Hollywood Cavalcade

Didn't like "Hollywood Cavalcade" because it was a disappointment. Don't be deceived by the glitzy picture of happy faces on the title page, this is a somber drama which starts out happy, but quickly descends into discord and bitterness. The question is why Ameche and Faye? I guess because they were two of Fox's brightest stars and money was hopefully to be made. Ameche played a scold who wallowed in self-pity and Faye was his verbal punching bag. Talk about casting against type.

Not one song. This picture didn't need technicolor, or either of the stars, it needed black-and-white and a twosome like John Garfield and Claire Trevor, and a heavier hand on the script, if Fox was going for strife and pathos. I got this picture in a Fox Musical DVD set and it doesn't fit in.

Its only redeeming quality is a look into silent-movie Hollywood, with some of its stars in small parts. I think movies like this - "Singing In The Rain" is another - fill in the blanks for those of us who were too young when silents gave way to talking pictures. Otherwise, "Hollywood Cavalcade" was a chore to watch.

In this sweet salute to old Hollywood, Alice Faye plays a silent movie star vaguely reminiscent of Mabel Normand, often remembered by her pie-throwing work in silent comedies. When Alice goes to Hollywood with her ambitious director Don Ameche in tow, she and Buster Keaton accidentally become responsible for inventing the pie-in-the-face gag. She rockets to stardom, but when Don seems like he's more interested in her career than her heart, she finds comfort in Alan Curtis's arms.

The romance in Hollywood Cavalcade is predictable, but still manages to be sweet and tragic. It's obvious to the audience that Don cares, and when Alice confronts him, he shows off his acting chops in a wonderfully dramatic scene. His character is extremely strong, stubborn, and prideful, but he gives enough humanity in his performance to make the audience root for him unconditionally. In contrast, Alice comes across as flaky and weak, but since Don's the protagonist, it's alright.

The other half of Hollywood Cavalcade shows what it's like to be in the business. Here today, gone tomorrow, and all at the whim of the audience and the studio. Several silent legends gave cameos and received a special thank-you during the opening credits-Buster Keaton, Lee Duncan, Chester Conklin, Ben Turpin, Hank Mann, Jed Prouty, Snub Pollard, and Al Jolson-and it was sweet to see them reliving their heydays. And when talking pictures come, Don delivers an incredible monologue about the power of sound in films. "They were looking at shadows on the screen, only they weren't shadows anymore," he describes. I'm sure audiences of 1939 remembered how they felt in 1929 during that speech.

All in all, this is a very good movie, but generally overlooked because of the year it was released. If you're looking for a better, more dramatic version of Singin' in the Rain, check this one out.

The plot: Michael Linnett Connors has done everything in films but direct, and is looking for his 1st big chance. He discovers Molly in a play and at once knows she will be a big film star. He signs her to a contract with the stipulation that he must direct. The producer agrees and their big time careers are under way. What follows is a recreation of the silent film era and early sound movies with great emphasis on comedy. And, oh yes, there's romance, and a little sadness too. The performances by Don Ameche and Alice Fay are top notch. The music is a real plus too with some old familiar tunes heard. Lots of DVD extras as well in this restored version released in 2008. It must be emphasized that this movie is a story 1st, not just a tribute to silent films. Later years would bring similar films such as, Singin' in the Rain(1952) & Dick Van Dyke-Carl Reiner's, The Comic(1969). What is special about this film, though, is recreating silent movies in 1939. We see portions of them as the cinema audience would in that bygone era(although some sound effects are included)in glorious b&w, while the rest of the movie is in pristine color. One of the greatest in the silent era, Buster Keaton, who at this point was on an uphill climb, is used superbly in 2 silent film recreated scenes and he is on the top of his game! It is said that he had some input on his scenes as well. But the real reason to watch the movie, if your a motion picture history fan, is that beyond everything else, Hollywood Cavalcade is Mack Sennett's film legacy. It doesn't take a genius to realize this movie is a "positive" reworking of Mack Sennett's and Mabel Normand's life. The character Michael "Linnett" Connors is Mack Sennett, whose real name was Michael Sinnott. And Molly, of course is Mabel. Sennett had the pie throwings, the bathing beauties and Keystone Cops. He worked with Buster Keaton, Ben Turpin(cameo), Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle(body double) and fell in love with his leading lady. Not only all that, but Sennett was technical adviser for this film and appears in it as well. As most film viewers today prefer sound features, those who were associated with short subjects and silents are left out to pasture. As Mack Sennett fell into that category, it is fortunate that there is Hollywood Cavalcade! Sennett was of course very instrumental in the evolution of comedy in movies. His career started in 1908 as an actor, then writer, director & producer. He semi retired in 1935 with about 500 films to his credit. He had worked with the best, such as Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, Bing Crosby, W.C. Fields, Keaton, Harry Langdon, Arbuckle, and even Roy Rogers(in Way Up Thar).As film comedy is an extremely difficult path to continue for an entire career, Mack played it wise & did only selective work for the next 25 years. In 1931 he had received an academy award in the short subject category, and another in 1937 for a lifetime of work. In the 1940's his presence was still felt, e.g. Here Come the Co-Eds(1945)where a recreation of the oyster soup scene used in Mack's Wandering Willies(1926)is done. In 1947, The Road to Hollywood, used some of Sennett's Crosby films. 2 years later brought some nostalgia with the film Down Memory Lane in which he participated. With his knack of always associating with the right people, a guest role with the eternally popular Lawrence Welk & his radio show came about later in the year. 1950 brought a re-release of his greatest triumph, Tillie's Punctured Romance(1914) with sound. In 1952 he was honored on TV's, This Is Your Life, then his autobiography, The King of Comedy(1954), which is a great companion piece to Hollywood Cavalcade, was published. 1955 brought a more concrete association with Abbott & Costello, as he had a cameo in A&C Meet the Keystone Kops. Finally in 1957, another tribute with the compilation film, The Golden Age of Comedy. So when you watch Hollywood Cavalcade it is the legacy of a motion picture pioneer. In the film at the banquet scene the camera pans over the guests at a long table. As we get to the silver haired Mack, he alone turns his head to the camera as if to say, "here I am!". When he rises to give a speech a short while later, he is at his most subdued, underplaying the words given him as if to mentally convey, "I know my influence on comedy will never end, but will people forget Mack Sennett the individual. Maybe this movie will help."

In the earliest years of silent cinema, former prop boy Mike (Don Ameche) "discovers" a charming Broadway understudy, Molly (Alice Faye), and impulsively hires her to a personal contract to star in pictures. With Mike as director, Molly is set to appear in a film with Buster Keaton as her boyfriend -- but things get out of hand, the first day on the set.

By accident, Buster flings a custard pie into Molly's lovely face, thus throwing off the rhythm of their primly choreographed love scene. Soon Molly, Buster, and the "villain" of their scene (George Givot) are covered in custard, and the laughing and applauding onlookers convince Mike he's discovered a new screen genre. He milks it for all it's worth, launching a series of slapstick comedies -- with pies, bathing beauties, and Keystone-style Kops -- all featuring Molly, who becomes a big star.

If "Hollywood Cavalcade" had continued in this same vein, it would probably have become a classic. Instead, about halfway through, Mike makes the decision to turn Molly into a dramatic actress, starring in serious photoplays and leaving her slapstick days behind.

The film's second half turns maudlin when Molly, whose love for Mike seems unrequited, marries her new costar Nicky (Alan Curtis). Having lost his biggest star, Mike slides into despair, his films regularly losing money. Then Nicky is killed in a traffic accident and Molly teams up with Mike again. They make a hit picture, and discover that they've loved each other all along.

"Hollywood Cavalcade" marked two firsts for Alice Faye: her first Technicolor film, and also the first in which she sings not a single note. But her performance was generally lauded by the film critics.

This is a movie about the old silent movie days in Hollywood and I think one of the best movies about the subject. Don Ameche and Alice Faye are terrific. But in my opinion the real treat is watching Buster Keaton perform his unforgettable slapstick for the first scene in the movie studio, and the recreation of an old Mack Sennett style comedy. (Which was supervised by Mack himself.) This is a great movie for silent film buffs... and anyone for that matter. But unfortunately you can't get it on video, but it's on T.V every once in a while so try and catch it. Chio!