd that MGM never teamed them up in a talkie. They're great together! A sweet romance and delightful spoof of early Hollywood. Greta Garbo and Bebe Daniels are mentioned but do not appear.