IMDb > Dramatic School (1938)

Dramatic School (1938) More at IMDbPro »

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
6.2/10   103 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Robert B. Sinclair
Writers:
Hans Székely (play) and
Zoltan Egyed (play) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Dramatic School on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
9 December 1938 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Romance more
Tagline:
What price fame for innocent beauties seeking careers in the theatre's spotlight! more
Plot:
Aspiring actress Louise Muban attends the prestigious Paris School of Drama during the day and works... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
User Comments:
Overly-dramatic school! more (7 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Luise Rainer ... Louise Mauban

Paulette Goddard ... Nana
Alan Marshal ... Marquis Andre D'Abbencourt

Lana Turner ... Mado
Genevieve Tobin ... Gina Bertier
John Hubbard ... Fleury (as Anthony Allan)
Henry Stephenson ... Pasquel, Sr.
Gale Sondergaard ... Madame Therese Charlot
Melville Cooper ... Boulin
Erik Rhodes ... Georges Mounier
Virginia Grey ... Simone
Ann Rutherford ... Yvonne
Hans Conried ... Ramy
Rand Brooks ... Pasquel Jr.
Jean Chatburn ... Mimi
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
80 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #4859) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)
Company:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Hans Conried's film debut. more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful.
Overly-dramatic school!, 1 February 2009
3/10
Author: planktonrules from Bradenton, Florida

It seems like I am the big meanie with this review. While several others were also not in love with this film, my views are the most negative. This film, despite its budget and MGM luster just didn't do much for me--mostly because the central character was rather tough to like.

Luise Rainer played, or shall I say "over-played" the role of a young student in film school who works late at night to pay for schooling AND has an over-active imagination (i.e., she likes to lie a lot). One reviewer who loved this film (whitedudekickin) loved Ms. Rainer for exactly the same reasons I disliked her. He said that she was "...almost like a silent screen star with her exaggerated facial expressions". I just couldn't help but feel that the character she played wasn't real in any sense--like Rainer was pretending to be a young star-to-be instead of a real person. For example, when she talked to people, she tended to stare off in space and talk in a very detached way--like she was trying out for a play with each conversation. This performance was much more affected even than Garbo in CAMILLE. I would have MUCH preferred she acted more like a real person.

An aspect of Rainer's character that was tough to take was that he was a habitual liar. Now had she panicked and lied (thus triggering a funny series of events), this could have worked. But Rainer lies throughout the film and yet the film wants the viewer to care about this lady. While Paulette Goddard's hard-as-nails character comes off as vicious, most of the time she is attacking Rainer, it is well-deserved--she IS a liar. Yet, time and again, the film rescues and rewards the waif-like Rainer from the quagmire created by her own lies. A great object lesson for the audience, huh?! As for the other actors, most actually did very well. Henry Stephenson is his usual affable self, Blossom Rock ('Grandmama' from "THE ADDAMS FAMILY" and also Jeanette MacDonald's real-life sister) has one of her best supporting performances and the ever-smooth Alan Marshal did so well as the handsome Marquis that you wonder why he didn't go on to stardom. But even with decent performances, they just couldn't make up for the film's inadequacies.

A film that is often annoying and hard to take--you may just find yourself turning it off when the film becomes too schmaltzy and over-played. Do yourself a favor--skip this one and try finding STAGE DOOR. It tackles pretty much the same subject matter but in a much more enjoyable and realistic manner.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (7 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Dramatic School (1938)

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Till We Meet Again Gone with the Wind Before Sunrise These Three The Bad and the Beautiful
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.