Stand In (1937)

When his employer (Tully Marshall) is debating selling a failing film studio he owns in Hollywood, a strait laced New York financial analyst (Leslie Howard) is sent to Hollywood to determine if the failing independent film studio could be made profitable. Since he is naive about the film business, he gets some help from a struggling actress (Joan Blondell) and a hard drinking producer (Humphrey Bogart). For most of its running time, this dizzy comedy is good fun. As directed by Tay Garnett (THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE), it moves cheerfully along poking barbs at the film business. But like too many movies, the writers couldn't come up with a strong ending that complemented the film's first 3/4 and it just falls splat! But it was amusing fun while it lasted. Howard gets to show off his comedy chops, Blondell is adorable and Bogart, not yet a star, offers amiable support. But it's Marla Shelton as a conniving film star that gets as close as anybody to stealing the film. With Jack Carson, Alan Mowbray and C. Henry Gordon.