Hollywood Hotel(1937).

Hollywood Hotel(1937). Directed by Busby Berkeley. Cast: Dick Powell, Rosemary Lane, Lola Lane, and Ted Healy. Ronald Reagan, Benny Goodman and Harry James (a member of Goodman's band).

It is best remembered for the song "Hooray for Hollywood" by Johnny Mercer and Richard A. Whiting, sung in the film by Johnnie Davis and Frances Langford, accompanied by Benny Goodman and his orchestra. The song has become a standard part of the soundtrack to movie award ceremonies, including the Academy Awards.

Ronnie Bowers, a singer and saxophone player with Benny Goodman's orchestra wins a contract with All Star Pictures. They book him into the Hollywood Hotel, which is also the home of Mona Marshall. The afternoon before the premiere of her latest movie, Mona is interviewed by Louella Parsons, who breaks the news that Mona will not get the lead in a new film.

Heartbroken, Mona decides not to go to the premiere and goes into hiding. Publicist Bernie Walton holds a casting call to find a woman who "looks like" Mona, to  show up at the premiere and finds Virginia Stanton, who worked as Mona's stunt double. Worried that Mona's escort, Alexander Dupre, will know the difference, they ask Ronnie to be her date.

The next day, Mona returns and demands that Ronnie and Virginia be fired. Ronnie confused by Mona's behavior until Bernie tells him what is going on. Virginia gets Ronnie a job as a car hop, where director Walter Kelton overhears his singing. Kelton offers Ronnie a job dubbing Dupre's voice in the new Mona Marshall movie.

After the first screening the actor is invited by Louella Parsons to sing in her program "Hollywood Hotel". He accepts, but he doesn't know that Ronny Bowers does not want to lend him his voice again.

Some of the he best moments of the film are the Goodman's numbers which include a good look at vibraphonist Lional Hampton and drummer Gene Krupa, along with jazz trumpeter Harry James.

I just love this video:


Fun Facts:

The actual "Hollywood Hotel" was a sprawling building that had formal gardens, grand lobby, 2 towers and a ballroom. It was the hangout for many stars over the years. It was finally torn down in 1956. The site today is now occupied by the Hollywood-Highland shopping complex and Kodak Theater, where the Oscars are now presented every year.

The drive-in restaurant where Dick Powell's character works is called "Callahans" in the film. The actual coffee shop in Hollywood was called "Carpenter's" and was located at the southeast corner of Sunset and Vine Streets. It was one of the earliest "drive-in" restaurants in the U.S. The uniform worn is based on the actual uniforms the mostly male waiters wore. They were based on the uniforms that service station attendants wore. The reason for this new type of restaurant was to cater to the new younger movie star who wanted to be seen in their expensive automobiles. The restaurant was open all night.

Ginger Rogers was offered a leading role in this movie, but turned it down.

Louella Parsons (August 6, 1881 – December 9, 1972) was an American gossip columnist who, was often feared and hated by actors, whose careers she could negatively impact via her radio show and newspaper columns.

Parsons also appeared in numerous cameo spots in movies including: Hollywood Hotel (1937), Without Reservations (1946) and Starlift (1951).

42nd Street (1933).

42nd Street(1933). A Warner Bros. musical film directed by Lloyd Bacon with choreography by Busby Berkeley. The songs were written by Harry Warren (music) and Al Dubin (lyrics). 42nd Street was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1934.

Broadway director Julian Marsh, ignores his weak heart, because he really wants to direct the new musical, "Pretty Lady" with producers Jones and Barry.

The leading lady, Dorothy Brock, has been already cast by her "sugar daddy" Abner Dillon. In a casting call, Marsh and his stage manager, Andy Lee, audition the dancers, choosing: Lee's girlfriend Loraine Fleming, a gold digger nick-named "Anytime Annie" and Peggy Sawyer.

Billy Lawler, falls in love with Peggy, but she has eyes for Pat Denning, Dorothy's lover and ex-partner.

Pat is getting tired of Dorothy's acting career and leaves for Philadelphia to live his own life. During the cast party.. Dorothy gets drunk, fights with Pat and sprains her ankle.

The next evening, Peggy goes in her place and becomes a overnight star.

Now.. she realizes that she really does love Billy, just as Dorothy admits that what she really wants is to retire and marry Pat.

This is a really charming musical with a top notch cast. One of my favorite scenes is during a drunken cast party the night before the musical opens. I also love the musical number..."Young and Healthy" with Powell running around in his underwear.

 

Bebe Daniels (January 14, 1901 - March 16, 1971) made over 230 films. Daniels father was a theater manager and her mother a stage actress.

The family moved to Los Angeles, California and she began her acting career at the age of four in, The Squaw Man. That same year she also went on tour in a stage production of, Shakespeare's Richard III.

The following year she participated in productions by Morosooa and David Belasco. By the age of seven Daniels had her first starring role in, A Common Enemy.

At the age of nine she starred as Dorothy Gale in the 1910 short film, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

At the age of fourteen she starred opposite film comedian Harold Lloyd in a series of Lonesome Luke two-reel comedies starting with the 1915 film, Giving Them Fits. The two began a romantic relationship and were known in Hollywood as... "The Boy" and "The Girl."

In 1919, she accepted a contract offering from Cecil B. DeMille, who gave her secondary roles in such films as: Male and Female (1919), Why Change Your Wife? (1920), and The Affairs of Anatol (1921).

In the 1920's, Daniels was under contract with Paramount Pictures. She became an adult star by 1922 and by 1924 was playing opposite Rudolph Valentino in, Monsieur Beaucaire.

Following this she was cast in: Miss Bluebeard, The Manicure Girl, and Wild Wild Susan. Paramount dropped her contract with the advent of talking pictures.

Daniels was hired by Radio Pictures (later known as RKO) to star in one of their biggest productions of the year. She also starred in the 1929 talkie Rio Rita. It was one of the most successful films of that year and Bebe Daniels found herself a star and RCA Victor hired her to record several records for their catalog.

As did many stars of her day, she used the therapeutic services of Sylvia of Hollywood to stay in shape.

Radio Pictures starred her in a number of musicals including: Dixiana (1930) and Love Comes Along (1930).

Towards the end of 1930's, Bebe Daniels appeared in the musical comedy, Reaching for the Moon. However, by this time musicals had gone out of fashion so that most of the musical numbers from the film had to be removed before it could be released. Daniels had become associated with musicals and so Radio Pictures did not renew her contract.

Warner Brothers realized what a box office draw she was and offered her a contract which she accepted. During her years at Warner Brothers she starred in: My Past (1931), Honor of the Family (1931) and the 1931 pre-code version of The Maltese Falcon.

In 1932, she appeared in, Silver Dollar (1932) and Busby Berkeley's choreographed musical comedy 42nd Street (1933) in which she sang. That same year she played opposite John Barrymore in, Counsellor at Law.

Her last film for the Warner Brothers was Registered Nurse (1934).

She retired from Hollywood in 1935. With her husband, film actor Ben Lyon, whom she married in 1930 and moved to London.

A few years later, Daniels starred in the London production of, Panama Hattie in the title role originated by Ethel Merman.

The Lyons then did radio shows for the BBC. Most notably, the series Hi Gang!, continuing for decades and enjoying considerable popularity during World War II. Daniels wrote most of the dialogue for the Hi Gang radio show. The couple remained through the days of the The Blitz. Following the war, Daniels was awarded the Medal of Freedom by Harry S. Truman for war service.

In 1945 she returned to Hollywood for a short time to work as a film producer for Hal Roach and Eagle-Lion Films.

She returned to the UK in 1948 and lived there for the remainder of her life.

Daniels, her husband, her son Richard and her daughter Barbara all starred in the radio sitcom Life With The Lyons (1951 to 1961), which later made the transition to television.

Pre-Code: She Had to Say Yes(1933).

She Had to Say Yes(1933). A Pre-Code film directed by George Amy and Busby Berkley. It was Berkley's directorial debut. It was part of a series of movies that drew inspiration from the "real-life" compromises working girls had to go through during the Great Depression.

Sol Glass's clothing business, is losing sales because, Tommy believes his customers are tired of the "gold diggers".. Salesman Tommy Nelson, suggests using stenographers to entertain buyers instead.

When his fiancee Florence Denny, wants to participate in the program, Tommy refuses to let her. Birdie, one of the other stenographers, becomes a very successful customer girl, closing many sales. Tommy, also is not immune to her charms.

One night, when he has a date with Birdie, Tommy suggests that Florence go out with buyer Daniel Drew. She agrees.. only so that they can afford to get married. She likes Daniel, but is not very happy when he wants her to spend the night.

Florence, is heartbroken and breaks of her engagement off with Tommy after her friend, Maizee, proves to her that Tommy is having an affair with Birdie.

After, Florence and Daniel become friends, a drunk Tommy, becomes jealous and to get even, tells her she is developing a bad reputation, causing Florence to quit her job as a customer girl.

Daniel, who is now in love with Florence, asks to come over for dinner and then, asks for her help in the biggest deal of his life. She agrees.. to have dinner and get the signature, (from the guy who likes to tell jokes).. and is saved from compromising herself, when his wife and child show up at the restaurant. Daniel, does not believe she is so innocent,  after the buyer hints that she tricked him into signing.

Believing that her refusals are just a game, Daniel drives her to a lovely home in the country, where he attacks her. He can not go through with it and allows her to leave. Just then, Tommy drives up in a taxi, but.. he, too, believes that she is selling herself.

Will the heartbroken Florence, ever prove that she is really innocent?



Loretta Young, gives a wonderful performance, as she deals with the socially acceptable abuse from the men in her life. There are times when she reminds me of Bette Davis. Also, Lyle Talbot gives a good performance as a ruthless businessman.

Winnie Lightner (September 17, 1899 – March 5, 1971), was often typecast as a wise-cracking gold-digger and was known as a comedienne and singer.

She had a successful career in vaudeville and finally made it to Broadway. Winnie Lightner was the first movie performer in history ever to be censored for what she said or sang on screen.

In 1928, she made a Vitaphone short in which she sang "We Love It", "God Help a Sailor on a Night Like This", "That Brand New Model of Mine", and "We've Got a Lot to Learn." A censorship board in Pennsylvania held the release of the film because of the content of the songs.

The musical, Gold Diggers of Broadway made her an international star. The Warner Bros. signed her up for a number of musical comedies. The first one was, Hold Everything, based on a Broadway hit.

Her next performance was, She Couldn't Say No (1930), in which Lightner. The picture, was not very successful. This was followed by the successful picture, The Life of the Party, which was also shot in Technicolor and was an even bigger hit than, Hold Everything.

By the end of 1930 audiences had grown tired of musicals. This occurred while Winnie Lightner was in the process of shooting three musicals: Sit Tight (1931), Gold Dust Gertie (1931) and Manhattan Parade (1932). They were all released with most of the music cut. This was very noticeable in the film, Sit Tight and Manhattan Parade, even the background music was removed.

Warner Bros. decided to try another dramatic role for Lightner for the film, Side Show (1931), which proved to be unsuccessful. She starred in two more comedies in which she co-starred with Loretta Young (without songs), Play-Girl (1932) and She Had to Say Yes (1933).

She would play as a supporting actor in two more features, for MGM and Columbia Pictures, before retiring in 1934.

Happy Birthday: Busby Berkeley!

Today on TCM:  Celebrate Busby Berkeley's Birthday tribute with the movies listed below:

Dames (1934)A reformer's daughter wins the lead in a scandalous Broadway show. Cast: Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler. Dir: Ray Enright.

Gold Diggers Of  (1933). Three chorus girls fight to keep their show going and find rich husbands. Cast: Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell. Dir: Mervyn LeRoy.

42nd Street (1933). The definitive backstage musical, complete with the dazzling newcomer who goes on for the injured star. Cast: Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Warner Baxter. Dir: Lloyd Bacon.

Million Dollar Mermaid (1952). True story of Annette Kellerman, the world's first great swimming star. Cast: Esther Williams, Victor Mature, Walter Pidgeon. Dir: Mervyn LeRoy.

Easy to Love (1953). Two men vie for the heart of a Cypress Gardens swimming star. Cast: Esther Williams, Tony Martin, Van Johnson.

Please click on Busby Berkeley name to read bio.