Make Me a Star (1932)

Menton Gill is longing to become a cowboy actor and leaves his hometown to try his luck in Hollywood, but there his acting ability is regarded as non-existent, but actress Flips gives him a... See full summary »

Director:

William Beaudine

Writers:

Sam Mintz (screen play), Walter DeLeon (screen play),

Stars:

Joan Blondell, Stuart Erwin, Zasu Pitts

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joan Blondell	...	'Flips' Montague
Stuart Erwin	...	Merton Gill
Zasu Pitts	...	Mrs. Scudder (as ZaSu Pitts)
Ben Turpin	...	Ben
Charles Sellon	...	Mr. Gashwiler
Florence Roberts	...	Mrs. Gashwiler
Helen Jerome Eddy	...	Tessie Kearns
Arthur Hoyt	...	Hardy Powell
George Templeton	...	Buck Benson (as Dink Templeton)
Ruth Donnelly	...	The Countess
Sam Hardy	...	Jeff Baird
Oscar Apfel	...	Henshaw

Storyline

Menton Gill is longing to become a cowboy actor and leaves his hometown to try his luck in Hollywood, but there his acting ability is regarded as non-existent, but actress Flips gives him a chance in a bit part, but he fails in that, but the way he fails makes her think that he could be a good comedian. She persuades the studio to put him in a western parody, not telling him what they're really planing, because they know that he does not like comedies. Rather than ending tragic-comically, however, the movie becomes a brilliant coda to art and its servants, the artists, in this case the magniloquent Joan Blondell and Stuart Erwin.

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Plot Keywords:

actor | actress | secretary | bumbler | correspondence school | 

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Taglines:

Thousands Dream of it! Pray for it! Pay for it! But few ever achieve it!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 July 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gates of Hollywood

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Merton of the Movies (1924)

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Soundtracks

"California, Here I Come"
(1924) (uncredited)
Music by Joseph Meyer
Played during the opening and end credits
Played when Merton takes the train to Hollywood

User Reviews

Stuart Erwin's Versatility

"Make me a Star" is a heartrending film, one that superbly demonstrates the sincerity, honesty, and versatility of Stuart Erwin. Although many of the early scenes are farcical and satirize slapstick comedy, specifically the kind directed by Mack Sennett, the movie turns serious when it delves into the boorish behavior of the Hollywood studio system moguls, who prey upon starstruck acting hopefuls. And Stuart Erwin, as one of these unworldly hopefuls, handles both the farce and the drama equally adroitly. The final scene between Erwin and Joan Blondell is heartbreaking. In fact, I was so impressed with the movie that I decided to devote much of one chapter to this remarkable film in my book on Stuart Erwin.