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

4.00 out of 10 stars from
209 users

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

Miss DuPont, the Interviewer: Of course you know Miss Evans, I'm writing a series of articles on the love lives of picture stars and I want your love life for the April number.
Lonny Borden: You want what?
Miss DuPont, the Interviewer: Now of course you don't mind answering just a few intimate questions. Of course I know you married for love. But was it the thoughtful reasoning kind or was it the blind passionate ummmmph kind?
Mary Evans: Well I don't know. I suppose it was the...
Lonny Borden: Well I should say it was the, uh, ummmmph kind!
Miss DuPont, the Interviewer: That's good! Now are you planning on having a family?
Mary Evans: I hope to some day.
Miss DuPont, the Interviewer: Oh how sweet. How interesting. Have you seperate bedrooms?
Mary Evans: No.
Miss DuPont, the Interviewer: Oh I must have a photograph of your bedroom! Now Miss Evans, tell me, just how far do you think a wife should go to keep a husband's love?
Mary Evans: Well I know I'd go a long way myself.
Miss DuPont, the Interviewer: And what do you think a husband should do to keep a wife's love, Mr. Borden?
Lonny Borden: I really haven't the faintest idea. Suppose you tell me!
Miss DuPont, the Interviewer: Oh oh oh. I've never been a husband. That reminds me. Have you a photograph showing your marvelous physique?
Lonny Borden: No but I have my appendix in the other room in a bottle. Perhaps you'd like to photograph that!
[Lonny gets up and exits]
Miss DuPont, the Interviewer: Has he gone to get it?
Mary Evans: No, uh, I, I don't think so, ummm.

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.

[last lines]
Lonny Borden: Oh Mary? Aren't you going to say hello?
Mary Evans: How'd you find us?
Lonny Borden: Detectives. I kidnapped Jackie because I realized I'd never be able to get in to see you any other way.
Mary Evans: Why'd you come?
Lonny Borden: Well among other things, I've a rather important mesage here from Mr. Saxe. I'll read it. "Dear Mary. Just bought a new story. It'd make a good comeback for you. You go to prison for the man you love. Exhibiters interested. Mother and I send love. Julius Saxe." There is a p.s.
[he turns the message over and pretends to read a p.s]
Lonny Borden: "You better re-marry Lonny Borden. He adores you, he always has, cause he realizes that he isn't good enough for you but he'll do anything if you only take him back." It's true. Honest and a whole lot more!
Mary Evans: Then... than you didn't go to Hollywood just to take Jackie from me?
Lonny Borden: Well of course not dear. I came out to help if you needed it.
Mary Evans: Oh Lonny.
Lonny Borden: Let's have dinner together tonight, huh? There's a hotel here with a magnificent main dining room, a thirty piece orchestra, orchids.
Mary Evans: Suppose I said no?
Lonny Borden: Well you know what happened last time.
Mary Evans: Lonny!

Facts about

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.

Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson's first movie.

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).

Classic Movie Hub

What Price Hollywood? (1932)