Show People (1928)

So much average

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Show People presents Marion Davies as a comedienne par excellence, as Peggy Pepper, hungry for fame, who becomes the pouting Gloria Swanson clone, Patricia Pepoir. In changing her personality she proves herself to be an excellent mimic, with a great sense of humour - in one scene, Peggy encounters 'Marion Davies' and doesn't look impressed!Leading man and love interest in 'Show People' is William Haines, who fell out of favour in the talkies due to his open homosexuality - in later years he was a popular interior decorator to the stars of Hollywood. On the evidence of his performance here, he was a charming comic actor. Peggy initially prefers Haines but is later swept off her feet by a John Gilbert clone, a bogus count.Of great interest to movie buffs of the silent era is the table of stars, from Gilbert himself to Mae Murray, from Douglas Fairbanks jr to William S Hart. They may not speak, but their faces are immortal. And to the list of greats we should, on balance, and on the evidence of 'Show People', with its flashy cameos and in-jokes, add Marion Davies.

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 film-making 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, unless fate somehow intervenes.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 film-making 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 definitely worth your while. This is one of the films that I also recommend you use to introduce people to the art of silent cinema as it is very accessible.

Show People (1928) *** (out of 4) Silent comedy has Marion Davies playing a girl from Georgia who travels to Hollywood to become a star. When she first arrives she gets in the door by a slapstick actor (Williams Haines) but soon Davis wishes to do more serious roles. This is a pretty good comedy that manages to get several laughs with its witty screenplay but there's also some nice cameos that makes this worth watching. Davies is very good in her role and manages to be quite funny and charming. Her early scenes with her father are all very good as is her more dramatic moments. Haines is also in fine form here and comes off very well with the slapstick stuff, which was certainly meant to be a throwback to the Keystone era comedy. The screenplay is full of talk about current Hollywood stars and this here adds a lot of charm. The film becomes rather predictable and that's really its only weakness. There are plenty of Hollywood stars on hand and that includes Vidor in a cameo at the end. John Gilbert, Lew Cody, Douglas Fairbanks, William S. Hart and various others also make cameos. Charles Chaplin gets the best moment in the film when he shows up but Davies doesn't recognize him outside of his Tramp outfit.

Updated from a previous comment. The great and underrated Marion Davies shows her comedic stuff in this late (1928) silent comedy that also showcases the wonderful William Haines. Davies plays a hick from Georgia who crashes Hollywood with help from Haines, a bit player in crude comedies. They appear together in cheap comedies until Marion is "discovered" and becomes a big dramatic star.Among the greats scenes are Marion's introduction to films (where she gets a big surprise), Marion's departure from the comedy troupe, and Marion's wedding-day comeuppance. A great lampoon on Hollywood and its pretensions. Davies & Haines are a wonderful team, and the guest shots from the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, William S. Hart, John Gilbert, Elinor Glyn, Norma Talmadge, Mae Murray, Rod LaRocque, Leatrice Joy, Dorothy Sebastian, Estelle Taylor, Louella Parsons, Renee Adoree, Aileen Pringle, Lew Cody, King Vidor, and Marion Davies (you have to see it) are a hoot. A must for any serious film buff or for anyone interested in the still-maligned Marion Davies! Dell Henderson plays the father. Harry Gribbon is the comedy director, Polly Moran is a maid. Paul Ralli is the slimy leading man.SHOW PEOPLE was said to have used the career of Gloria Swanson as its model (I think Mae Murray is closer). Davies and Swanson were friends. But this film's story does parallel the rise of Swanson from one-reel Mack Sennett comedies with Charlie Chaplin to STAR in Cecil B. DeMille films of the late teens and early 20s.Davies and Haines were huge MGM stars and friends. Odd that MGM never teamed them up in a talkie. They're great together! A sweet romance and delightful spoof of early Hollywood. Gloria Swanson, Greta Garbo, Bebe Daniels, Pola Negri, Mary Pickford, Harold Lloyd, Alla Nazimova are mentioned but do not appear.There are two versions of this silent classic on DVD. One has the original synchronized score (which features the song "Crossroads") and a British version by Kevin Brownlow (which features a new score by Carl Davis). Marion Davies and William Haines are great in this film, not to be missed!