I love this movie so much

How sad is this?

Film Perfection

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Marion Davies (Peggy Pepper), William Haines (Billy Boone), Dell Henderson (Pepper), Paul Ralli (Andre), Polly Moran (maid), Tenen Holtz (casting director), Harry Gribbon (comedy director), Sidney Bracey (dramatic director), Albert Conti (producer), Rolfe Sedan (portrait photographer), Bert Roach (man in casting agency), Kalla Pasha (comic chef), Dorothy Vernon, Lillian Lawrence (comedy players at farewell banquet), Renee Adoree, George K. Arthur, William S. Hart, Douglas Fairbanks, Aileen Pringle, Mae Murray, Louella Parsons, Leatrice Joy, Rod La Rocque, Dorothy Sebastian, Claire Windsor, Karl Dane, Norma Talmadge, Estelle Taylor (themselves at luncheon), Coy Watson (messenger boy), Charles Chaplin (autograph seeker), Lew Cody, Elinor Glynn (themselves at High Art), Ray Cooke (director's assistant), Pat Harmon (gateman), John Gilbert, King Vidor (themselves).Director: KING VIDOR. Screenplay: Wanda Tuchock (continuity), Agnes Christine Johnson and Laurence Stallings (treatment). Titles: Ralph Spence. Photography: John Arnold. Film editor: Hugh Wynn. Art director: Cedric Gibbons. Wardrobe: Henrietta Frazer. Assistant director: Will Sheldon. Music score: William Axt. "Crossroads" (song) by William Axt and David Mendoza. Producers: Marion Davies, King Vidor. Executive producer: William Randolph Hearst. A Cosmopolitan Production. Copyright 20 October 1928 by M-G-M Distributing. New York opening at the Capitol: 11 November 1928. 7,453 feet. 82 minutes. SYNOPSIS: A hayseed from Georgia attempts to crash into the movies— and succeeds!COMMENT: I've never laughed so much in all my life! True, the movie does tend to run out of puff a bit right near the finale, but a cameo by boyish director King Vidor himself saves the day. The basic story which suits Miss Davies right down to the ground, was obviously inspired by the star herself. Although Marion was a superlative comedienne who had just the right comic touch to get laughs even from the stalest and most well-used situations, her mentor, William Randolph Hearst, preferred to see her in dramatic roles. Thus throughout her real-life career there was a constant conflict between what she actually wanted to do (and what she knew she was best at) and what Mr. Hearst wanted her to play. (Hearst's money of course financed Cosmopolitan Pictures). Fortunately, she managed to get her own way in a few hilarious vehicles like this one. It has a great score too!

1928 is in many ways a "lost year" in motion pictures. Just as some of the finest films of the silent era were being made in every genre, sound was coming in and - while reaping great profits at the box office - was setting the art of film-making back about five years as the film industry struggled with the new technology."Show People" is one of the great silent era comedies. The film shows that William Haines had comic skills beyond his usual formula of the obnoxious overconfident guy who turns everyone against him, learns his lesson, and then redeems himself by winning the football game, the polo game, etc. This movie is also exhibit A for illustrating that Marion Davies was no Susan Alexander Kane. She had excellent comic instincts and timing. This film starts out as the Beverly Hillbillies-like adventure of Peggy Pepper (Marion Davies) and her father, General Marmaduke Oldfish Pepper, fresh from the old South. General Pepper has decided that he will let some lucky movie studio executive hire his daughter as an actress. While at the studio commissary, the Peppers run into Billy Boone (William Haines), a slapstick comedian. He gets Peggy an acting job. She's unhappy when she finds out it is slapstick, but she perseveres. Eventually she is discovered by a large studio and she and Billy part ways as she begins to take on dramatic roles. Soon the new-found fame goes to her head, and she is about to lose her public and gain a royal title when she decides to marry her new leading man, whom she doesn't really love, unless fate somehow intervenes.One of the things MGM frequently does in its late silent-era films and in its early sound-era films is feature shots of how film-making was done at MGM circa 1930. This film is one of those, as we get Charlie Chaplin trying to get Peggy's autograph, an abundance of cameos of MGM players during that era including director King Vidor himself, and even a cameo of Marion Davies as Peggy seeing Marion Davies as Marion Davies arriving at work on the lot. Peggy grimaces and mentions that she doesn't care for her. Truly a delight from start to finish, this is a silent that is definitely worth your while. This is one of the films that I also recommend you use to introduce people to the art of silent cinema as it is very accessible.

Show People (1928) *** (out of 4) Silent comedy has Marion Davies playing a girl from Georgia who travels to Hollywood to become a star. When she first arrives she gets in the door by a slapstick actor (Williams Haines) but soon Davis wishes to do more serious roles. This is a pretty good comedy that manages to get several laughs with its witty screenplay but there's also some nice cameos that makes this worth watching. Davies is very good in her role and manages to be quite funny and charming. Her early scenes with her father are all very good as is her more dramatic moments. Haines is also in fine form here and comes off very well with the slapstick stuff, which was certainly meant to be a throwback to the Keystone era comedy. The screenplay is full of talk about current Hollywood stars and this here adds a lot of charm. The film becomes rather predictable and that's really its only weakness. There are plenty of Hollywood stars on hand and that includes Vidor in a cameo at the end. John Gilbert, Lew Cody, Douglas Fairbanks, William S. Hart and various others also make cameos. Charles Chaplin gets the best moment in the film when he shows up but Davies doesn't recognize him outside of his Tramp outfit.

"Show People" is an absolutely delightful silent directed by King Vidor and starring Marion Davies and Billy Haines. What gems both of them are in this charming comedy about a young girl, Peggy Pepper, whose acting is the talk of Savannah trying to make it on the big screen. Though she's a success in comedy, what she wants to do is make "art" so she moves up to High Arts Studio. Soon she becomes Patricia Pepoire and is too good for the likes of her friend Billy.Many stars of the silent era have cameos in "Show People," including Davies herself without the curly hair and makeup. I'm sure when people saw the film in 1928, they recognized everyone who appeared in the elaborate lunch scene; sadly, nowadays, it's not the case, even for film buffs. In one part of the film, however, she does meet Charlie Chaplin; in another, author Elinor Glyn is pointed out to her, and Vidor himself has a cameo at the end of the film. Other stars who pop up in "Show People" are John Gilbert, Douglas Fairbanks, William S. Hart, Leatrice Joy, Bess Flowers, Renee Adoree, Rod LaRoque, Aileen Pringle, and many others.Davies was adorable and a lively comedienne. It's a shame William Haines quit the movies - he was cute and energetic, deservedly an enormous star back in the day."Show People" is a simple story told in a witty way. It's also a look back at an exciting era in Hollywood's history and contains performances by two wonderful stars.