Pick a Star (1937)

Pick a Star is a 1937 American musical comedy film starring Rosina Lawrence, Jack Haley, Patsy Kelly and Mischa Auer, directed by Edward Sedgwick, produced by Hal Roach and released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and filmed by Norbert Brodine. A reworking of Buster Keaton's first talkie, Free and Easy (1930), the film is mostly remembered today for two short scenes featuring Laurel and Hardy.

The film was reissued as Movie Struck by Astor Pictures in 1954.

Plot

Cecelia (Rosina Lawrence) enters a talent show in Waterloo, Kansas with the promise that the winner will be given a part in a movie. Cecilia wins but never receives her prize because the organizer (Russell Hicks) has run off with the cash.

The emcee, Joe Jenkins (Jack Haley), feels partly responsible for her disappointment and promises Cecilia that he will go to Hollywood to launch her career as a movie star. He sells his garage and moves to Hollywood, but is only able to find a job bussing tables at a local nightclub. He writes to Cecilia, however, that he has become a successful entertainer.

Cecilia has in the meantime crossed paths with Latin lover movie idol Rinaldo Lopez (Mischa Auer), who arrives in Waterloo when his plane makes an emergency landing there. Two of the other passengers give their plane tickets to Cecilia and her sister Nellie (Patsy Kelly), who then accompany Rinaldo to Hollywood.

When she surprises Joe by showing up at the nightclub where he works Joe pretends that he is part of the floor show rather than just a busboy. Cecilia sees through the ruse and leaves with Rinaldo. Joe follows Cecilia as she leaves, and is hit by a studio mogul Mr. Klawheimer (Charles Halton), who gives Joe a job as a studio driver in order to avoid a lawsuit.

Meanwhile Rinaldo takes the girls to the studio to watch musical star Dagmar (Lyda Roberti) shoot an elaborate scene modeled after the extravagant numbers shot by Busby Berkeley. Nellie wanders onto the set where Laurel and Hardy are filming a scene in a Mexican barroom, directed by James Finlayson. After watching them film a brawl, she asks the team whether they're afraid of hurting themselves. Hardy explains that the bottles they hit each other with are lightweight phonies and offer their heads in demonstration. Nellie grabs an actual liquor bottle by mistake and knocks the team out cold.

While Nellie is distracted Rinaldo invites Cecilia to his apartment. They are driven there by Joe, who sees what Rinaldo has in mind, and drives back to the studio to get Nellie after dropping Cecilia and Rinaldo off. While Joe and Nellie return, Cecilia is crying, prompting Nellie to knock Rinaldo out cold. Joe stays to revive Rinaldo when Cecilia and Nellie leave, and Rinaldo promises that he will try to get Cecilia a job in the movies.

Later Laurel and Hardy engage in a musical competition involving a trumpet and a tiny harmonica. When Hardy accidentally swallows the harmonica Laurel shows how to continue to play it by pressing the right spots on Hardy's belly.

Dagmar storms off the set in a fit of pique. A fed-up studio shoehorns Cecilia in her place and she makes good after Joe helps her overcome her stage fright during her screen test.

Cast

Source:

Patsy Kelly as Nellie Moore

Jack Haley as Joe Jenkins

Rosina Lawrence as Cecilia Moore

Mischa Auer as Rinaldo Lopez

Lyda Roberti as Dagmar

Charles Halton as Mr. Klawheimer

Tom Dugan as Dimitri Hogan

Russell Hicks as Mr. Stone

Cully Richards as Night club M.C.

Spencer Charters as Judge

Sam Adams as Sheriff

Robert Gleckler as Head waiter

Joyce Compton and Johnny Arthur as Newlyweds

James Finlayson as Director

Walter Long as Bandit--(last appearance with Laurel&Hardy)

Wesley Barry as Assistant director

Johnny Hyams as Mr. McGregor

Leila McIntyre as Mrs. McGregor

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy as Movie stars

Felix Knight as Nightclub Singer (uncredited)

See also

Laurel and Hardy films

Laurel and Hardy

Stan Laurel

Oliver Hardy

James Finlayson

References

External links

Pick a Star at IMDb

Pick a Star at the TCM Movie Database (archived)

Pick a Star at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films

{Pick a Star review at Famous Clowns}