What Price Hollywood? (1932) : Classic Movie Hub (CMH)

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What Price Hollywood? (1932)
Director(s)	George Cukor
Producer(s)	Pandro S. Berman (associate), David O. Selznick (executive)
Top Genres	Drama
Top Topics

Featured Cast:

See Full Cast

Constance Bennett
(as Mary Evans)

Lowell Sherman
(as Maximillan 'Max' Carey)

Neil Hamilton
(as Lonny Borden)

What Price Hollywood? Overview:

What Price Hollywood? (1932) was a Drama - Black-and-white Film directed by George Cukor and produced by David O. Selznick and Pandro S. Berman.

SYNOPSIS

Cukor's movie breakthrough was a film that producer Selznick considered to be a fairly straight reportage of backstage Hollywood. Bennett, a waitress at the Brown Derby, convinces sozzled director Sherman to squire her around Hollywood and get her a screen test, a toe in the movie waters that leads to Oscars, romance, suicide, marriage, separation, and reconciliation. Cukor revisited the scene of this early success with the more melodramatic A Star is Born (1954).

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Academy Awards 1931/32 --- Ceremony Number 5 (source: AMPAS)

Award	Recipient	Result
Best Writing	Adela Rogers St. Johns, Jane Murfin	Nominated

BlogHub Articles:

What Price Hollywood? (1932): Starring Constance Bennett

By 4 Star Film Fan on May 30, 2022 From 4 Star Films

Here is a film so completely attuned to Hollywood celebrity and fandom in its heyday. We open on Hollywood fashion magazines full of stockings and lipstick, and glossies of Greta Garbo & Clark Gable. Then, Mary Evans (Constance Bennett) pushes her retractable bed into the wall to head off to her... Read full article

WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD? PART TWO

By Terry on Oct 25, 2015 From Stardust and Shadows

In the first part of this series I took a capsule look at the Studio System with a nod to the use of drugs in order to produce and package the huge amount of product. It was not a complete look as many smaller operations such as PARAMOUNT PICTURES, RKO and the Poverty Row companies such as PRC, and ... Read full article

WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD? PART ONE

By Terry on Jun 21, 2015 From Stardust and Shadows

THE STUDIO GATES This is a slightly different look at the Hollywood myth – mainly because we are going to take a ?hardboiled? look at some of the ideas that nostalgic sites gloss over. Not all sites do yet this is an important part of the Hollywood story.? Gloss over, just as the major studios... Read full article

Pre-Code Crazy: What Price Hollywood? (1931)

By shadowsandsatin on May 2, 2015 From Shadows and Satin

In previous months, my Pre-Code Crazy pick has always been a film that I?ve seen numerous times before. And while I was initially quite certain that this month?s selection also fit into that category, it turns out that I?d actually never seen it before! Oh, I?d seen the film?s beginning countless ti... Read full article

What Price Hollywood? (1932) (2)

on Mar 24, 2014 From Journeys in Classic Film

It’s safe to say I know a lot about Hollywood; whether it’s reviewing movies or, by extension, reviewing movies about the art of making movies there’s no escaping the glittering pool of the silver screen.? It could explain the proliferation of behind-the-curtain features I watch.? ... Read full article

See all What Price Hollywood? articles

Quotes from

Maximillan 'Max' Carey: Say, do you think I'm doing this because I like it! How about you forget your husband for a few minutes and we might be able to finish this scene and go home.
Lonny Borden: Oh, it too late for the theater now anyhow.
Maximillan 'Max' Carey: Or you stand the chance of seeing the last act. Might do her some good to see a competent actress.
Mary Evans: Say!
Lonny Borden: Is it necessary to insult Miss Evans Mr. Carey?
Maximillan 'Max' Carey: Outsiders are not allowed on the set. Why don't you let me direct Miss Evans and you be... Mr. Evans.
Mary Evans: That'll be enough tonight Max. Come on Lonny!

Miss DuPont, the Interviewer: Oh how do you do?
Mary Evans: How do you do Miss DuPont?
Miss DuPont, the Interviewer: My what a lovely place!
Mary Evans: This is my husband.
Miss DuPont, the Interviewer: How do you do Mr. Borden?
Lonny Borden: How do you do.
Miss DuPont, the Interviewer: I didn't dream you were so handsome. What a pair of lovers! Oh I must have a photograph of you looking at each other just like that.
Mary Evans: Well, let's sit down.
Miss DuPont, the Interviewer: Thank you.
Mary Evans: Come on Lonny.
[Mary grabs Lonny's arm and pulls him down to sit]

Mary Evans: Her I am sir.
[Mary enters the projection room]
Julius Saxe: Hello. Hmmm hmmm hmmm. Let me look at you. Fine. Gentlemen. Sit down. Well, what's your name?
Mary Evans: Mary Evans.
Julius Saxe: Mary Evans? No Good. We'll change it.
Maximillan 'Max' Carey: Mary's a grand old name Saxey.
Julius Saxe: Alright, we'll keep it. Well Mary. I tell you what I do. I'll give you a contract, a long term contract for seven years. I'll give you the first year 100, the second year 200. A week! The third year 300 and so on until in seven years you make a million dollars.
Mary Evans: Oh that would be wonderful!
Julius Saxe: Mrs. Spiegel, get mama on the phone. I want to tell her I have discovered a new star.
Maximillan 'Max' Carey: Who discovered a new star?
Julius Saxe: Alright. Maximillian Carey discovered a new star.
Maximillan 'Max' Carey: You're welcome.

Facts about

Max Carey was modelled after Lowell Sherman himself, who was known to be an alcoholic, as well as silent film director Marshall Neilan and actor John Barrymore (who was Sherman's brother-in-law at the time).

Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson's first movie.

David O. Selznick wanted Clara Bow for the role of Mary Evans, but she turned it down when she was offered more money from Fox.

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What Price Hollywood? (1932)