The Matinee Idol (1928) / Frank Capra's American Dream (1997)
by Frank Capra, Kenneth Bowser
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DVD details
Actor: Bessie Love, Johnnie Walker, Ron HowardDirector: Frank Capra, Kenneth Bowser
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 165 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-06-15
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures
DVD Reviews of The Matinee Idol (1928) / Frank Capra's American Dream (1997)
DVD Review: Delightful silent romantic comedy plus a documentary
Summary: 5 Stars
This DVD has lost quite a bit of its original value since the excellent documentary on Frank Capra's life and career is also in The Premiere Frank Capra Collection (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington / It Happened One Night / You Can't Take It with You / Mr. Deeds Goes to Town / American Madness / Frank Capra's American Dream). Every fan of classic film should have this one. The documentary itself is very complete, talking about the entirety of Capra's life from the emigration of his family from Italy and his childhood up until his retirement from the film industry in 1961. The reason for Capra's retirement was that he felt that the industry had changed and that the director was not so much a creative force as he was just an employee under the direction of whomever the star of the film happened to be.
The accompanying film is "The Matinee Idol", and it is an unremembered gem of a silent film. Columbia was still a poverty row studio in 1928, but this production is every bit as polished as anything that MGM or Paramount would have put out at the time. The story revolves around the star of a Broadway Revue, Don Wilson (Johnnie Walker), who is a black-face comic. The management of the theater thinks that Don has been working too hard, so they advise a rest in the country. The group drives out to a small town where their car breaks down. The whole town - including the mechanic - are all at the "show" - the most recent play by the Bolivar players, the star of which is Ginger Bolivar (Bessie Love). Don is just looking for the mechanic when he stumbles into an audition for a bit part involving a love scene with Ginger. He gets the part because the other applicants are just so bad. The show is just terrible, but the town thinks it is terrific as do the Bolivar players. This gives our urban visitors ideas on a way to liven up their New York revue at the expense of the Bolivars' dignity.
Bessie Love gives the same perky performance here that she always does, but at this point in her career she is on the way out since the age of 30 was a magic number for actresses at that time. The coming of sound gives her career about a two year revival as she stars in "The Broadway Melody of 1929" and several other musicals in 1929 and 1930. When the early musicals fall out of favor with the Depression-era public Bessie is back on the poverty row circuit once again, leaving films pretty much altogether from 1931 until World War II.
As for leading man Johnnie Walker, this was pretty much his first and last hurrah in both silent and talking pictures. He had supporting roles before and after this one, but it was his only starring one. This is surprising since he is so engaging here.
Even if you already have the Frank Capra collection with the documentary, this one is worth picking up since "The Matinee Idol" is one of the best of the silent romantic comedies that I've seen. It certainly has that Frank Capra "feel-good" touch about it, even at this early stage of his directing career.
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