MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Tayyab Torres Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

mark.waltz The next time you're in Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, take a good look at the art deco train station, then give this movie another (or first) viewing. You too, will get a sense of nostalgia as Bing Crosby breaks into the title song. Toss in former girl's school teacher Marion Davies as the star-struck young lady who reluctantly ends up becoming an actress, temperamental Fifi D'Orsday (in her biggest film role), funny Patsy Kelly, money man Stuart Erwin, and sour-pussed Ned Sparks, and you have a dyslexic "42nd Street" where the extra gets to be a film star rather than the chorus girl getting to be a Broadway star. The film becomes a bit dramatic, almost a variation of "A Star is Born" as Crosby descends into possible alcoholism after a misunderstanding with Davies (concerning French spitfire D'Orsday), so the second half is a major "mood swing". However, there is a very amusing opening sequence with moonstruck young Davies absent from a teacher's meeting (definately half the age of the others) which includes Clara Blandick as the confidante who is far more easy going than the elderly teacher who proclaims, "I'm ancient Greek history" and the masculine gym instructor who answers her attendance call with a very macho "Here I am." Miss Briarcroft, the principal, who gets absolutely no billing even in the unbilled credits, appears slightly younger, but her hatred towards the radio and music and romance in general is certainly the push that Davies needed to get out of a life she hated and into the glorious gowns and furs at MGM. This scene was basically repeated by Suzanne Pleshette in the 1960's soaper "Rome Adventure" where she went "Viva Italiano" rather than to tinseltown. Some of MGM's brightest stars of the time appear in newsreel footage after a sequence which breaks the record as the fastest train ride ever from New York to Hollywood....3 minutes! Sam McDaniel (Hattie's brother) is the Grand Central porter who dryly sings "Where ya all going'?".This enjoyably lavish spectacle also includes Crosby's seductive "Temptation" (which seems to me to be one difficult song to try and sing---it needs much acting with it as well, so that says something about der-Bingle...) and a fun dream sequence ("We'll Make Hay When the Sunshines"). Davies has a radiant smile, dances nicely in her big number, and "has never looked lovelier", as Louella Parsons would always report. But in this case, it was true, her cross-eyed gaze appropriately handled by MGM's photographic team (to William Randolph Hearst's pleasure, I'm sure.). While the title song's opening lyrics, "Out Where They Say, Let Us Be Gay!" may mean something else now, the result is Hollywood's anthem to New Yorkers who wanted to break into movies, not Californians who wanted to hit Broadway.

dougdoepke Spirited young teacher leaves uptight girl's school for fame and fortune in Hollywood.I tuned in to catch the legendary Marion Davies, WR Hearst's (Citizen Kane) favorite squeeze, and was generally impressed even though the movie is unexceptional. She's got some natural charisma, and can dance and act as well as most musical performers. So this is not a case of a rich Daddy Warbucks making a silk purse out of a no-talent.The movie itself is expensively produced with a couple impressive dance numbers (e.g. the massed train station), plus a youthful Crosby crooning at his most tuneful. But except for the torchy Temptation, the selections themselves are pretty forgettable. Nonetheless, the many behind-the-scenes look at movie sets remains fascinating. At the same time, macho director Walsh and noir producer Wanger may seem odd choices for the production end of a musical, but this is still early in their respective careers. Speaking of directors, Ned Sparks who plays the raspy director in the movie appears to have swallowed a lemon and followed it up with a load of sandpaper, providing much of the comedy relief, along with a young Patsy Kelly. But funnier than anyone without even trying is D'Orsay's cartoonish French siren. For cultural historians, there's the guy mimicking radio personalities of the day, making an informative and entertaining novelty act. But I can't help noticing a couple of Davies', shall we say, unusual costumes—one is so fancy, it looks like the crinoline is swallowing her, while the other resembles a big furry snow cone minus the snow. Good thing the rest of her wardrobe is 30's conventional.All in all, it's a good glimpse back in time, even if the musical end lacks staying power.

bkoganbing One of the other reviewers said that this film was essentially about stalking. I had never thought of it in those terms, but it's true.Marion Davies is a love starved French teacher at a girl's boarding school who's spare hours are taken up with the radio crooning of Bing Crosby. She follows the object of her affection out to Hollywood and in Hollywood cliché style gets her big break in the movies.First if you're willing to accept the beautiful Marion Davies with this crowd of old spinsters at the boarding school then the rest of the plot simply follows. Second for Bing Crosby fans one has to remember that this is NOT a Crosby picture. He's the leading man in a Marion Davies film. Everyone is familiar with William Randolph Hearst and the Svengali like influence he had on her career. Marion's making a musical so you go out and buy the hottest singer currently as her leading man. And that, boys and girls, is the story of Bing's first film away from Paramount.You also hire a topflight director in Raoul Walsh to keep things at a brisk pace. And you give Marion a good supporting cast that includes Fifi D'Orsay, Ned Sparks, Stu Erwin, and Patsy Kelly. Mix 'em together and you got Going Hollywood.It's not a bad mix. Crosby had a lot of songs in this film. The big hit was Temptation, but there were other good ones from Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed. One thing however, since this was not Paramount and MGM was known for the great production numbers in their films, Bing got some great numbers. I'm surprised frankly that Hearst allowed Crosby a huge number like the title tune, set in Grand Central Station, without Davies in it. Davies does join him in a dream sequence where she sings a couple of lines of We'll Make Hay While The Sun Shines with Marion and Bing dressed as a pair of Grand Wood rustics. Another big production number that Paramount would never spend the money for.Davies had good if limited talents. Hearst however could only see her as a pure heroine. Since he discovered her in the Ziegfeld Follies, Davies's dancing should be no surprise. It's at least as good as Ruby Keeler's. She had a good gift for mimicry, her imitation of Fifi D'Orsay is a key point in the plot. One thing that would be considered in god-awful taste now is her donning black-face to get on Bing's movie set and imitating the dialect. It's funny though. Think about pictures like Play Misty For Me and The Fan made two generations later. Stalking was looked on entirely differently back in those more innocent days.

lugonian "Going Hollywood" (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1933), directed by Raoul Walsh, hailed as one of the better Marion Davies productions for MGM during the sound era (1929-1934), is an interesting item mainly because of the presence of her co-star, Bing Crosby (on loan from Paramount), then in an early peak to his career, along with his introduction to the hit song, "Temptation." It also became Marion Davies' second MGM comedy with a Hollywood background, the first being the silent production of "Show People" (1928), which today seems to hold up better than "Going Hollywood," but on the whole, each provides an interesting tale and the behind-the-scenes look to a bygone era.Davies stars as Sylvia Bruce, a young French teacher at Miss Briarcroft's School for girls. Surrounded by prudish middle-aged teachers (including one played by Clara Blandick), she gets herself into trouble for constantly speaking her mind. Her only enjoyment out of life is listening to the pleasant crooning of Bill Williams (Bing Crosby) on the radio. Because she wants music, love and life, and is unable to get it at Briarcroft's, Sylvia quits her job to find her happiness. She then locates Bill Williams at his hotel room to thank him for inspiring her to fulfill her dreams, and because Bill is packing up and on his way to Hollywood by train to appear in an upcoming motion picture, Sylvia decides to pursue him. During the course of the story Sylvia disguises herself as a French maid on the train and darkens herself up as a colored girl on the set for a Civil War movie. But things don't go so well for Sylvia when she keeps encountering Lily Yvonne (Fifi Dorday), a hot tempered French actress who not only happens to be Bill's leading lady, but his fiancée, and thus, getting one face slap too many from her whenever she is seen with Bill. After Sylvia is spotted by Lily doing imitations of her on the set, much to the delight of the production crew, Lily offers her another slap across the face, causing Sylvia to break loose and give Lily a black eye for her trouble. After Lily walks off the set, Sylvia is then given the leading part, but further complications occur, especially misunderstandings that cause Bill to not show up on the set, leading to his termination from production."Going Hollywood" is a typical and lighthearted musical comedy with noteworthy songs by composers Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur including: "Our Big Love Scene," "Beautiful Girl," "Going Hollywood," "Just an Echo in the Valley" (by Reginald Connelly, Jimmy Campbell and Harry Woods); "Going Hollywood," "We'll Make Hay" (all sung by Bing Crosby); "Have You Heard?" (sung by Marion Davies); "Cinderella's Fella" (sung by chorus); "After Sundown," "Temptation" and "Our Big Love Scene." Many songs, no real production numbers, with the exception of a interesting dream sequence to note with the lively "We'll Make Hay" number, as Sylvia is being crooned to by Bill (Crosby) on the farm surrounded by dancing scarecrows and farmhands. (At one moment, Sylvia gets to see herself doing a dance). During all this, the camera super imposes on the sleeping Sylvia with her closed eyes and smiling face. In another memorable moment, Crosby sings his haunting rendition to "Temptation" while sitting on a bar stool to Fifi Dorday, surrounded by black patrons on the dance floor. This "Temptation" number was clipped into one of the musical highlighted segments to THAT's ENTERTAINMENT, PART 2 (1976). The score to "Temptation" would he heard again in future MGM films, as well as "Beautiful Girl." In the supporting cast are Stuart Erwin as Ernest P. Baker, the movie financier; Ned Sparks as Bert Conroy, the movie director; Bobby Watson as Jack Thompson, and in smaller roles, Sam McDaniel, Sterling Holloway and Nora Cecil. The story takes time out for humor with the Radio Rogues as electricians spoofing radio shows and personalities of the day, such as Rudy Vallee and Morton Downey. Patsy Kelly, in her movie debut, provides some added spark with her sassy humor, which makes up for Fifi Dorsay's obnoxious and unpleasant portrayal as the temperamental French star. Kelly would provide laughs in other Davies Davies comedies, including PAGE MISS GLORY (1935) and EVER SINCE EVE (1937), both at Warner Brothers."Going Hollywood" at 77 minutes, is available for viewing on cable television's Turner Classic Movies as well as video cassette. (***)