Merton of the Movies

"Merton of the Movies" is one of the best movies I have ever seen, and it is one of my personal favorites. Red Skelton and Virginia O'Brien are both smashing as usual. The role of the naive, unknowing Merton Gill/Clifford Armytage is perfect for Skelton. The role of the knowing, comforting, concerned Phyllis Montague is perfect for O'Brien. It also provides a decent view into the workings of Hollywood and of the private lives of the stars during the silent film era. It is also a very touching movie, as we see O'Brien's increasing concern for Skelton's well-being. This is a must-see for any comedy fan, and those who love a good romance.

Kansas theater usher (and dramatic acting school graduate!) thwarts a robbery and is brought out to Hollywood by train in the Silent Era strictly for quick publicity; he winds up living on a park bench waiting for an acting job, and finally gets one filling in for his idol, an irresponsible star who's been hitting the bottle. Third film-version of a play by Marc Connelly and George S. Kaufman, based on Harry Leon Wilson's book, now revamped as a comedic vehicle for Red Skelton. Earliest scenes are best, with our dimply, aw-shucks hero politely scheming his way onto movie sets, with amusing results. Slapstick sequence at a high-toned Men's Club seems to belong to a different picture, although the pay-off there is also funny. Runs out of steam towards the end, however Skelton and Virginia O'Brien are a good match. Direction by former-choreographer Robert Alton is quick on its feet, and there are some big laughs in the first hour. **1/2 from ****

Merton Gill (Red Skelton) is an usher from Tinkerton, Kansas, who yearns to be a movie actor and thinks his worthless diploma from the Budolph School of Dramatic Acting will help him realize his dream. When Merton foils a robbery - supposedly using the skills he learned from his idol, Lawrence Rupert - the fading film star's gun-toting lackeys bring Merton to Hollywood to drum up some much-needed publicity. But after a speedy photo shoot, Rupert and his underlings are through with the country bumpkin and give him a ticket back home. A resolute Merton remains in Hollywood and does his best to get a job at Mammoth Studio, where he befriends the famous Beulah Baxter's stunt double, Phyllis Montague (Virginia O'Brien). Merton proves to be a natural - if unintentional - comedian and gets a job burlesquing Lawrence Rupert. Only Merton thinks he is playing a serious part.

This poorly plotted slapstick comedy pays half-hearted homage to the silent movie days and does a particularly indifferent job of recreating Keystone-style antics in the climax. There are several funny sequences, including a scene at a men's club and another in which Beulah Baxter (Gloria Grahame) attempts to get Merton drunk - but they have little to do with movie-making.

The romantic angle is surprisingly affecting. Skelton does an adorable job with a sometimes irritatingly naive character, and the quirky Virginia O'Brien gives her character three times what it deserves.

Seeing both Stu Erwin and Red Skelton essay the role of Merton Gill in two vastly different ways makes me now more curious than ever about what Glenn Hunter's performance on stage and on the silent screen was like. Did Hunter lean more to Erwin or Skelton or did he have a unique interpretation all his own. As his 1924 film version of Merton Of The Movies is considered lost, we may never know.

We certainly can't go back to the original stage production of Merton Of The Movies for consideration either. With Glenn Hunter in the title role it ran for 392 performances during the 1923-24 season on Broadway and was written by George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly. As in the Erwin version I did not see the acid wit in the script that Kaufman was noted for.

Interpretation is the key to this film, Skelton relied far more on his gift of physical comedy. Unlike the 1932 version which was set in that present era of the early talkies, this Merton Of The Movies was set in the early silent days as the play was. Skelton is Merton Gill who has a degree in theater arts from a correspondence school and armed with that heads to Hollywood to become a serious actor like his idol Leon Ames.

But the man is naturally funny as Red Skelton was in real life. He can't see it though.

Red's got two women in his life, silent era vamp played very nicely by Gloria Grahame and Virginia O'Brien of the deadpan as the girl who loves him for what he is.

Skelton is fine, but Leon Ames may have had his career role as the vain stage actor who thinks film is beneath him though he does it because he's developed a habit of eating. I think Ames borrowed a lot from John Barrymore in how he presents this character. In any event Ames looks like he's having a great old time hamming it up in a role that calls for precisely that.

Red Skelton's version of Merton Of The Movies holds up well though I prefer Stu Erwin's Make Me A Star with its glimpse of the Paramount lot of 1932 and cameos of the various stars working there at the time. It's a timeless story and could use a remake today. As I said when I reviewed Make Me A Star, I think Jim Carrey would be tremendous in the role.

Red Skelton plays a small town movie fan with dreams of being a star. He gets his opportunity, albeit not as he would have hoped. He wanted to be a romantic leading man and instead he becomes a (unintentional) comedy sensation. Along the way he's helped by a stuntwoman who falls for him. Rare leading lady role for Virginia O'Brien, a wonderful comic actress known for singing songs in a deadpan style. No singing here, but she does get lots of Eve Arden-esque lines opposite Skelton's clueless hero. This was basically and sadly the end of her movie career. She was done with MGM and essentially the business shortly after. Gloria Grahame is great in a fun part as the vampy Hollywood star Skelton's character is in love with. This story had been filmed at least twice before, the best of which was the 1932 version with Stuart Erwin and Joan Blondell. Skelton puts his own touch on things, for better or worse. I think he was fairly dialed back here, maybe too much so. Still, I enjoyed the picture.