It Happened In Hollywood (1937)

A popular cowboy star (Richard Dix, CIMARRON) in silent films finds his limited acting skills are a deterrent to a successful transition to the talkies. As his actress girlfriend's (Fay Wray) career blossoms, he finds himself losing everything. The first half of the film is quite interesting and it looks for awhile like it's going down the A STAR IS BORN route (also released in 1937). One of the three credited screenwriters is future auteur Samuel Fuller and I wouldn't be surprised if his contributions were for the first half because the second section of the film becomes increasingly maudlin (a sick orphan becomes the focal point) and preposterous, very unlike Fuller. One can't find much sympathy for Dix's character. He gets a chance at a comeback but refuses to take it because playing a cop killer would tarnish his clean scrubbed image! It doesn't help that Dix's acting isn't all that much different from his character's stilted screen test. The highlight of the film is a Star laden party Dix gives to impress the sick orphan but since he's washed up, instead of real Stars he invites doubles who look like them. So we get to see imitators of Mae West, Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, W.C. Fields, Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Chaplin etc. Directed by Harry Lachman. With Franklin Pangborn as an acting coach.