Movie Crazy (1932)

Harold Hall, an accident prone young man with little or no acting ability, desperately wants to be in pictures. After a mix-up with his application photograph, he gets an offer to have a ... See full summary »

Director:

Clyde Bruckman

Writers:

Vincent Lawrence (screen play and dialogue), Agnes Christine Johnston (story),

Stars:

Harold Lloyd, Constance Cummings, Kenneth Thomson

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Harold Lloyd	...	Harold Hall aka Trouble
Constance Cummings	...	Mary Sears
Kenneth Thomson	...	Vance
Louise Closser Hale	...	Mrs. Kitterman
Spencer Charters	...	J.L. O'Brien
Robert McWade	...	Wesley Kitterman - Producer
Eddie Fetherston	...	Bill - Assistant Director (as Eddie Fetherstone)
Sydney Jarvis	...	The Director
Harold Goodwin	...	Miller
Mary Doran	...	Margie
DeWitt Jennings	...	Mr. Hall (as De Witt Jennings)
Lucy Beaumont	...	Mrs. Hall
Arthur Housman	...	Customer Who Didn't Order Rabbit

Storyline

Harold Hall, an accident prone young man with little or no acting ability, desperately wants to be in pictures. After a mix-up with his application photograph, he gets an offer to have a screen-test, and goes off to Hollywood. At the studio, he does everything wrong and causes all sorts of trouble. But he catches the fancy of a beautiful actress, and eventually the studio owner recognizes him as a comic genius.

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Plot Keywords:

screen test | actress | invitation | gay slur | mistaken identity | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 September 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cinemanía

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Center Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$675,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Harold Lloyd Corporation, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min 81 min (re-release) 98 min (restored)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Clyde Bruckman is the credited director, but most of the film was actually directed by Harold Lloyd due to Bruckman's often being incapacitated due to his alcoholism.

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Goofs

As Harold leaves Mary at the Kitterman party, she is sitting on the steps on the patio. As she watches Harold walk off, the shadow of the boom mic can be seen against the wall behind her as it swings over her head.

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Connections

Featured in Vito (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Indiana"
(1917) (uncredited)
Music by James F. Hanley
Whistled by Harold

User Reviews

Tired comedy saved by Constance Cummings

MOVIE CRAZY (1932) isn't one of Harold Lloyd's greatest comedies, or even, in this reviewer's opinion, his best talkie. It's a cliché story: small-town boy comes to Hollywood for stardom and falls flat on his face. Nincompoop wreaks havoc on movie studio. It's been done countless times, from Buster Keaton in FREE AND EASY (1930) to Red Skelton in MERTON OF THE MOVIES (1947).

Harold Lloyd plays the part of the fool, who ruins everything he comes in contact with. This type of character (similar to the talkie roles MGM would write for Buster Keaton) is sometimes hard to watch. Hopelessly naïve and pathetic. Viewed as a freak and played for a sucker. Always knocking over stacked objects or falling in puddles.

The gags are old and predictable (at least nowadays) and there are no groundbreaking stunts or anything. How many times have we seen the "oops, we must've switched hats" routine? And what do you think happens when Lloyd offers to help a woman unfold the top to her convertible? Or open an umbrella? Does that trick magician's jacket look just like Harold's, hanging in the restroom? (You bet it does.) This comedy just isn't all that funny, lacking some of the magic evident in Lloyd's silent classics.

The best thing in this movie is the beautiful Constance Cummings, who gives a rather impressive naturalistic performance as a Hollywood starlet whose path is crossed by Lloyd's accident-waiting-to-happen character. Cummings grows fond of Lloyd (whom she nicknames "Trouble") and her character manages to bring a cute romantic element to the film.

The first half-hour or so is pretty dull, but there's a fun little twist where Lloyd cannot recognize Cummings in her exotic on-set make-up and falls in love with the same woman twice. Cummings realizes this and plays around with Lloyd's heart. But does she actually love him, or is it all part of some game? This interesting "love triangle" is the strongest part of the script, and Cummings manages the dual role beautifully.

MOVIE CRAZY isn't all bad, but it is something of a letdown. Most of the "comedy" is tiresome, although certain bits work better than others. Interestingly, this talkie lacks some of the wit of Harold Lloyd's silent films. The story is nothing special, but Constance Cummings shines in her role and anchors the sweetness that makes the film's second half worth watching.