SHOW PEOPLE

(1928, King Vidor) Marion Davies’ movie diva Patricia Pepoire, née just plain Peggy Pepper, aided by pal William Haines, sends up real-life rival Gloria Swanson, in Vidor’s hilarious inside-Hollywood comedy, featuring cameos by the greatest movie stars of the 20s, including a memorable encounter with a clean-shaven Charlie Chaplin. Print courtesy Library of Congress.

REVIEWS

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"An antic yet wise inside-Hollywood comedy... Vidor offers droll and tangy glimpses behind the scenes, contrasting the threadbare production of knockabout comedies and the richly appointed melodrama sets. Cameos abound: Davies takes a second role, as herself; Vidor plays himself, too; Charlie Chaplin, slight and exquisite, brings a Shakespearean grace to his self-portrayal as a humble moviegoer; and a long tracking shot of stars at a studio banquet table plays like a cinematic death row, displaying such luminaries as Renée Adorée, William S. Hart, and Mae Murray just before they were swept away in waves of sound."
– Richard Brody, The New Yorker

"The real hidden gem of the series! Davies’ parodic expertise is at its peak."
– Cullen Gallagher, Our Town Downtown

"One of the loveliest films ever made about Hollywood and the perfect climax to Vidor's silent career."
– Charles Silver

"That rarities of rarities – a picture about Hollywood which is not only hilarious but accurate... Vidor not only shot in the original Sennett studios, he used several Sennett comedians, and captured the atmosphere to perfection."
– Kevin Brownlow

"Light and deft and charming."
– Pauline Kael

"A delightful look at silent Hollywood."
– Geoff Andrew, Time Out (London)