Stage Door (1937)

A chronicle of the ambitions, dreams, and disappointments of aspiring actresses who all live in the same boarding house.

Director:

Gregory La Cava (as Gregory LaCava)

Writers:

Morrie Ryskind (screen play), Anthony Veiller (screen play)

Stars:

Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Katharine Hepburn	...	Terry Randall
Ginger Rogers	...	Jean Maitland
Adolphe Menjou	...	Anthony Powell
Gail Patrick	...	Linda Shaw
Constance Collier	...	Miss Luther
Andrea Leeds	...	Kay Hamilton
Samuel S. Hinds	...	Henry Sims
Lucille Ball	...	Judith Canfield
Franklin Pangborn	...	Harcourt
William Corson	...	Bill
Pierre Watkin	...	Carmichael
Grady Sutton	...	Butch
Frank Reicher	...	Stage Director
Jack Carson	...	Mr. Milbanks
Phyllis Kennedy	...	Hattie

Storyline

Terry Randall, rich society beauty, has decided to see if she can break into the Broadway theatre scene without her family connections. She goes to live in a theatrical boarding house and finds her life caught up with those of the other inmates and the ever-present disappointment that theatrical hopefuls must live with. Her smart-mouth roommate, Jean, is approached by a powerful producer for more than just a role. And Terry's father has decided to give her career the shove by backing a production for her to star in, in which she's sure to flop. But his machinations hurt more than just Terry.

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Plot Keywords:

roommate | producer | ambition | confetti | shoeshine | 

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Taglines:

Brilliant In Cast And Story

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 October 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stage Door

Filming Locations:

RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$952,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$8,835

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min 83 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of the residence is the Footlights Club. The first shot of the interior is foot + lights - a pair of feet and a dustpan of light bulbs.

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Goofs

Even though Kay Hamilton had recently died. When they showed her grave. The tombstone was already engraved, and leveled in place. And the grave was completely flat with grass that already needed mowing in place. Fresh graves can take weeks to settle, grave stones as well. That's why there is rarely grass on relatively fresh grave. It's usually 60 to 90 days.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Judy Canfield: Do you have to do that?

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Alternate Versions

SPOILER: A shot of a man mowing the grass around Kay's grave is missing from some versions.

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Connections

Referenced in Twice in a Lifetime: The Trouble with Harry (2000)

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Soundtracks

Put Your Heart Into Your Feet and Dance
(uncredited)
Written by Hal Borne and Mort Greene
Danced by Ginger Rogers and Ann Miller

User Reviews

Very Enjoyable, With a Fine Cast and Many Other Strengths

With a fine cast and an interesting, worthwhile story, "Stage Door" is one of the best films of the late 1930's. It provides good comedy - at least if you can keep up with the fast-paced, many-sided dialogues - and some interesting drama in the lives of its characters. The characters are well-developed, even the minor ones, and this makes the dramatic developments that much more meaningful. The atmosphere is a convincing and very interesting look at life in the theater, neither overly glamourized nor overly sordid.

There is a great deal of talent in the cast, led by Katherine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers, whose characters clash in interesting ways. Adolphe Menjou is an ideal choice to play this kind of genial cad. Gail Patrick also is perfect as an elegant but venomous young performer. Constance Collier is amusing as the would-be mentor for the younger actresses. Andrea Leeds is very sympathetic in her role. Most of the other characters in the boarding house get only small stretches of screen time, but they all make good use of it. It's also enjoyable just to see the likes of Ann Miller, Lucille Ball, and Eve Arden in some of their earlier roles.

The cast is the most obvious of its strengths, but the writing is also quite good, and Gregory La Cava's direction is very good, maintaining a good pace without rushing anything, and keeping a good balance between the amusing and the serious sides of the story. Everything works very well, making for an enjoyable and thoughtful picture.