Cheap Show People (Video) (Marion Davies, William Haines) (King Vidor) Price

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Customer Reviews of Show People

give it five
a charming, moving, funny, excellent movie. a masterful piece of film making featuring a wonderful performance by marion davies. watch her here and it is impossible to believe the myth that the only reason she was a movie star was the super-heated sponsorship of william randolph hearst. this movie is almost like a funny version of a star is born, with a happy ending. william haines shows why he was one of the great stars of the late silent era. a good, happy evening of old movie watching.

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Total delight that gets better with time
"Show People" is an experience not to be missed. Even if you are not a fan of silent cinema you could not help but be won over by this production. It has the unique distinction of being one of the very rare examples of both Marion Davies and William Haines work on video. I have never seen any of the other films of either artist but I'm sold on them after purchasing my copy of "Show People"

Marion Davies is a revelation in the lead role of Georgia born Peggy Pepper who arrives with her pushy father to "crash Hollywood" and become a "great dramatic actress" only to find herself dumped into slapstick comedies where she spends her days being sprayed with water and throwing custard pies!!

For too long Marion was kept a prisoner of William Randolph Hearst's effort to turn her into a dramatic queen of the movies when in reality she was a superb commedianne. "Show People" showcases her in a superb role ideally suited to her comic talents and she runs away with the film. The classic "audition" scene is absolutely priceless where she is asked to display different "emotions" like sadness, anger etc while raising a hankerchief up and down from her face .It still convulses me every time I see it. For that scene alone the film is worth seeing.

The great William Haines, while taking a back seat quite rightly to Marion in this instance, is also wonderful in his role of the slap stick star who firstly helps Marion and then finds her "going Hollywood" and looking down on him and his craft. He displays a great cheeky quality as well as a pensive other side to his nature which is just perfect for the role.

The film gives us as modern viewers a unique look into the Hollywood of the 1920's. I love the scenes showing how the director led the acting of the principals while filming was going on and the wonderful comic bits that are similiar to Keystone Cops really make you feel a sentimental pang for those far off days of filmmaking.The film has many scenes displaying remarkable Hollywood landmarks and its wonderful to see how MGM looked in the late 20's. Many distinguished actors and actresses make cameo appearances including John Gilbert, Douglas Fairbanks and in a very funny little scene Charlie Chaplin asks for Marion's autograph with her not knowing who this little man is!!

Marion gets to run the gamut of emotions in this production and has a marvellous time spoofing everthing from the Hollywood pecking order to vamping it up and doing a beautiful send up of class "A" drama queen Gloria Swanson. The scenes after Marion becomes a great dramatic actress are really interesting when she is teamed with a "Latin Lover" type popular in this era in Hollywood. The actor in question is a dead ringer for another of my favorite performers Ramon Novarro and he is terrific as the stuck up Ladies man who very much believes his own publicity!

All in all "Show People" is a memorable viewing experience that I would recommend to anyone. I believe, from what I know of her as an individual, that this role really showed the fun person that Marion was in real life. No wonder then that she was loved by practically everyone in Hollywood for all her great qualities, her warmth and her great capacity for friendship. Enjoy!

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Marion Davies' Best!
Out of the entire film legacy that Marion Davies left this is the best one out of all her films and it's also her best performance. Directed by the great King Vidor who directed other classics like THE CROWD (1928) and DUEL IN THE SUN (1946) this brilliant comedy is about a southern girl (Marion Davies) who travels with her father to Hollywood to make it in the film business and the scene in which she auditions to make it into the studio is a riot! She makes it in and eventually makes it big and she also finds a love interest. But for the sake of her career she has to give him up for a big but egotistical hollywood leading man in order to further her career. Then she has to decide which is more important, her career or the man she loves. And while she is deciding mayham insues. Mayham also insues when she is trying to make it to the top. It includes plenty of slapstick humor and it also pokes fun at the way Hollywood was back then with it's big shot stars and pompous studio boses but it's all in good fun and is never truely offensive. This movie is tenderley and comically directed and Marion Davies gets to show what a brilliant comedian she was. It's a shame she is so underrated nowadays. I recommend this movie so that you may see what a talent Marion Davies was. This movie is one of the greatest comedies and of the greatest silent movies ever. Also look for fun cameos of silent movie stars like Dougals Fairbanks Sr. and many others and also look for the director, King Vidor in the last part of the movie. He is the one playing the director.