Hollywood Hotel (1937)

Director:

Busby Berkeley

Writers:

Jerry Wald (screenplay) &
Maurice Leo (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 January 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Plot:

Ronny Bowers, a saxophonist in Benny Goodman's band has won a talent contest an got a ten week contract with a film studio...

Plot Keywords:

Double | Actor | Hotel | Drive In | Movie Premiere

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Dick Powell	...	Ronnie Bowers
Rosemary Lane	...	Virginia
Lola Lane	...	Mona Marshall
Hugh Herbert	...	Chester Marshall
Ted Healy	...	Fuzzy Boyle
Glenda Farrell	...	Miss Jones aka Jonesy
Johnnie Davis	...	Georgia
Louella Parsons	...	Herself
Alan Mowbray	...	Alexander 'Alex' Duprey
Mabel Todd	...	Dot Marshall
Frances Langford	...	Alice Crayne
Jerry Cooper	...	Jerry Cooper
Ken Niles	...	Ken Niles
Duane Thompson	...	Duane Thompson
Allyn Joslyn	...	Bernie Walton
Grant Mitchell	...	B.L. Faulkin
Edgar Kennedy	...	Callaghan
Fritz Feld	...	The Russian
Curt Bois	...	Butch
Perc Westmore	...	Perc Westmore
Eddie Acuff	...	Joe
Clinton Rosemond	...	Tom
William B. Davidson	...	Director Walter Kelton (as William Davidson)
Wally Maher	...	Asst. Director Drew
Georgie Cooper	...	Seamstress (as Georgia Cooper)
Libby Taylor	...	Cleo
Joseph Romantini	...	Headwaiter (as Joe Romantini)
Paul Irving	...	Bramwell
Raymond Paige and His Orchestra	...	Themselves
Benny Goodman Orchestra	...	Themselves
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Benny Goodman	...	Conductor of His Orchestra
Raymond Paige	...	Conductor of His Orchestra
Pearl Adams	...	Mammy in Civil War Drama (uncredited)
Don Barclay	...	Friend (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Man at Premiere (uncredited)
Sonny Bupp	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
Leonard Carey	...	Dupre's Butler (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Man at Premiere / Man at Restaurant / Guest at Orchid Room (uncredited)
Allan Conrad	...	Casting Assistant (uncredited)
Alan Davis	...	Assistant (uncredited)
Helen Dickson	...	Onlooker at Premiere (uncredited)
Lester Dorr	...	Casting Assistant (uncredited)
Marianne Edwards	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
Demetris Emanuel	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Betty Farrington	...	Woman Onlooker (uncredited)
Jerry Fletcher	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Allen Fox	...	Casting Assistant (uncredited)
Harry Fox	...	Shoe Salesman (uncredited)
Eddie Graham	...	Eddie (uncredited)
Sid Grauman	...	Himself - Man in Lobby (uncredited)
Harrison Greene	...	Drive-in Patron with 3 Boys (uncredited)
George Guhl	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Lionel Hampton	...	Himself - Goodman's Vibraphonist (uncredited)
John Harron	...	Radio Representative (uncredited)
Susan Hayward	...	Starlet at Table (uncredited)
Al Herman	...	Casting Man (uncredited)
Robert Homans	...	Hollywood Bowl Watchman (uncredited)
Harry James	...	Himself - Goodman Tall Trumpeter (uncredited)
Patsy 'Babe' Kane	...	Casting Assistant (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Owen King	...	Casting Assistant (uncredited)
Gene Krupa	...	Himself - Goodman's Drummer (uncredited)
Carole Landis	...	Hat Check Girl with Coat (uncredited)
Ethelreda Leopold	...	Platinum Blonde in 'Dark Eyes' Chorus (uncredited)
Al Lloyd	...	Man in Movie Theater (uncredited)
Jean Maddox	...	Hotel Maid (uncredited)
Jerry Mandy	...	Waiter (uncredited)
William Mansell	...	Dot's Partner (uncredited)
Frank McClure	...	Man at Premiere (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Man at Premiere (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Man at Orchid Club (uncredited)
Frances Morris	...	Casting Assistant (uncredited)
Jackie Morrow	...	Page Boy (uncredited)
Jack Mower	...	Airport Guard (uncredited)
David Newell	...	Casting Assistant (uncredited)
Barry Norton	...	Man at Premiere (uncredited)
Spec O'Donnell	...	Youth in Lobby (uncredited)
George Offerman Jr.	...	Elevator Boy (uncredited)
George O'Hanlon	...	Casting Assistant (uncredited)
Paul Whiteman and Orchestra	...	Producer who offers Powell job after musical number at Callahan's Drive-In (uncredited)
Jean Perry	...	Frenchy (uncredited)
Ronald Reagan	...	Radio Announcer & Interviewer at Premiere (uncredited)
John Ridgely	...	Tall Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Constantine Romanoff	...	Falsetto-Voiced Man with Ice Cream Cone (uncredited)
Ronald R. Rondell	...	Man in Hollywood Hotel Lobby (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Co-pilot (uncredited)
Janet Shaw	...	Girl at Premiere (uncredited)
John Sheehan	...	Premiere Guest Missing Coat (uncredited)
Dina Smirnova	...	Russian Woman (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Guest at Orchid Room (uncredited)
David Leo Tillotson	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
Rosella Towne	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Joan Valerie	...	Girl at Premiere (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Man at Hollywood Hotel Desk (uncredited)
Bobby Watson	...	Casting Assistant (uncredited)
Billy Wayne	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Hotel Guest / Autograph Seeker (uncredited)
Poppy Wilde	...	Chorus Member - Dark Eyes Number (uncredited)
Teddy Wilson	...	Himself - Goodman's Pianist (uncredited)
Dan Wolheim	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
William Worthington	...	Passerby (uncredited)

Directed by
Busby Berkeley

Writing credits
Jerry Wald		(screenplay) &
Maurice Leo		(screenplay) and
Richard Macaulay		(screenplay) (as Richard Macauley)
Jerry Wald		(original story) and
Maurice Leo		(original story)

Produced by
Samuel Bischoff	....	associate producer (uncredited)
Bryan Foy	....	associate producer (uncredited)
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Ray Heindorf		(uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
George Barnes		(musical numbers photographed by)
Charles Rosher		(photography by)

Film Editing by
George Amy

Art Direction by
Robert M. Haas		(as Robert Haas)

Costume Design by
Orry-Kelly		(gowns)

Production Management
Robert Fellows	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Russell Saunders	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Charles David Forrest	....	sound (as David Forrest)
Oliver S. Garretson	....	sound

Stunts
Vivian Austin	....	stunt double: Rosemary Lane (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Ray Heindorf	....	orchestrator
Fletcher Henderson	....	music arranger (uncredited)

Other crew
Gene Lewis	....	dialogue director
Busby Berkeley	....	dances created and directed by (uncredited)
Matty King	....	assistant dance director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (A First National Picture)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1937) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #3718) | Australia:G | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Glendale Grand Central Air Terminal - Grandview Avenue, Glendale, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The drive-in restaurant where Dick Powell's character works is called "Callahans" in the film. The actual coffee shop in Hollywood was called "Carpenter's" and was located at the southeast corner of Sunset and Vine Streets. It was one of the earliest "drive-in" restaurants in the U.S. The uniform worn is based on the actual uniforms the mostly male waiters wore. They were based on the uniforms that service station attendants wore. The reason for this new type of restaurant was to cater to the new younger movie star who wanted to be seen in their expensive automobiles. The restaurant was open all night.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the "Hooray for Hollywood" portion of the finale, Scat Davis is shown playing the trumpet on the back row of 'Benny Goodman''s band while at the same time he's in the audience singing.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Out Where the Stars Begin (1938)

Soundtrack:

Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?)

"That screwy, ballyhooey Hollywood/Where any office boy or young mechanic/Can be a panic/With just a good-looking pan!"

Fake show biz, courtesy director Busby Berkeley. Saxophone player from the East is called out to Hollywood for work in the movies (though we have no idea why or how this brainstorm transpired); he's immediately set up as a pigeon, taking a lookalike-starlet to a lavish premiere--but when the real actress gets wind of the deception, she orders the greenhorn be fired (and the studio dutifully complies, though the date was their idea!). Ridiculous musical-comedy padded with Big Band numbers and pop-ups from buxom columnist Louella Parsons (touted as "The Queen of Hollywood"). Dick Powell has an ingratiating manner and a handsome profile, but we never learn anything about his character except that he's easily fooled. The Johnny Mercer-Richard Whiting songs run the gamut from fine ("Hooray For Hollywood", "I'm Like a Fish Out of Water") to awful ("Sing, You Son of a Gun"), while the point of the whole thing seems to be: no matter how big of a star you might be, you can always be replaced. ** from ****