Show People (1928)

76% of users liked it
(450 ratings)

This Marion Davies vehicle was loosely inspired by the career of Gloria Swanson. Davies plays would-be starlet Peggy Pepper, who arrives at the gates of MGM Studios with her dad Colonel Pepper (Dell Henderson) in hopes of becoming a great dramatic actress. Instead, she a scores a hit as an ingenue… More This Marion Davies vehicle was loosely inspired by the career of Gloria Swanson. Davies plays would-be starlet Peggy Pepper, who arrives at the gates of MGM Studios with her dad Colonel Pepper (Dell Henderson) in hopes of becoming a great dramatic actress. Instead, she a scores a hit as an ingenue in the slapstick comedies starring the effervescent Billy Boone (William Haines). As the audience rocks with laughter during the preview of Peggy's first film (no one is more enthusiastic than her director Harry Gribbon), she sits in sullen silence, insisting to Billy that some day she'll invoke tears instead of laughter. This doesn't seem likely, inasmuch as Peggy can't even cry on cue (her director is forced to peel onions outside of camera range to achieve the desired emotion), but the tenacious young actress finally manages to win favor in dramatic roles. Inevitably, this causes a strain on her budding romance with Billy, and the couple slowly drifts apart. Now the unchallenged Queen of the Cinema, Peggy -- billing herself as Patricia Pepoire -- prepares to marry her oily leading man Andre (Paul Ralli), but mischievous Billy disrupts her fancy wedding. She angrily tosses Billy out of the house, realizing only when it's too late that she's still in love with him. But in the final scene, the hero and heroine are accidentally reunited on the set of a WWI picture directed by King Vidor (who also directed Show People). Two versions of Show People are currently available for TV; the "stretch-framed" Kevin Brownlow-David Gill restoration, with a new orchestral score by Carl Davis, and the original MGM release version, outfitted with a lively music and sound-effects track. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 22 min.
Directed By: King Vidor
Written By: Agnes Christine Johnston, Laurence Stallings
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Nov 11, 1928 Wide
Studio: MGM

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
What might have been hysterical back in the day, today seems passably cutesy comedy.
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Interesting Hearst-backed production starring Davies and other big stars of the era.

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Cast

            William Haines as Billy Boone

            Marion Davies as Peggy Pepper

            Dell Henderson as Col. Pepper

            Tenen Holtz as Casting director

            Paul Ralli as Andre Telefair

            Harry Gribbon as Comedy director

            Sidney Bracey as Dramatic director

            Polly Moran as Maid

            Renée Adorée as Herself

            George K. Arthur as Himself

            Charles Chaplin as Himself

            Lew Cody as Special guest appearance

            Albert Conti as Producer

            Karl Dane as Himself

            Douglas Fairbanks as Himself

            John Gilbert as Himself

            Elinor Glyn as Herself

            Leatrice Joy
            
            Rod La Rocque
            
            Mae Murray as Special guest appearance

            Louella Parsons as Special guest appearance

            Aileen Pringle as Herself

            Dorothy Sebastian as Herself

            Norma Talmadge as Herself

            Estelle Taylor as Herself

            Claire Windsor as Herself

            William S. Hart as Special guest appearance

            King Vidor as Special guest appearance
See full cast

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