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Clearly hoping to steal some of Stage Door's magic, Dramatic School misses on that count but still ends up as a modestly entertaining little backstager. Dramatic has one of those screenplays that really tries too hard; it takes a simple basic premise and overloads it with complications and details, none of which ultimately add much to the film and instead muddle up a fairly straightforward story. Had this all been done as a way of creating comedy, by having complication pile upon complication and create comedic tension and resolution, this would have been fine; but sadly, all that happens in Dramatic is we get a bit impatient with the little turns. Still, the screenplay's faults don't irreparably damage the film, the biggest strength of which is its cast anyway. Many modern viewers may not cotton to Luise Rainer, whose somewhat artificial style may strike them as. . .well, artificial. But Rainer's work is actually quite good here; she is, after all, playing an actress and so the actor-y artifice works to her advantage here. Besides, if one looks beneath the surface, there's a depth to her work that is quite entrancing. Fortunately for those who don't "get" Rainer, there's the likes of Paulette Goddard and Lana Turner on hand; both look great and Goddard especially turns in a fun and entertaining performance. Throw in good work from Alan Marshal and a very nifty turn from Gale Sondergaard, as well as some bits from Margaret Dumont and Hans Conreid, and the result is a pleasant way to while away the time.