Show People (1928)

(On Cable TV, October 2020) I have a sharp interest in Hollywood movies about Hollywood, and it turns out that there were many of them –even in the early days of Hollywood! Many of them are not so good, but Show People does have a few things going for it. For one thing, it’s directed by King Vidor, a capable director who clearly knew what he’s doing. For another, and perhaps more visibly, this is a film that actually gives us a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the way a silent film studio operated. The story itself is archetypical but holds up—an ingenue from the Midwest goes to California to become a movie star, and is dismayed to succeed first in slapstick comedy (getting hit in the face with seltzer water), but loses her way when she turns to prestige drama. There are many cameos—notably Vidor and lead actress Marion Davies as herself—but you’re going to need a good working knowledge of late-silent era Hollywood to know who they are. Show People is a fascinating piece of archival history of Hollywood’s silent era, and the emphasis on comedy means that it’s remarkably easier to watch than many other dramas of the time.