Lola Lane

(On Cable TV, May 2022) There’s a reason why “Midwestern hopeful comes to Hollywood for fame and fortune” is such a cliché, and it goes way back to the 1930s, a decade in which studios released a flood of such films. There was clearly some mythmaking at work, and some laziness as well: if you’re supposed to write what you know, then Hollywood was ideally suited in talking about Hollywood. Some of those films have had decent legacies (the original A Star is Born, for instance), while others are near-undistinguishable TCM fodder. They’re still enjoyable in their own way, but don’t be surprised if you can’t quite tell them from others. (For an extra challenge, have a look at the multiple Broadway musicals from the same era!)  Hollywood Hotel does manage to distinguish itself in a few ways. For one thing, its Midwestern hopeful is a man (Dick Powell), a singer/musician lured to Hollywood by way of a contest. (In the film’s over-the-top opening sequence, the entire town and Benny Goodman make a show of his departure.)  As another wrinkle, the love interest comes into the story as a substitute for a temperamental diva (Lola Lane, quite amusing). While the film follows a solid arc of early success, discouragement and ultimate stardom, the way getting there goes through a few evocative tangents, including a bit of comedy at a drive-in restaurant. (Also, alas, some unfortunate blackface that annoys even the film’s characters.) If you’re familiar with Hollywood history, you’ll see an early for Ronald Reagan, a screen appearance from gossip columnist Louella Parsons, and a supporting role for Benny Goodman and his orchestra – including a performance of the now-standard “Hooray for Hollywood.”  Oh, and it’s directed by Busby Berkeley, even though he doesn’t add much of his visual touch to the musical numbers. This doesn’t make Hollywood Hotel all that good – but it does add some additional interest to something that could have been far more generic – you have no idea of how many hopefuls-to-Hollywood movies were made in the 1930s, and most of them are far duller than this one.