Merton of the Movies

Plot

The George S. Kaufman-Marc Connelly play Merton of the Movies was previously filmed in 1923 with Glenn Hunter, and in 1932 (as Make Me a Star) with Stu Erwin. This time around, Red Skelton plays Merton, the small-town rube who aspires to become a dramatic actor in silent pictures. Bumbling his way into Hollywood, he lays waste to several movie sets before he finally lands a screen test. When his histrionic efforts are greeted with derisive laughter, Merton slinks away disappointed and disillusioned-only to re-emerge triumphant as moviedom's newest comedy sensation! In one of her few non-musical appearances, deadpan comedienne Virginia O'Brien plays Phyllis "Flips" Montague, the warmhearted Hollywood stunt girl who befriends and eventually falls in love with the hapless Merton. Reportedly, Buster Keaton supplied a few of the film's sight gags, but apparently not enough to permit Merton of the Movies to rise above mediocrity and predictability. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Cast

• Red Skelton - Merton Gill
• Virginia O'Brien - Phyllis Montague
• Gloria Grahame - Beulah Baxter
• Leon Ames - Lawrence Rupert
• Alan Mowbray - Frank Mulvaney

Charles D. Brown - Jeff Baird; Hugo Haas - Von Strutt; Harry Hayden - Mr. Gashwiler; Tom Trout - Marty; Douglas Fowley - Phil; Almira Sessions; Dick Wessel - Chick

Credit

Cedric Gibbons - Art Director, Robert Alton - Director, Frank E. Hull - Editor, David Snell - Composer (Music Score), Paul Vogel - Cinematographer, Albert Lewis - Producer, Buster Keaton - Technical Advisor, Lou Breslow - Screenwriter, George Wells - Screenwriter, Harry Leon Wilson - Book Author, George S. Kaufman - Play Author, Marc Connelly - Play Author

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