Vedette

A sad waitress falls in love with dim douchebag and must pretend to be an actress to win his affection. It's archaic, but man is it inventive. The camera's perspective does a ton of the heavy lifting, effectively creating many of the cinematic tools we've come to expect at this point (hard cuts, close ups, depth and scope). Swanson is also way ahead of her time; really lives her character, both the helplessly zany humor and the deeply sad obsessions.

Excellent Gloria Swanson comedy about a hapless waitress (Swanson) who'll do anything to catch the eye of handsome wheat-cake flipper (Lawrence Gray), who calls her "Mouse." Film starts out with a beautiful 2-strip Technicolor fantasy that depicts Swanson's daydreams about being a great actress. She is seen is a series of fabulous costumes, playing greats parts like Salome. As the red-haired Salome bends to kiss the cold dead lips of John (on a silver platter) the film switches to B&W as the platter turns into a tray covered by plates of steaming food. Swanson is trying to work thru the diner throngs to deliver the food.

The plot revolves around her crazy stunts in an attempt to attract Gray. But after the river show boat steams into town with a glamorous actress (Gertrude Astor) Swanson is determined to get on the stage. With the help of the boat owner (Ford Sterling) she finally gets her wish and is billed as the Masked Marvel in of all things a female boxing match.

This film is zany and fast-paced and sweet-natured and 25 years before I Love Lucy. Stage Struck is a total pleasure. Swanson is just excellent, seems to be doing all her own stunt work, and looks great. The opening color sequences are gorgeous, and the closing color sequence (happy ending of course) is a lot of fun.

It's easy to see why Swanson was so popular in the 20s.

I saw this film today at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival (10th Annual). I'd never seen Gloria Swanson in one of her silent films, knowing her mainly for her work in SUNSET BOULEVARD where she appeared under the direction of master Billy Wilder. Having seen STAGE STRUCK (directed by Alan Dwan), one immediately sees that Miss Swanson was a major acting talent and a superb comedienne with terrific timing. Moreover, she really knew how to "work the camera." Her performance is so modern, clever, and smart in a very cinematic way that you'd think she was born to be a movie star! Put aside your preconceptions of the typical silent screen actress and check out this performance if the opportunity arises. The print we saw today was a restoration by the George Eastman House in New York.

I am a huge Gloria Swanson fan but I was a little disappointed with STAGE STRUCK. La Swanson, of course, was the premiere glamour girl of the silent screen, the stylish queen of romantic dramas but she was a good comedienne too and as an actress always wanted to expand her range. Here she goes into Mabel Normand territory with uneven results. Her looks played down dramatically, she's a waitress in a frenzied riverfront hash house who secretly pines for the dump's pancake maker Lawrence Gray. He on the other hand is obsessed with actresses, and when a riverboat docks in town is bewitched by the diva on the showboat, Getrude Astor.

There are some funny moments here, but this is rather low comedy for the elegant Swanson. Many of the gags are straight out of the playbook for earthy two-reel comedies. Kudos to her bravery for allowing her to be photographed unflattering (of course in her fantasy segments, she is as glamourous as ever) but it's not the Swanson her fans wanted and it's notable she never made another picture in this vein again. Lawrence Gray actually comes off better as the handsome small-town heart throb, alas his film career didn't really go anywhere. His character's revelation at the end does not ring true though.

I have to confess I was disappointed that the movie was not what I was hoping for, a comedy spin on Katharine Hepburn's drama "Morning Glory" with Gloria being an ambitious wanna-be actress. Here, she's mainly interested in pursuing acting only because Lawrence Gray is obsessed with such women, his room walls papered with pictures of them. The Kino print is wonderful though, with early Technicolor footage in it's opening and closing scenes. The title of my review comes from Gloria's frequently repeated comment after her various attempts at attention literally have her falling on her face.

Saw this about 5 years ago at the Paramount in Seattle with organ accompaniment. It's great. Paramount (the production company) obviously wanted to get some of that Charlie Chaplin loot and so crafted this vehicle for Ms. Swanson. She's a total pro and the resultant comedy, physical, visual, cultural and cinematic plays out, as mentioned elsewhere, with Technicolor sequences an unexpected bonus. It's entertaining no matter what format you might view it in but catch it in a theater, with good musical accompaniment, if you can.

Actually I'm going to the Paramount tonight to see It with Clara Bow. The Paramount has one of the last extant house organs (full pipes, effects and percussion) in the country.