Show People

Show People
Customer Review: One of the best comedies of the silent era
1928 is in many ways a "lost year" in motion pictures. Just as some of the finest films of the silent era were being made in every genre, sound was coming in and - while reaping great profits at the box office - was setting the art of filmmaking back about five years as the film industry struggled with the new technology. "Show People" is one of the great silent era comedies. The film shows that William Haines had comic skills beyond his usual formula of the obnoxious overconfident guy who turns everyone against him, learns his lesson, and then redeems himself by winning the football game, the polo game, etc. This movie is also exhibit A for illustrating that Marion Davies was no Susan Alexander Kane. She had excellent comic instincts and timing. This film starts out as the Beverly Hillbillies-like adventure of Peggy Pepper (Marion Davies) and her father, General Marmaduke Oldfish Pepper, fresh from the old South. General Pepper has decided that he will let some lucky movie studio executive hire his daughter as an actress. While at the studio commissary, the Peppers run into Billy Boone (William Haines), a slapstick comedian. He gets Peggy an acting job. She's unhappy when she finds out it is slapstick, but she perseveres. Eventually she is discovered by a large studio and she and Billy part ways as she begins to take on dramatic roles. Soon the new-found fame goes to her head, and she is about to lose her public and gain a royal title when she decides to marry her new leading man, whom she doesn't really love, when Billy reenters her life and uses his slapstick skills to get "the real Peggy" back to her senses. One of the things MGM frequently does in its late silent-era films and in its early sound-era films is feature shots of how filmmaking was done at MGM circa 1930. This film is one of those, as we get Charlie Chaplin trying to get Peggy's autograph, an abundance of cameos of MGM players during that era including director King Vidor himself, and even a cameo of Marion Davies as Peggy seeing Marion Davies as Marion Davies arriving at work on the lot. Peggy grimaces and mentions that she doesn't care for her. Truly a delight from start to finish, this is a silent that is most worthy of a DVD treatment.
Customer Review: William Haines and Marion Davies at there finest
Show People is a wonderful film, and a must see for any William Haines fan. Its too bad that more of his films are not available, perhaps someday that will change (Little Annie Rooney and Brown of Harvard are the only 2 that I have found, out of his nearly 20 films). Show People shows Hollywood as it was in 1928, and how the studios worked, with the actor doing his/her own makeup, and all the different studios of the time. William Haines was MGM's top male star by 1930, amazing how others can try to destroy and make people forget the wonderful work they can do. Marion Davies was a good friend of William Haines, often invited to San Simone for many a party, and they were close confidants. No wonder there chemistry worked so well in this show. Poking fun at some other stars and a good satire on how silent films were (Marion's toothy grin, and Williams false mustache are 2 good examples), but is also a great example of good acting when actors couldnt say how they felt, but had to express it. This would be a great film studies show. It is my hope that "The Girl Said No" , "Way Out West" , "Wallingford" , "Slide, Kelly, Slide" and many others will someday soon become available. I really would like to hear his booming voice, being one of the few silent stars who transfered well to talkies.