... thus I cannot rate it. But I do have some thoughts on it as well as information based on articles about it. What got me interested in this film is that it is a rare lost American Garbo film. At least it is listed in her filmography. MGM lose a Garbo film? I had to know more.
Apparently Garbo is not actually a character in the film. Instead, she and John Gilbert have a cameo role where they are appearing in a newsreel about a film premiere. What is still unknown is whether this footage was shot for this film, or if it is simply archival footage from an actual premiere. It is a rare silent 1929 film. The sound discs exist, but since they only have the score and sound effects on them, it is impossible to get a feel for the plot and the acting. Many stills exist.
The plot is about a girl played by Josephine Dunn who wants to be just like Greta Garbo and so goes to Hollywood to pursue her dream. It is a comedy costarring William Haines as Mel, a soda jerk, who ends up marrying Dunn and has to contend with all of this daydreaming. Haines buys some worthless stock (in 1929 - how oddly prescient!) from an assistant director who says he can make a star out of Dunn. Some articles say she does become a star, some say she does not. And some say that she becomes a star and at least temporarily forgets about Mel. Although this was adapted from other material, it does sound a lot like the plot of "Show People" from the previous year, does it not?
Haines, Dunn, and director James Cruze made another film the previous year that is also lost - Excess Baggage - so I doubt MGM would have made a second film with this trio if the first was not at least somewhat successful.
The only talking film that I have seen where Josephine Dunn has a significant role and is witnessed talking is "The Singing Fool", the 1928 part talkie that brought in the sound revolution which ironically killed Dunn's career. The only other film that exists in which she has a significant role is 1929's "Our Modern Maidens". Unfortunately she is often mislabeled in publicity stills for that film as Dorothy Sebastian, probably because Sebastian was in the other two films of the "flapper trilogy" and this is the only one in which Dunn stars.
Apparently Garbo is not actually a character in the film. Instead, she and John Gilbert have a cameo role where they are appearing in a newsreel about a film premiere. What is still unknown is whether this footage was shot for this film, or if it is simply archival footage from an actual premiere. It is a rare silent 1929 film. The sound discs exist, but since they only have the score and sound effects on them, it is impossible to get a feel for the plot and the acting. Many stills exist.
The plot is about a girl played by Josephine Dunn who wants to be just like Greta Garbo and so goes to Hollywood to pursue her dream. It is a comedy costarring William Haines as Mel, a soda jerk, who ends up marrying Dunn and has to contend with all of this daydreaming. Haines buys some worthless stock (in 1929 - how oddly prescient!) from an assistant director who says he can make a star out of Dunn. Some articles say she does become a star, some say she does not. And some say that she becomes a star and at least temporarily forgets about Mel. Although this was adapted from other material, it does sound a lot like the plot of "Show People" from the previous year, does it not?
Haines, Dunn, and director James Cruze made another film the previous year that is also lost - Excess Baggage - so I doubt MGM would have made a second film with this trio if the first was not at least somewhat successful.
The only talking film that I have seen where Josephine Dunn has a significant role and is witnessed talking is "The Singing Fool", the 1928 part talkie that brought in the sound revolution which ironically killed Dunn's career. The only other film that exists in which she has a significant role is 1929's "Our Modern Maidens". Unfortunately she is often mislabeled in publicity stills for that film as Dorothy Sebastian, probably because Sebastian was in the other two films of the "flapper trilogy" and this is the only one in which Dunn stars.
