Star Night at the Cocoanut Grove

Back in the mid-1930s, MGM made several Technicolor shorts just like this one. All highlighted a variety of MGM stars and were set at a strange sort of nightclub where a wide variety of acts performed. The acts were only okay and the biggest reason to watch was to catch a glimpse of stars supposedly in their off hours. Of course, however, it was all very staged and clearly these are promotional films. Are they any good? Not really...but they are interesting for fans.

Like the other films, this one also features a star as an emcee. However, despite it being Leo Carillo, it sounded NOTHING like the movie star. I knew that his harsh Mexican was a put on...but apparently in real life he hadn't a trace of such an accent!

The film is supposedly part fashion show, part floor show. The only interesting thing about all this is that one of the models is Ann Sheridan before she was a star. And, at this odd show are LOTS of MINOR MGM stars. Oddly, the three big stars, Mary Pickford, Bing Crosby and Gary Cooper all had contracts with other studios (United Artists, Paramount and Paramount respectively).

The bottom line is that the entertainment is only passable and the stars of importance to crazed film buffs like me. Otherwise, not a lot about this stands out apart from the lovely Technicolor.

One of the most interesting things about this Technicolor short is that Gary Cooper and Richard Cromwell, co-stars in "Lives of a Bengal Lancer," and both looking ravishingly handsome, appear to be on a date with one another. There have long been rumors that Cromwell, well-known to be gay, had a fling with Cooper at exactly the time this short was made. The two "bachelors" certainly look extremely happy while sharing a table together.

Cooper's relationship (in the late twenties) with another boyish-looking, openly-gay actor named Anderson Lawler (they shared a house and were termed "best friends" by movie columnists), is well-documented in the fascinating book "Behind the Screen - How Gays and Lesbians shaped Hollywood 1910 - 1969" by William J. Mann.

Louis Lewyn produced and directed this "look at the stars" short for MGM. He had been doing this sort of work since 1920, starting out with Columbia's SCREEN SNAPSHOTS. Now he was doing this for MGM, so money was spent, including springing for Technicolor. The print that runs on Turner Classic Movies is not among their best; the elements show imperfect matches, a problem with early three-strip, caused by the three separate elements, each carrying a different color, shrinking at microscopically different rates.

However, while the color isn't the best, people looked at these movies to see the stars out of their usual movie roles. Listening to Leo Carillo speak as the elegant, educated man he actually was is a particular treat for me.

This glorious short, similar to STARLIT DAYS AT THE LIDO, also from 1934 are Technicolor tests to see how the three-color YCM processing of sets and clothes with patterns overlaps and registrations has succeeded. It is a night in the Cocoanut grove with stars at tables, the orchestras and guests... but wow, how visually gorgeous is it...! To see any modern Hollywood life times of 1934 in full color is a treat... this one has Leo Carillo introducing various stars (see other comment) in this glamor palace.... but for me the sight and presence of hilarious handsome comedy- voice artist Johnny Candido (only 21 here) in a tux singing 'She's Up thar' with an octave range more than any piano I know is utterly charming and delicious... as is Mary Pickford in a gold dress and afterwards,a jawdropping fashion parade of absolutely spectacular Cleopatra palace gowns. Orchestra leader Ted Fio Rio plays as well. He went to Monogram in the 40s for their biggest musicals SILVER SKATES and LADY LETS DANCE. Johnny Candido was also seen in ROBERTA and SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT. He is just charming. You can find this treasure on the Warner DVD for The Gay Divorcée. This disc also contains a delightful kiddie vaudeville short also in fantastic Technicolor... as Vitaphone treat called SHOWKIDS. Get this disc. It is a completely perfect art deco musical thrill.

This modest, charming little short supposedly about a typical night in a Hollywood nightclub in the 1930's is an invaluable historic piece mainly for photographing a number of film legends quite young in perfected Technicolor. Most of them, alas, are seen only sitting at nightclub tables like Gary Cooper but they do get nice shots. The specialty acts dominate the film but legendary silent star Mary Pickford steps to the microphone to speak to the audience and introduce Bing Crosby, who sings. It is an incredible treat to see "our Mary" in Technicolor as well as to hear her in one of her few talking appearances on film and seeing the dashing young Gary Cooper in color if only in a fleeting appearance is wonderful. And I'm sure Bing Crosby fans will be thrilled to see him this young in color as well. One regrets there weren't many more Technicolor shorts like this featuring a bevy of movie stars we know mainly in black-and-white.