Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1928
Directed by King Vidor
Cast:
Marion Davies, William Haines, Del Henderson, Charlie Chaplin (cameo), Mae Murray (cameo).
Synopsis:
Possibly the greatest hit of Miss Davies' career was this story of Hollywood. It's a
thinly disguised biography of Gloria Swanson, in fact, Marion does a mean Swanson
throughout the picture with uproarious results. Little Peggy Pepper is brought to
Hollywood by her father the Colonel to become a big dramatic star. Once there they meet
comic star Billy Boone (Haines) and Peggy lands a job on a slapstick lot. Billy and Peggy
fall in love, but Peggy does get discovered by a big studio and is artificially built up
as a dramatic star. Peggy changes her name to Patricia Pepoire, and takes up with a phony
count (another reference to the life of Swanson). Suddenly she's too big for Billy and
ignores him. Patricia's ego grows bigger and more encompassing then her recent films and
the studio threatens to dump her. Coming back to reality, she casts Billy in her latest
love story, unbeknownst to him, and the final scene is cute as the two of them embrace for
a final take and fail to stop when the director and cast have given up and vacated the
lot. It was a silent but it was released with a Vitaphone musical soundtrack.