The film begins with a submarine accident. The sub is stuck on the bottom and they are running out of air. The scene is very gripping--especially when the Lieutenant sacrifices his life to save the rest of the crew. However, after doing this, a rescue party and the officer (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) is saved. When the ship he is on returns to port, the media have made him a hero--and the Admiral welcomes him in a fancy ceremony. Like it or not, the Lieutenant's life will never be the same.
Walter Catlett is on hand to play the agent who exploits every opportunity to publicize Fairbanks. This is the sort of smooth-talking and morally dubious role that Catlett did so well during the 1930s. And with Catlett's help, the media goes crazy--making Fairbanks America's hero. Songs were written about him, his engagement made national headlines and he enjoyed this notoriety about as much as most would enjoy a migraine! Eventually, the pressures of stardom begin to wear at Fairbanks and soon lead to marital problems. It's tough living, so to speak, inside a fishbowl and Fairbanks begins lashing out at everyone.
This film is an excellent comedy and parody of the sort of sensationalism and media blitzes that were so popular at the time. In the 1920s and 30s, people became famous for the darnedest reasons--such as flagpole sitting, aviation antics and the like. In this era, they had instant heroes like Lindberg, Admiral Byrd and the crew of the Graf Zeppelin and there must have been 1001 ticker tape parades in New York City. There was even a parade for Captain George Fried and the crew of the SS President Roosevelt for heroic sea rescue--and this must have been some of the inspiration for this film. Today, we have Jon and Pat, balloon boy, William Hung and E!. I guess things HAVEN'T changed that much!
Walter Catlett is on hand to play the agent who exploits every opportunity to publicize Fairbanks. This is the sort of smooth-talking and morally dubious role that Catlett did so well during the 1930s. And with Catlett's help, the media goes crazy--making Fairbanks America's hero. Songs were written about him, his engagement made national headlines and he enjoyed this notoriety about as much as most would enjoy a migraine! Eventually, the pressures of stardom begin to wear at Fairbanks and soon lead to marital problems. It's tough living, so to speak, inside a fishbowl and Fairbanks begins lashing out at everyone.
This film is an excellent comedy and parody of the sort of sensationalism and media blitzes that were so popular at the time. In the 1920s and 30s, people became famous for the darnedest reasons--such as flagpole sitting, aviation antics and the like. In this era, they had instant heroes like Lindberg, Admiral Byrd and the crew of the Graf Zeppelin and there must have been 1001 ticker tape parades in New York City. There was even a parade for Captain George Fried and the crew of the SS President Roosevelt for heroic sea rescue--and this must have been some of the inspiration for this film. Today, we have Jon and Pat, balloon boy, William Hung and E!. I guess things HAVEN'T changed that much!