While we’re waiting to find out how bad the elections go down today, I thought I would take a frolic and detour in Hollywood. I’ve been thinking how many films — how many films I like and continue to enjoy — take viewers inside show business. Among movies playing in theaters now, see, for example, Deliver Me From Nowhere, about Bruce Springsteen’s struggle with depression as he recorded the album that became Nebraska.
I hold in my hands a list! Any list of such movies could go on roughly forever. Here in no order are 25 such films (not counting the Star Is Born remakes) that came to mind when I sat down to write a list a few weeks ago:
• Stage Door
• The Rose
• A Star Is Born (x 4)
• A Hard Day’s Night
• Dreamgirls
• The Stunt Man
• The Bad and the Beautiful
• Birdman
• 8½
• Stardust Memories
• All That Jazz
• Day For Night
• Gypsy
• Singin’ In the Rain
• That Thing You Do
• The Idolmaker
• Sunset Boulevard
• The Producers
• Barton Fink
• The Player
• Hail Caesar!
• All About Eve
• The Circus
• Living In Oblivion
• Sullivan’s Travels
• Two Weeks In Another Town
I should say that I saw about half of these films courtesy of TCM over the years and, as I say, the list goes on forever.
My favorite film in this genre, if it is a genre, is My Favorite Year. I saw it on a frigid weekend in Montreal on business when it was playing in theaters in 1982. I would never have seen it if I hadn’t been trying to kill time over the weekend. It’s easily one of my favorite comedies. I have seen it several times since and keep finding funny touches that I didn’t notice the first time around in 1982. Unfortunately, I don’t know anyone who has seen it. I can only talk to myself and recommend it to others.
Directed by Richard Benjamin, written by Norman Steinberg and Dennis Palumbo, starring Peter O’Toole, the film takes us inside a fictional version of the writer’s room of Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows — the movie’s Comedy Cavalcade. Joseph Bologna plays Stan “King” Kaiser. O’Toole plays a washed-up character actor like Errol Flynn (Alan Swann in the film), idolized by the show’s young writer Benjy Stone, who appears to be a stand-in for Mel Brooks — the executive producer of the movie.
Swann is to be featured in a sketch satirizing a mob boss. Will the alcoholic Alan Swann make it to the show on time? It’s Benjy’s job to keep him sober. Will the mob boss who is satirized in the sketch succeed in blocking it? Against all odds, Swann saves the day.
The first several times I watched it I didn’t notice that Benjy’s older colleageu on the writing staff is Adolph Green, who co-wrote the songs (with Betty Comden) for musicals including Wonderul Town, On the Town, and others. Bill Macy and Lainie Kazan are also hilaroius in the film, The cast is loaded with talent.
It’s not a perfect movie, but I love it. I bought it on DVD when it became available. It’s also readily available on streaming servcies. I only wanted to share my enthusiasm about it with readers who might find some enjoyment in it.
