Hollywood Boulevard

... because that was the point of Hollywood Boulevard, before it lost its focus.

A little remembered Paramount drama directed by Robert Florey about a washed up but vain silent film star (John Halliday) who agrees to have his life story (much embellished) told in a series of scandal magazine articles, much to the chagrin of his daughter whom he hasn't seen in years.

The film starts promisingly, with many on location shots (some at interesting off kilter camera angles) of Hollywood, its studio sets, streets and famous nightclubs, providing a genuine feeling for old time Hollywood sure to bring some pleasure to a film buff's heart. Even more interestingly, the film is chock-full of many silent stars many of them largely out of commission but brought back for this project. Among them: Esther Ralston (still very attractive), Francis X. Bushman, Betty Compson, Roy D'Arcy, Jack Mulhall and Mae Marsh. In addition, Gary Cooper can be seen sitting on a bar stool at the Trocadero.

But a film that initially appears to be about the cruelties of Hollywood in the manner in which the town turns its back on former stars soon loses focus as its story goes off in different directions. Far too much screen time is devoted to the romance between the washed up star's daughter (a pretty Marsha Hunt) and an overly eager screenwriter (Robert Cummings) who never stops spouting his obviously self adoring comments and trying to project "charm." The young Cummings is a genuinely irksome presence in this film.

In the final analysis, Hollywood Boulevard is a curiosity with flashes of potential, its writing its letdown, but lovers of old time Hollywood will still get a kick out of the frequent flashes of the town as it appeared in 1936, as well as an interesting cast, including those frequent silent film star cameos.

A prophetic irony: just minutes into this film Eleanore Whitney, a real actress dancer newly arrived in the film capital and playing herself here, is seen signing her name in cement, with cameras flashing and crowds cheering. A spokesperson says to the actress, "And now, my dear, you have left your immortal mark in Hollywood." "I wonder," Whitney says to herself.

Florey's original cut ran 83 minutes, which I'll agree was too long to hold audience interest in a central story that, although strongly plotted, was weighed down with an inconsequential subsidiary romance featuring an overly verbose and mindlessly self-centered young hero. The shears were desperately needed, but instead of taking them to the youthful egotist, the main story was trimmed instead, throwing the whole movie way off balance. This was bad enough. But worse still was the fact that the repulsive know-it-all who delivers every single line of his wearisome dialogue with such over-the-top enthusiasm, was enacted by the overbearing Robert Cummings, whose non-stop self-adulation even manages to shade his beautiful co-star, Marsha Hunt. Florey's direction was slack in this respect, but fortunately, John Halliday and a fascinating line-up of support players, including Frieda Inescort, Maurice Costello and Gary Cooper, do their utmost to re-focus audience attention. They are helped immeasurably by the superb cinematography of Karl Struss. The Hollywood street scenes and other location cameos like the series introducing Marsha Hunt holding flowers are often breath-taking.

Hollywood BOULEVARD (1936) is one of the most unique movies ever made about the motion picture capital. In the form of a GRAND HOTEL, it brought together dozens of stars seldom found on the screen since the silent days; for many it was their only talkie experience. The plot was of the sordid life of actors and those who make a living from their misfortunes; some of its inspiration came from contemporary scandals.

The film was primarily the creation of Robert Florey (1900-1979), a writer-director best known for his contributions to such movies as THE COCOANUTS, FRANKENSTEIN and MONSIEUR VERDOUX. Florey had a lifelong fascination and fondness for Hollywood, and even as Florey became an established American filmmaker in his own right by the end of the 1920s, he still retained an enormous sensitivity to the capriciousness with which the city had treated many others, as revealed in his 1927 avant-garde short, THE LIFE AND DEATH OF 9413--A Hollywood EXTRA. Florey made a practice of trying to obtain parts in his pictures for out-of-work actors, and he had an early appreciation of the cinema's heritage, writing a dozen books and hundreds of articles on the history of Hollywood.

Hollywood BOULEVARD had its genesis in a "B" Florey directed for Paramount in late 1935, THE PREVIEW MURDER MYSTERY, in which he was able to use many nearly-forgotten stars of the silent days in cameo roles to authenticate the film's studio atmosphere. The warm reception accorded THE PREVIEW MURDER MYSTERY led producer A.M. Botsford to call on Florey to suggest another story on filmland, to be constructed around the title Hollywood BOULEVARD. After a few days Florey came up with a vague plot which was speedily approved. His idea was to fashion an entire movie around the appearance of a host of old favorites seen in supporting and cameo roles. Most of the performers approached warmed to the idea of stepping in front of the cameras one more time. Only a few one-time headliners, such as Theda Bara, refused to accept roles and salaries not commensurate with their former status. Eventually twenty-three former stars agreed to participate, more than could be found in any other picture of the time.

Florey was assigned to collaborate on his script with a novice, Marguerite Roberts, who also took principle responsibility for the dialogue. Current Hollywood gossip and recent experiences provided plenty of inspiration for the scenario. However, Florey grew increasingly dissatisfied with the results of the hasty writing he and Roberts had done, and was willing for her to receive sole credit for their work, as he would be directing anyway.

The basic plot is an elaboration on THE LIFE AND DEATH OF 9413. Once again the central figure is an unemployed actor looking for a job amidst the cruel splendors of movieland. However, in expanding the premise of THE LIFE AND DEATH OF 9413 to feature length, several sub-plots had to be introduced that steadily diminish the importance of the central characterization and deprive Hollywood BOULEVARD of the singleness of purpose that made THE LIFE AND DEATH OF 9413 so unforgettable. The severe editing only served to heighten the overemphasis on a disillusioned romance between the actor's daughter, Marsha Hunt, and an idealistic screenwriter, Robert Cummings, whose unctuous performance provides the only jarring note amidst a skillful and believable cast. Best among these was John Halliday, swaggering superbly in the difficult role of the forlorn actor finding that his days as a screen idol are over.

Today the situations in which the people of Hollywood BOULEVARD find themselves seem to be extremely melodramatic -- although this was apparently not the reaction of audiences at the time the film was made. Weekly Variety said the movie had "one of the best scripts ever possessed by a behind-the-scenes-in-Hollywood picture;" Newsweek wrote that "The film capital turns a semi-candid camera on itself . . ."

Stylistically, Hollywood is exemplified by an extraordinary credits sequence that lives up to the later description of the city as "crazy, senseless and exciting." Over a jazzy introductory score are a preponderance of diagonals, with frequent odd angles reflecting the disordered and askew nature of movie life. Florey's intention, he wrote, was for each new sequence to open "on an exterior of a then well-known Hollywood spot establishing the atmosphere . . . Before starting the film, I spent a week with a small crew shooting Hollywood inserts and locations." Principal photography took place in June 1936, with a final running time of 83 minutes. Instead the production's supervisor, Eddie Cline ordered the editor to remove all shots not absolutely essential to the plot line. Mae Marsh and Gary Cooper had their roles reduced, and Harold Lloyd's cameo was completely eliminated.

Nevertheless, enough location scenes were preserved in the first three reels for the viewer to gather a taste of what the original Hollywood BOULEVARD could have been. That the picture had been planned and executed by Florey as a self-conscious historical document is clear from both the cast and settings. He managed to capture the flavor of Hollywood, from nightclubs to the main thoroughfare itself, including authentic footage of the studio back lot in operation and some stunning vistas of nearby resort areas like Santa Barbara and Malibu.

Hollywood BOULEVARD, despite having no current box-office names in its cast, had far more care and attention lavished on it than an ordinary programmer. On the movie's release, it managed to appeal on the basis of the supporting cast and older stars, becoming popular among audiences and critics.

One thing that viewing Hollywood Boulevard will teach us is that after 80 years the public's appetite for celebrity dirt never ceases. It's what publisher C. Henry Gordon lives on and it's what old time silent film actor John Halliday will bring him a few bucks as the film offers aren't coming in the way they used to.

Halliday refuses to age gracefully and transition to character roles and bits. He also likes to still live large as in his hay day and that costs money. He sells his memoirs which are appearing in Gordon's magazine in segments. Of course those segments are spiced up considerably by Gordon.

It all hits home when Halliday's daughter by one of his many ex- wives Mae Marsh asks Halliday to cease and desist. Marsha Hunt is the daughter and she's going out with aspiring screenwriter Robert Cummings who proves quite a sleuth, especially in sorting out the events of the climax.

Halliday puts a lot of varying emotions into his performance, vanity, arrogance, a tender affection for those near and dear. He's quite the actor and he literally gives the performance of his life. Gordon usually the villain here is a bit more subdued and shows he also has a good side.

A lot of old timers from the silent screen got a pay day here with a ton of walk-ons. One who didn't need the money, but was a friend of Halliday's was Gary Cooper. You'll spot Coop greeting Halliday briefly at the Trocadero Bar.

I will say this though. I can't believe Gordon who was a dirt merchant could have missed one tidbit involving his own family vis a vis Halliday.

Halliday usually in support is fine as the lead. Hollywood Boulevard might have been better and better known if it wasn't from Paramount's B picture unit. Still worth a look.