Stage Door

Stage Door ( Original: Stage Door ) is an American feature film with Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers in 1937 as literary model was the eponymous play by Edna Ferber and George Simon Kaufman. .

Action

Randall Terry, who comes from a wealthy family and has decided against the wishes of her father for acting, moves into a New York hostel for theater people. With her snooty way they cooked up quickly with the other young actresses. Especially her new roommate, the dancer Jean Maitland, Terry can not stand from the beginning. The only thing that holds to Terry, the aging actress Catherine Luther, who wants to try as her mentor. As the influential theater producer Anthony Powell sees Jean dancing, he leaves Linda, his mistress. Then he gives Jean exposure to a nightclub, and begins with her going out. Although Jean initially had no romantic intentions against Powell, but will gradually be attracted to Him.

Everyone's favorite Kay Hamilton, who was a year before had been very successful on stage and excellent reviews had received since then has not received a new offer and therefore can not make any money. It hopes to snag the lead role in Powell's latest stage play. When she is finally allowed to audition in front of Powell says that canceled the appointment at the last minute. Due to their disappointment and as a result of malnutrition Kay breaks together in the entrance hall. When Terry is why messing with Powell and reproaches him, begin their colleagues to see them in a new light.

Terry's father wants, however, Powell's new piece of finance - but only on the condition that his daughter was given the lead. Powell invites Terry then in his penthouse in order to make her his offer. When Jean suddenly also arrives there, Terry takes the opportunity to open Jean 's eyes on the ever unfaithful Powell. Terry pretends she is trying Powell seduce. Although your plan works, but also leads to new tensions in the dorm. Jean wants to have again nothing to do with her and Kay is devastated when she learns that Terry has received the lead role.

However, Terry is so bad that Powell will make his agreement undone with her father during rehearsals. Shortly before the premiere Kay commits suicide out of despair. Terry is like all the others dismayed by the news. You will not occur. Catherine, however, thinks that the show must go on in memory of Kay. Terry eventually occurs but and delivers an emotional and deeply moving performance. The play is a hit and Terry and Jean decide to bury their hatchet.

Background

The stage play of the same name premiered on October 22, 1936 at the New York Music Box Theater, where it was played 169 times with Margaret Sullavan in the lead role. For the screen adaptation by the film studio RKO Pictures, which had acquired the film rights for $ 125,000, a large part of the plot and the dialogue was rewritten. Director Gregory La Cava, who with My Man Godfrey previously ( My Man Godfrey, 1936) was able to record a great success, was in rehearsals for the stage door, unusual improvise for the Hollywood of the 1930s, his actors. The resulting dialogues, the authors Morrie Ryskind and Anthony Veiller worked into the script. According to the New York Times the script is both funny and dramatic as become the stage play, but I have as opposed to piece waived satirical swipes against the film industry in Hollywood.

Originally was Douglas Fairbanks Jr. for the role of Tony Powell in conversation, which ultimately Adolphe Menjou received. Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers at the time were the biggest female stars at RKO. You to fill in a movie that was considered risky, especially since Hepburn and Rogers do not understand private. During the filming, there was tension between them on the set, which in turn favored the credibility of the plot. Rogers, who was a friend of Lucille Ball, convinced the producers Pandro S. Berman ball to give a role in the stage door. Ann Miller was 14 years old when the film was shot, which is why they had made earlier with a forged birth certificate in order to be able to play a role in the film.

Reception

Stage Door premiered on October 7, 1937 in New York's Radio City Music Hall, and came the next day in the American cinema. As Katharine Hepburn was after a series of flops as box-office poison, they had to share the top spot on the movie posters with his time browsing Ginger Rogers. For her performance in Stage Door Hepburn received the best reviews for a long time, Rogers again was no longer recognized by their years of collaboration with Fred Astaire only as a dancer but also as a talented actress, what you numerous new role offers brought off the movie musicals. Lucille Ball was also praised for her performance by the critics, which led to a renewal of their contract, which RKO. Despite the good contemporary reviews, the box office fell short of expectations. The production of the film had cost about $ 900,000. The box office is said to have be two million, though other sources suggest, however, only 81,000 dollars in profits. In Germany the film was first shown on 8 February 1977 on TV. In a retrospective stage door was revived in May 2001 at the International Film Festival in Cannes.

Reviews

" [ The film ] is sometimes funny, occasionally effective when it comes to emotions, and generally refreshing and entertaining. "

" Katharine Hepburn has never been better occupied [ ... ]. As the daughter of wealthy parents, who tried to be an actress, Miss Hepburn plays with great sincerity. The audience also gets a new Ginger Rogers to see and be like them. "

"It turns out that Miss Rogers, a talented comedienne and Miss Hepburn as her early films hinted, which is perhaps the best movie actress."

" One of the outstanding and most entertaining comedies of the 1930s - despite their tragic and touching moments. [ ... ] Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers are a wonderfully lively duo. "

"Pretty superficial, formally rather modest film, which has, however, boast excellent lead performances. "

Awards

At the Academy Awards in 1938, the film was in four categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Andrea Leeds ) nominated, but came away empty. Gregory La Cava was able to win the Best Director New York Film Critics Circle Award.

1937 in film Film score Roy Webb Robert De Grasse Frank Reicher Fictional film 2001 Cannes Film Festival The Hollywood Reporter Life (magazine) 10th Academy Awards Academy Award for Best Picture Academy Award for Best Director Academy Award for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
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