Producers: Marion Davies and Irving Thalberg (Cosmopolitan Pictures, MGM)
Director: King Vidor
Cinematography: John Arnold
Editing: Hugh Wynn
Music: William Axt, Raymond Klages, David Mendoza
Players: Marion Davies (Peggy Pepper), William Haines (Billy Boone), Dell Henderson (Colonel Pepper), Paul Ralli (Andre), Tenen Holtz (Casting Director), Polly Moran (Maid), Sidney Bracey (Drama Director), Harry Gribbon (Comedy Director), Charles Chaplin as Himself, Albert Conti (Producer).
USA - Comedy - 82min - B&W - Silent
This is the story of the naive Peggy Pepper who comes to Hollywood accompanied by her father Colonel Pepper from Georgia. Hoping to make it big in the pictures she masters the dramatic expressions she hopes to use in serious arty drama's. But like Gloria Swanson she has to start in slapstick comedy which she is not happy about but she has Billy Boone to encourage her. She masters the art of slapstick then goes fourth into her "meaningful" drama's not only changing her genre but her whole image from fresh faced southerner to hoity toity diva changing her name to Patricia Pepoire. As Pepoire she is guided by a John Gilbert look a like Andre and by his advice she breaks contact with comic Billy Boone and she tries terribly hard to keep her Mae Murray face on at all times. (Murray was a huge star and famous for being the girl with the "bee stung lips" as seen in the "passion" photo below of Marion and her pops.)
Flying high on the glamour and attention of being a serious actress Peggy leave's the pie face world behind her and sets to wed Andre. Just in the nick of time Billy Boone pulls her back down to earth and the two reconcile. Billy and Peggy together star in King Vidor's next picture which is reminiscent of his war epic The Big Parade.
As well as offering a few laughs (probably not as many as its initial release) it's a great insight into silent film making of the late twenties and almost every character is a parody of someone in the business. Peggy herself is based on Gloria Swanson. The big names at the time even have cameo's so it appears even though King Vidor is poking fun at the system, lots of people seem to be in on the gag. In a scene with MGM players sitting around at lunch we see the romantic leading man John Gilbert, the swashbuckler Douglas Fairbanks, the exotic Renee Adoree and the cowboy William S. Hart to name a few. Marion Davies as herself even appears in a scene, in it Peggy spots her and asks who that girl is, its clear Peggy doesn't think much of Marion Davies and dismisses her as a nobody. In the last scene of the film King Vidor plays himself. Chaplin appears after seeing Peggy Pepper the comic on the big screen he asks for her autograph and without his moustache Peggy doesn't recognize him, that is a great scene considering Marion and Chaplin were great friends and were even rumoured in having an affair, Peggy seems really sincere in not knowing who he is.
The film is a running commentary of Hollywood poking fun at everyone and especially the build up and phoniness of those involved in the uber dramas. It looks like ten times more fun making the slapstick than the drama's and the film makes a point of how much work goes into the making the slapsticks.
When Peggy enters the world of drama, in probably the most painful but funny scene the dramatic director forces her to cry, they try everything from the saddest song to starving Armenian's, when she finally has the tears flowing they find they have no film in the camera and she's lost the tears.
This is a great film it features an awesome performance by Marion Davies she really was a great screwball actress. William Haines (Billy Boone) who at the time was a bigger star than Marion Davies joined the film as a favour to Davies who was a good friend, here he gives his first sympathetic performances fleeing from his previous streak of roles as brassy college dude's.
King Vidor's movie's never disappoint me at all. Vidor said that he made Show People for himself and his buddies, and he simply thought up a few things that would make his buddies laugh, there are quite a few of inside jokes including directors and their strange mannerisms. Chewing the hanky like John Ford and hitting behind the ear like Jack Conway. This film is quite hard to watch unless you have tcm, help the cause and vote here to have it released on dvd. its almost there! :)
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| Peggy's skill gets her a spot on the movie lot |
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