''Pick a Star'' is a 1937 American

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

starring

Rosina Lawrence Rosina May Lawrence (December 30, 1912 – June 23, 1997) was a British-Canadian actress and singer. She had a short but memorable career in the 1920s and 1930s in Hollywood before she married in 1939 and retired from entertainment. She is best ...

Jack Haley John Joseph Haley Jr. (August 10, 1898 – June 6, 1979) was an American actor, comedian, dancer, radio host, singer, drummer and vaudevillian. He was best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man and his farmhand counterpart Hickory in the 193 ...

Patsy Kelly Patsy Kelly (born Bridget Sarah Veronica Rose Kelly; January 12, 1910 – September 24, 1981) was an American actress. She is known for her role as the brash, wisecracking sidekick to Thelma Todd in a series of comedy shorts produced by Ha ...

and

Mischa Auer Mischa Auer (born Mikhail Semyonovich Unkovsky, ; 17 November 1905 – 5 March 1967) was a Russian-American actor who moved to Hollywood in the late 1920s. He first appeared in film in 1928. Auer had a long career playing in many of the era's ...

, directed by

Edward Sedgwick Edward Sedgwick, Jr. (November 7, 1889 – May 7, 1953) was an American film director, screenwriter, writer, actor and film producer, producer. Early life He was born in Galveston, Texas, the son of Edward Sedgwick, Sr. and Josephine Walker, ...

, produced by

Hal Roach Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr. Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter, ...

and released through

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

, and filmed by Norbert Brodine. A reworking of Buster Keaton's first

talkie A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed befo ...

, '' Free and Easy'', the film is mostly remembered today for two short scenes featuring

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American double act, comedy duo during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) ...

. The film was reissued as ''Movie Struck'' by

Astor Pictures Astor Pictures was a film distribution, motion picture distribution company in the United States from 1930 to 1963. It was founded by Robert M. Savini (29 August 1886 – 29 April 1956). Astor specialized in film re-releases. It later release ...

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 Edward Russell Hicks (June 4, 1895 – June 1, 1957) was an American film character actor. Hicks was born in 1895 in Baltimore, Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the ...

) 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 Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * 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 Berkeley William Enos, (November 29, 1895 – March 14, 1976) known professionally as Busby Berkeley, was an American film director and musical choreographer. Berkeley devised elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geo ...

. 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: *

as Nellie Moore *

as Joe Jenkins *

as Cecilia Moore *

as Rinaldo Lopez *

Lyda Roberti Lyda Roberti (née Pecjak; May 20, 1906 – March 13, 1938) was an American singer and stage and film actress. (According to the opening credits of "The Big Broadcast of 1936," Lyda is pronounced LEE-duh.) Early years Born in Warsaw, then p ...

as Dagmar * Charles Halton as Mr. Klawheimer * Tom Dugan as Dimitri Hogan *

as Mr. Stone *

Cully Richards Cully Richards (October 31, 1908–June 17, 1978) was an American singer, and film and television actor. He had a recurring role as First Sergeant Stanley Wozniak on the 1962–1963 situation comedy ''Don't Call Me Charlie!''. Death Richa ...

as Night club M.C. *

Spencer Charters Spencer Charters (March 25, 1875 – January 25, 1943) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 220 films between 1920 and 1943, mostly in small supporting roles. Biography Charters was born in Duncannon, Pennsylvania. Until aroun ...

as Judge * Sam Adams as Sheriff * Robert Gleckler as Head waiter *

Joyce Compton Olivia Joyce Compton (January 27, 1907 – October 13, 1997) was an American actress. Biography Compton was born in Lexington, Kentucky, the daughter of Henry and Golden Compton. (Despite frequent reports to the contrary, her name was not ...

and

Johnny Arthur Johnny Arthur (born John Lennox Arthur Long; May 20, 1883 – December 31, 1951) was an American stage and motion picture actor. Early years Born in Scottdale, Pennsylvania to John William Long and Matilda (née Hertzog) Long, Arthur was a vete ...

as Newlyweds * James Finlayson as Director * Walter Long as Bandit--(last appearance with Laurel&Hardy) *

Wesley Barry Wesley Barry (August 10, 1907 – April 11, 1994) was an American actor, director, and producer. Barry began his career as a child actor in Silent film, silent motion pictures and later became a producer and director of both film and televisio ...

as Assistant director * Johnny Hyams as Mr. McGregor * Leila McIntyre as Mrs. McGregor *

Stan Laurel Stan Laurel ( ; born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, director and writer who was in the comedy double act, duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Hardy in 107 sh ...

and

Oliver Hardy Oliver Norvell Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was an American comic actor and one half of Laurel and Hardy, the double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted from 1926 to 1957. He appeared with his ...

as Movie stars * Felix Knight as Nightclub Singer (uncredited)

References

External links

* * * * {{Edward Sedgwick 1937 films American musical comedy films 1930s English-language films Films directed by Edward Sedgwick Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films American black-and-white films 1937 musical comedy films 1930s American films Films scored by Marvin Hatley English-language musical comedy films

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links