A young woman comes to Hollywood with dreams of stardom, and achieves them only with the help of an alcoholic leading man whose best days are behind him.A young woman comes to Hollywood with dreams of stardom, and achieves them only with the help of an alcoholic leading man whose best days are behind him.A young woman comes to Hollywood with dreams of stardom, and achieves them only with the help of an alcoholic leading man whose best days are behind him.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 4 wins & 7 nominations total
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams
- Posture Coach
- (as Guinn Williams)
Jean Acker
- Woman at Preview
- (uncredited)
Eric Alden
- Niles' Assistant
- (uncredited)
Irving Bacon
- Station Agent
- (uncredited)
Jane Barnes
- Waitress #1
- (uncredited)
Vince Barnett
- Otto
- (uncredited)
Clara Blandick
- Aunt Mattie
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- William A. Wellman
- Jack Conway(uncredited)
- Victor Fleming(uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis is widely considered to be the first Technicolor film that was a bona-fide critical and box office success. Until "A Star is Born" and "Nothing Sacred (1937)," color films had been garish, over-saturated and, as many critics complained, headache-inducing. Producer David O. Selznick insisted on muted, realistic color, and it was the success of these two films that paved the way for his Technicolor masterpiece "Gone with the Wind (1939)."
- GoofsThe Night Court Judge refers to the "commonwealth" of California, but California isn't one of the states with commonwealth status. The judge should have referred to the "state" instead.
- Quotes
Grandmother Lettie: If you've got one drop of my blood in your veins, you won't let Mattie or any of her kind break your heart, you'll go right out there and break it yourself.
- Alternate versionsAlso available in black and white
- ConnectionsEdited into What's Cookin' Doc? (1944)
- SoundtracksCalifornia, Here I Come
(1924) (uncredited)
Music by Joseph Meyer
(variations in the score as Esther arrives in Hollywood)
Featured review
Simply wonderful...
I had not watched this movie until today, passing up each opportunity over the years to view it, as I feared it would not live up to the 1954 blockbuster starring Judy Garland and James Mason.
I was right, it does not; it far surpasses the 1954 remake. Judy Garland is my favorite all-round entertainer, favorite singer, and the songs in the 1954 movie are classic treasures, and James Mason never disappoints in any film. However, in the 1937 version the story is told more sensitively, with more shading. Janet Gaynor is perfect as the home-grown farm girl seeking to make her mark in Hollywood, and Fredric March is very convincing as the has-been who cannot cope with his declining value in Hollywood, especially since he caused much of it himself.
I had thought that I might miss the music in this earlier version, but I found after having watched it that I didn't miss it at all. The movie was engrossing from beginning to end and stood on its own merits. I was moved by this film in a way that I never had been by the later remake.
SEE this film if you love a good story; don't put it off for years the way I did. Simply, simply wonderful...
I was right, it does not; it far surpasses the 1954 remake. Judy Garland is my favorite all-round entertainer, favorite singer, and the songs in the 1954 movie are classic treasures, and James Mason never disappoints in any film. However, in the 1937 version the story is told more sensitively, with more shading. Janet Gaynor is perfect as the home-grown farm girl seeking to make her mark in Hollywood, and Fredric March is very convincing as the has-been who cannot cope with his declining value in Hollywood, especially since he caused much of it himself.
I had thought that I might miss the music in this earlier version, but I found after having watched it that I didn't miss it at all. The movie was engrossing from beginning to end and stood on its own merits. I was moved by this film in a way that I never had been by the later remake.
SEE this film if you love a good story; don't put it off for years the way I did. Simply, simply wonderful...
helpful•747
- classicanne
- Oct 8, 2006
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Kariera
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,173,639 (estimated)
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