Wonderland Burlesque's Let's All Go To The Movies: All The World Is A Stage - Part 3 of 12

Wonderland Burlesque's

Let's All Go To The Movies:

All The World Is A Stage

Part 3 of 12

This is the third of a twelve-part series of posts dealing with show business, be it the stage or soundstage.

Yes, show people, their tawdry little lives - in the theatre or movie studio - in all their glory, projected up there on the big screen, bigger than life; and they wouldn't have it any other way. For you see, they live for the stuff; the imitation glamor, the insufferable players, the exhausting rehearsals, and the oh-so important reviews - but above all else - they do it for the applause.

So hit the lights, for today, all the world is, indeed, a stage!

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At The Old Stage Door

(1919)

Our hero visits the opera, is mistaken for the manager and is treated like royalty until the deception is uncovered.

This American short comedy was directed by Hal Roach and stars Harold Lloyd. 

A print of the film survives in the Museum of Modern Art.

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Broadway To Hollywood

(1933)

Ted and Lulu Hackett are vaudeville's The Hacketts, a fairly successful song-and-dance team. They bring their son Ted Jr. up in the business and he soon eclipses them. When the son is offered a starring role on Broadway, he arranges for his parents to join him in the show, but Ted Sr. is embarrassed to learn that he and Lulu are there purely in order to keep their son happy. They return to vaudeville, only to find that their duet act has gone stale with time. Meanwhile, Ted Jr. has married and had a son, but he has also fallen victim to drink. Tragedy strikes the Hackett family, and only the march of time will tell whether Ted III will repeat the failings of his father and grandfather.

This pre-Code musical was directed by Willard Mack and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film features many of MGM's stars of the time, including Frank Morgan, Alice Brady, May Robson, Madge Evans, Jimmy Durante, Mickey Rooney, and Jackie Cooper.

Brothers Moe Howard and Curly Howard of The Three Stooges appear minus Ted Healy or Larry Fine and are almost unrecognizably, as Otto and Fritz, two clowns in makeup.

The film featured several sequences taken from the unfinished MGM musical The March of Time (1930), including some filmed in the early two-color Technicolor process. Fay Templeton, DeWolf Hopper Sr., and Albertina Rasch and her dancers are featured in footage taken from that unfinished film. Currently, no print of the film contains this footage.

It was the first film to feature Nelson Eddy. Eddy - 33 at the time - who was required to do a screen test for the film. Eddy's test took 58 takes and even the best was determined to be awful. MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer overruled everyone and ordered that he be only used for a singing sequence in the film.

Mickey Rooney was 12 years old when this was filmed, and Jackie Cooper was 10.

The plot has many similarities to the life of Buster Keaton, plus the film was made at a time when friction between Keaton and MGM was increasing, leading to speculation that it was a way for MGM to get back at him. Buster Keaton was part of the cast of the unreleased The March of Time (1930), though none of his scenes were used in this film. Keaton and MGM would eventually part ways in 1933, with a demoralized Keaton walking away from the studio due to their constant interference in the making of his films.

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On Stage Everybody

(1945)

Michael Sullivan and his daughter Molly are vaudeville artists with moderate success. Their careers are hindered by Michael hating everything connected with radio. Even so, Molly will not leave her Pops. Then a wealthy grandfather steps in.

This musical comedy  was directed by Jean Yarbough and stars Jack Oakie, Peggy Ryan, and Johnny Coy and features Otto Kruger, Esther Dale, Milburn Stone, Wallace Ford, and Julie London.

The King Sisters make an appearance in the film singing Stuff Like That There, written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans.

 

Peggy Ryan and Jack Oakie

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 Road To The Stage

(1963)

AKA: Cesta Do Maneze, Tchanaparh depi krkes

Despite the opposition of his parents, Leonid Yengibarov dreams of becoming a clown. He secures a job as a stage hand for the Yerevan Circus and falls in love with circus performer Irina. Noticing Leonid's great abilities, the director of the circus gives him a chance to be a clown. However, Leonid finds that he is not ready and decides to travel throughout Soviet Armenia to perform, meet people, and find out what makes them laugh.

This Armenian film  was directed by Henrik Malyan and Levon Isahakyan. Famous Soviet Armenian clown Leonid Yengibarov stars in this film about the artistic quest of a talented circus actor. It also features Izabella Danzas, Hayk Danzas, Varduhi Varderesyan, and Karp Khachvankyan. The circus troupe of Armenian SSR took part in the shoot.

Leonid Yengibarov

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Only When I Laugh

(1981)

A boozy Broadway actress comes out of a 12-week cure to face the problems of her best friends as well as her needy daughter. She tries to balance the terrors of returning to work with the demands of all around her with humor and insight, while staying off the booze.

Based on Neil Simon's 1970 play The Gingerbread Lady, this  comedy-drama was directed by Glenn Jordan and stars Marsha Mason, Kristy McNichol, James Coco and Joan Hackett.

Features early film appearances by Kevin Bacon and Jon Vargas.

At the time of production, Marsha Mason was married to Neil Simon, the film's Producer, Screenwriter, and source Playwright. One of five films written by Neil Simon which featured his former wife. The movies include The Goodbye Girl (1977), Chapter Two (1979), The Cheap Detective (1978), Only When I Laugh (1981), and Max Dugan Returns (1983).

Anne Bancroft, who had starred in the Neil Simon film The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975), was approached in 1976 by Simon regarding starring in a screen version of The Gingerbread Lady. Maureen Stapleton played the lead role in the Broadway Production, and it is widely believed that the role was based on Simon's interactions with Stapleton during the Broadway run of The Prisoner of Second Avenue. Although the original play was considered something of a flop, closing after 193 performances, Stapleton won a Tony award for her turn in The Gingerbread Lady.

It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Marsha Mason), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (James Coco), and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Joan Hackett). Kristy McNichol, James Coco and Joan Hackett were nominated for Golden Globe Awards for their work on the film, with Hackett walking away with the award.

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And that's all for now.

Tune in next time.

Same place, same channel.

 Moe Howard and Curly Howard

in the 1933 film Broadway To Hollywood