Merton of the Movies (1947)
Directed by Robert Alton
Genres - Comedy |
Sub-Genres - Showbiz Comedy |
Release Date - Oct 11, 1947 (USA - Unknown), Oct 11, 1947 (USA) |
Run Time - 83 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
The George S. Kaufman-Marc Connelly play Merton of the Movies was previously filmed in 1923 with Glenn Hunter, and in 1932 (as Make Me a Star) with Stu Erwin. This time around, Red Skelton plays Merton, the small-town rube who aspires to become a dramatic actor in silent pictures. Bumbling his way into Hollywood, he lays waste to several movie sets before he finally lands a screen test. When his histrionic efforts are greeted with derisive laughter, Merton slinks away disappointed and disillusioned-only to re-emerge triumphant as moviedom's newest comedy sensation! In one of her few non-musical appearances, deadpan comedienne Virginia O'Brien plays Phyllis "Flips" Montague, the warmhearted Hollywood stunt girl who befriends and eventually falls in love with the hapless Merton. Reportedly, Buster Keaton supplied a few of the film's sight gags, but apparently not enough to permit Merton of the Movies to rise above mediocrity and predictability.
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Themes
Keywords
actor, Hollywood, screen-test, small-town