An extremely overlooked homage to silent cinema, this film charts the rise and fall of a self-made director whose personal ambition blinds him to the emotional attachment he has to the actress whose star he plots from theatrical obscurity to leading lady of the silver screen. Often regarded as a fictionalised account of the life of the 'King of Comedy', Mack Sennett, this long-term pet project of Darryl Zanuck serves as more of a composite portrait of several silent screen moguls, including the aforementioned founder of Twentieth Century Fox himself.
There can be no doubt that Don Ameche's energetic and consumed protagonist, Michael Connors, shares much of Mack Sennett's creative drive in establishing his own movie company, and particularly by introducing audiences to both slapstick comedy and bathing beauties. Moreover, Sennett imbues the whole of this feature, aside from being employed as technical adviser, and appearing briefly onscreen as himself, his influence over the production is entrenched further through connections to both cast and crew.
Firstly, there are the swansong appearances by several members of his stable of silent comedy stars, such as Ben Turpin and Chester Conklin, never mind the celluloid act which would become synonymous with his directorial career - the band of Keystone Cops. In addition, the director of the black and white chase sequences which feature here, Malcolm St Clair, had learnt his trade under the auspices of Sennett. Indeed, although uncredited here, this feature served to reinvigorate his career, which had faltered with the arrival of sound, giving him the opportunity to direct four Laurel and Hardy vehicles when the latter left MGM to join Twentieth Century Fox.
Another who had benefitted from a well-paid apprenticeship under Sennett was Hollywood kingpin, Zanuck himself. Despite being illiterate, Zanuck had the knack of being able to churn out movie plots. His connection to St Clair was that they had devised the hugely successful Rin Tin Tin series of police-dog movies - there is even an appearance by Rin Tin Tin Jr within the movie.
The other notable influence on 'Hollywood Cavalcade' is that of Buster Keaton, for whom this production served as a brief return to the limelight. Having had his career blighted by alcoholism, with his MGM contract terminated five years earlier, Keaton had been reduced to employment as a gag writer for the Marx Brothers. In another twist of fortune, the author of Keaton's rehabilitation was this feature's principal director, Irving Cummings, a former actor whose own big break had come in Keaton's debut feature, 'The Saphead'. Keaton's orchestrate custard pie battle reminded cinema audiences of his genius and talent.
As for Cummings himself he would become associated with the studio's successful Technicolor output, and particularly musicals. Here he provided Alice Faye, one of the ten biggest box-office draws in Hollywood at the time, with her first foray in a non-musical role. Faye not only convinces as a melodramatic actress, but also as a worthy successor to the likes of Normand in silent comedy. As for the male lead, despite the fact that another of his performances from that same year would capture public and critical attention more, Faye's erstwhile co-star, Don Ameche, captivates every scene in which he appears as the driven and innovative young director. Despite the stubbornness and excess of pride his character demonstrates, Ameche's performance is so seeped in humanity that the audience adopt Connors as their champion. Having unconsciously driven the love of his life into another man's arms, those of the handsome young actor he discovered, Connor's misplaced fury at being betrayed leads him to fire both stars, and consequently, watch his own career torn into tatters. This reviewer was probably not alone in being desperate for Connors to just let her know his true feelings.
Many reviewers criticise this film as not having decided what it wanted to be, and for its sudden shift from comedy to melodrama. For this reviewer, this sea-change heightens the drama and in itself the feature sums up the history of Hollywood more accurately with the blend. The only point of criticism would be the chosen film title. The love-story has real emotional power, especially when the tragic death of Fay'e husband, played competently by studio heart-throb, Alan Curtis, provides our forlorn director with a second chance to be the support his widowed and injured leading lady needs.
Although the screenplay is often regarded as a fictionalised account of the stormy relationship between Sennett and Mabel Normand, the reality is that Normand was already an established movie actress when they met, and her career would be mired in far greater scandal and end more tragically than that of the female lead here.
Serving as Twentieth Century Fox's answer to Selznick's Oscar-garlanded 'A Star is Born' from the previous year, this production is rare in crediting another studio with its contribution to cinema. However, this apparent generosity of spirit somewhat masks the underlying self-aggrandisement of the film's producer. Firstly, Zanuck has an opportunity to shine himself in glory for previous successes he had achieved at that rival studio. The film illustrates Connors' loss of instinct as to what equates box office gold, in rejecting Rin Tin Tin. The rise of this four-legged star was one of Warner Brothers' major successes, and Zanuck himself had risen to prominence as head of production within this rival studio for overseeing this canine star's trajectory. Moreover, in this same vein Zanuck also played a significant part in fashioning Warner Brothers' output, in particular in developing the production of 'The Jazz Singer' which is heralded by Ameche's character as signalling the end of the silent era. Thus, this is very much a vehicle to glorify Zanuck's contribution to the history of Hollywood.
One final ironic footnote revolving around this production's storyline concerns Zanuck's relationship with this movie's female lead. As Ameche noted Zanuck like many others in the studio pursued her, and Faye would ultimately turn the tables on his disloyalty like no other female star has done before or since. When she discovered that the producer had cut her scenes in order to promote his 'new-find' actress, she just upped and walked away at the height of her popularity. Having originally blackballed her for breach of contract, he would make desperate attempts to lure her back. However, she returned all scripts unread.
There can be no doubt that Don Ameche's energetic and consumed protagonist, Michael Connors, shares much of Mack Sennett's creative drive in establishing his own movie company, and particularly by introducing audiences to both slapstick comedy and bathing beauties. Moreover, Sennett imbues the whole of this feature, aside from being employed as technical adviser, and appearing briefly onscreen as himself, his influence over the production is entrenched further through connections to both cast and crew.
Firstly, there are the swansong appearances by several members of his stable of silent comedy stars, such as Ben Turpin and Chester Conklin, never mind the celluloid act which would become synonymous with his directorial career - the band of Keystone Cops. In addition, the director of the black and white chase sequences which feature here, Malcolm St Clair, had learnt his trade under the auspices of Sennett. Indeed, although uncredited here, this feature served to reinvigorate his career, which had faltered with the arrival of sound, giving him the opportunity to direct four Laurel and Hardy vehicles when the latter left MGM to join Twentieth Century Fox.
Another who had benefitted from a well-paid apprenticeship under Sennett was Hollywood kingpin, Zanuck himself. Despite being illiterate, Zanuck had the knack of being able to churn out movie plots. His connection to St Clair was that they had devised the hugely successful Rin Tin Tin series of police-dog movies - there is even an appearance by Rin Tin Tin Jr within the movie.
The other notable influence on 'Hollywood Cavalcade' is that of Buster Keaton, for whom this production served as a brief return to the limelight. Having had his career blighted by alcoholism, with his MGM contract terminated five years earlier, Keaton had been reduced to employment as a gag writer for the Marx Brothers. In another twist of fortune, the author of Keaton's rehabilitation was this feature's principal director, Irving Cummings, a former actor whose own big break had come in Keaton's debut feature, 'The Saphead'. Keaton's orchestrate custard pie battle reminded cinema audiences of his genius and talent.
As for Cummings himself he would become associated with the studio's successful Technicolor output, and particularly musicals. Here he provided Alice Faye, one of the ten biggest box-office draws in Hollywood at the time, with her first foray in a non-musical role. Faye not only convinces as a melodramatic actress, but also as a worthy successor to the likes of Normand in silent comedy. As for the male lead, despite the fact that another of his performances from that same year would capture public and critical attention more, Faye's erstwhile co-star, Don Ameche, captivates every scene in which he appears as the driven and innovative young director. Despite the stubbornness and excess of pride his character demonstrates, Ameche's performance is so seeped in humanity that the audience adopt Connors as their champion. Having unconsciously driven the love of his life into another man's arms, those of the handsome young actor he discovered, Connor's misplaced fury at being betrayed leads him to fire both stars, and consequently, watch his own career torn into tatters. This reviewer was probably not alone in being desperate for Connors to just let her know his true feelings.
Many reviewers criticise this film as not having decided what it wanted to be, and for its sudden shift from comedy to melodrama. For this reviewer, this sea-change heightens the drama and in itself the feature sums up the history of Hollywood more accurately with the blend. The only point of criticism would be the chosen film title. The love-story has real emotional power, especially when the tragic death of Fay'e husband, played competently by studio heart-throb, Alan Curtis, provides our forlorn director with a second chance to be the support his widowed and injured leading lady needs.
Although the screenplay is often regarded as a fictionalised account of the stormy relationship between Sennett and Mabel Normand, the reality is that Normand was already an established movie actress when they met, and her career would be mired in far greater scandal and end more tragically than that of the female lead here.
Serving as Twentieth Century Fox's answer to Selznick's Oscar-garlanded 'A Star is Born' from the previous year, this production is rare in crediting another studio with its contribution to cinema. However, this apparent generosity of spirit somewhat masks the underlying self-aggrandisement of the film's producer. Firstly, Zanuck has an opportunity to shine himself in glory for previous successes he had achieved at that rival studio. The film illustrates Connors' loss of instinct as to what equates box office gold, in rejecting Rin Tin Tin. The rise of this four-legged star was one of Warner Brothers' major successes, and Zanuck himself had risen to prominence as head of production within this rival studio for overseeing this canine star's trajectory. Moreover, in this same vein Zanuck also played a significant part in fashioning Warner Brothers' output, in particular in developing the production of 'The Jazz Singer' which is heralded by Ameche's character as signalling the end of the silent era. Thus, this is very much a vehicle to glorify Zanuck's contribution to the history of Hollywood.
One final ironic footnote revolving around this production's storyline concerns Zanuck's relationship with this movie's female lead. As Ameche noted Zanuck like many others in the studio pursued her, and Faye would ultimately turn the tables on his disloyalty like no other female star has done before or since. When she discovered that the producer had cut her scenes in order to promote his 'new-find' actress, she just upped and walked away at the height of her popularity. Having originally blackballed her for breach of contract, he would make desperate attempts to lure her back. However, she returned all scripts unread.