Hollywood Steps Out: Difference between revisions
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| image = HollywoodStepsOut TC.png |
| image = HollywoodStepsOut TC.png |
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| director = '''Supervision:'''<br>[[Tex Avery|Fred Avery]] |
| director = '''Supervision:'''<br>[[Tex Avery|Fred Avery]] |
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| story = |
| story = Dave Monahan |
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| animator = [[Rod Scribner]] |
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| animator = [[Rod Scribner]]<br>'''Uncredited Animation:'''<br>[[Robert McKimson]]<br>[[Virgil Ross]]<br>[[Charles McKimson]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Tralfaz: Spot the Stars |url=https://tralfaz.blogspot.com/2018/05/spot-stars.html |website=Tralfaz |access-date=9 October 2020 |date=28 May 2018}}</ref><br>[[Sid Sutherland]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Sid Sutherland Reel |url=https://archive.org/details/sid-sutherland-reel |access-date=21 December 2020 |date=16 December 2020}}</ref> |
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| background_artist = |
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| background_artist = John Didrik Johnsen (uncredited)<ref>{{cite web |title=Tralfaz: She Has Oomph |url=https://tralfaz.blogspot.com/2020/05/she-has-oomph.html |website=Tralfaz |access-date=9 October 2020 |date=12 May 2020}}</ref> |
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| starring = [[ |
| starring = [[Sara Berner]]<br>[[Mel Blanc]]<br>[[Kent Rogers]] |
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| music = |
| music = [[Carl W. Stalling]] |
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| editing = [[Treg Brown]] |
| editing = [[Treg Brown]] |
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| producer = [[Leon Schlesinger]] |
| producer = [[Leon Schlesinger]] |
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'''''Hollywood Steps Out''''' is a 1941 short ''[[Merrie Melodies]]'' cartoon by [[Warner Bros.]], directed by [[Tex Avery]].<ref name=Beck>{{cite book |last1=Beck |first1=Jerry |last2=Friedwald |first2=Will |title=Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons |date=1989 |publisher=Henry Holt and Co |isbn=0-8050-0894-2 |page=116}}</ref> The short was released on May 24, 1941.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lenburg |first1=Jeff |title=The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons |date=1999 |publisher=Checkmark Books |isbn=0-8160-3831-7 |access-date=6 June 2020 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780816038312/page/104/mode/2up |pages=104–106}}</ref> |
'''''Hollywood Steps Out''''' is a 1941 short ''[[Merrie Melodies]]'' cartoon by [[Warner Bros.]], directed by [[Tex Avery]].<ref name=Beck>{{cite book |last1=Beck |first1=Jerry |last2=Friedwald |first2=Will |title=Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons |date=1989 |publisher=Henry Holt and Co |isbn=0-8050-0894-2 |page=116}}</ref> The short was released on May 24, 1941.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lenburg |first1=Jeff |title=The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons |date=1999 |publisher=Checkmark Books |isbn=0-8160-3831-7 |access-date=6 June 2020 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780816038312/page/104/mode/2up |pages=104–106}}</ref> |
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The cartoon features [[caricature]]s of over 40 Hollywood celebrities. |
The cartoon features [[caricature]]s of over 40 Hollywood celebrities at the time. |
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==Plot== |
== Plot == |
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A bird's-eye view of [[Los Angeles]] is shown with searchlights moving to a [[conga]] beat. The action takes place in the famed [[Ciro's]] nightclub, where the Hollywood stars are having dinner at $50 (worth $915 as of 2021) a plate and "easy terms". |
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The first stars seen are [[Claudette Colbert]], [[Don Ameche]], and, at a table behind them, [[Adolphe Menjou]] and [[Norma Shearer]], followed by [[Cary Grant]], seated alone. Grant's first lines reference his films ''[[My Favorite Wife]]'', ''[[The Awful Truth]]'', and ''[[His Girl Friday]]'' (originally titled ''[[The Front Page]]''). [[Greta Garbo]] comes along as a [[Cigarette girl (person)|cigarette girl]] |
A bird's-eye view of [[Los Angeles]] is shown with searchlights moving to a [[conga]] beat. The action takes place in the famed [[Ciro's]] nightclub where the Hollywood stars are having dinner at $50 ({{Inflation|US|50|1941|fmt=eq}}) a plate and "easy terms". |
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The first stars seen are [[Claudette Colbert]], [[Don Ameche]], and, at a table behind them, [[Adolphe Menjou]] and [[Norma Shearer]], followed by [[Cary Grant]], seated alone. Grant's first lines reference his films ''[[My Favorite Wife]]'', ''[[The Awful Truth]]'', and ''[[His Girl Friday]]'' (originally titled ''[[The Front Page]]''). [[Greta Garbo]] comes along as a [[Cigarette girl (person)|cigarette girl]] and lights a match for Grant on her notoriously large feet. |
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In the next scene, [[Edward G. Robinson]] asks [[Ann Sheridan]] "How's the Oomph girl tonight?" Sheridan, then known as the "Oomph Girl", responds by uttering the word "Oomph" several times. |
In the next scene, [[Edward G. Robinson]] asks [[Ann Sheridan]] "How's the Oomph girl tonight?" Sheridan, then known as the "Oomph Girl", responds by uttering the word "Oomph" several times. |
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The camera then tracks past several other tables: [[Warner Bros.]] staffers Henry Binder and [[Leon Schlesinger]] appear as an [[in-joke]] |
The camera then tracks past several other tables: [[Warner Bros.]] staffers Henry Binder and [[Leon Schlesinger]] appear as an [[in-joke]] while the soundtrack quotes "[[Merrily We Roll Along (song)|Merrily We Roll Along]]" – the theme to the ''Merrie Melodies'' series. A seat is reserved for [[Bette Davis]], as is a large sofa for the rotund [[Kate Smith]]. We see the seats reserved for the characters of the [[Blondie (film series)|Blondie]] films, including a [[fire hydrant]] for Daisy the dog. |
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Meanwhile |
Meanwhile in the [[cloakroom]], [[Johnny Weissmuller]] checks a coat with [[Paulette Goddard]] that reveals his [[Tarzan]] outfit with the single addition of a [[tuxedo]] collar and black [[bow tie]]. [[Sally Rand]] (famous for her striptease acts and [[fan dance]]) leaves her trademark feather "fans" behind and is presumably naked. |
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In the next scene, [[James Cagney]] prepares [[Humphrey Bogart]] and [[George Raft]] – all known for their gangster roles – for a risky task. They get ready, turn, and start childishly pitching pennies. |
In the next scene, [[James Cagney]] prepares [[Humphrey Bogart]] and [[George Raft]] – all known for their gangster roles – for a risky task. They get ready, turn, and start childishly [[pitching pennies]]. |
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[[Harpo Marx]] gives Garbo a hotfoot (lights matches tucked under her shoe) |
[[Harpo Marx]] gives Garbo a [[hot foot|hotfoot]] (lights matches tucked under her shoe). In keeping with her subdued acting style, she responds with only a laconic "Ouch." [[Clark Gable]] (known for chasing women) turns his head around 180 degrees to observe a pretty blonde girl whom he follows offscreen. |
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[[Master of Ceremonies|Emcee]] [[Bing Crosby]] introduces the evening's entertainment, interrupted frequently by |
[[Master of Ceremonies|Emcee]] [[Bing Crosby]] introduces the evening's entertainment, interrupted frequently by a lazy, over-affectionate race [[horse]] with an apparently unconscious [[jockey]] (the fact that Crosby owned several race horses who never won races was a staple radio gag in the early 1940s). Crosby presents [[Leopold Stokowski]], who wears a [[snood (headgear)|snood]] as he prepares for what promises to be a serious orchestral performance— however, the song is "''Ahí, viene la conga''" and he dances to the beat. Different things happen during this performance: |
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* The conga inspires [[Dorothy Lamour]] to invite [[James Stewart]] to dance with her. Stewart, known for playing "shy guy" roles, stutters, stammers, and finally runs away scared leaving behind a sign reading "''[[Mr. Smith Goes to Washington]].''" |
* The conga inspires [[Dorothy Lamour]] to invite [[James Stewart]] to dance with her. Stewart, known for playing "shy guy" roles, stutters, stammers, and finally runs away scared leaving behind a sign reading "''[[Mr. Smith Goes to Washington]].''" |
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* Gable dances by |
* Gable dances by following the girl he saw earlier as he quotes "It's me again!" |
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* [[Tyrone Power]] dances with noted [[ice skating|ice skater]] [[Sonja Henie]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.warnercompanion.com/eowbcc-h.html|title = The Warner Brothers Cartoon Companion: H}}</ref> |
* [[Tyrone Power]] dances with noted [[ice skating|ice skater]] [[Sonja Henie]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.warnercompanion.com/eowbcc-h.html|title = The Warner Brothers Cartoon Companion: H}}</ref> |
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* [[Frankenstein's monster]] dances stiffly and woodenly. |
* [[Frankenstein's monster]] dances stiffly and woodenly. |
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* [[The Three Stooges]] poke, slap and smash each other in rhythm to the beat. |
* [[The Three Stooges]] poke, slap, and smash each other in rhythm to the beat. |
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* [[Oliver Hardy]]'s dance partner is revealed to be twin blonde women initially hidden by his [[Obesity|obese]] frame. |
* [[Oliver Hardy]]'s dance partner is revealed to be twin blonde women initially hidden by his [[Obesity|obese]] frame. |
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* [[Cesar Romero]] dances with [[Rita Hayworth]]; considered to be two of the era's best big-screen dancers, they dance clumsily and spastically and Hayworth's gown is tattered at the bottom from being continuously stepped on. |
* [[Cesar Romero]] dances with [[Rita Hayworth]]; considered to be two of the era's best big-screen dancers, they dance clumsily and spastically and Hayworth's gown is tattered at the bottom from being continuously stepped on. |
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* [[Mickey Rooney]], sitting with [[Judy Garland]], is presented with an expensive bill. A typical scene in the [[Andy Hardy]] film series occurs as Rooney turns to ask his on-screen father Judge Hardy ([[Lewis Stone]]) for a heart |
* [[Mickey Rooney]], sitting with [[Judy Garland]], is presented with an expensive bill. A typical scene in the [[Andy Hardy]] film series occurs as Rooney turns to ask his on-screen father Judge Hardy ([[Lewis Stone]]) for a heart-to-heart talk. In the next scene, they are seen washing dishes to the conga beat. |
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* Still following the girl, Gable gives an aside to the audience "Don't go away folks |
* Still following the girl, Gable gives an aside to the audience "Don't go away, folks! this oughta be good!" |
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Crosby then introduces the "feature attraction of the evening:" [[Sally Rand]] (identified as "Sally Strand") performing the [[bubble dance]] to "[[I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles]]". Crosby points to a stage area off screen, where the camera shifts to an unlit area and Rand standing still and holding a large white bubble in front of her presumably nude body from a longshot. A light comes on and shines on her and the camera zooms in on her, where we see Rand blink twice before motioning herself to dance. During the dance sequence, the camera shifts back and forth between the men's reactions and Strand dancing. All shots on Rand show her pacing back and forth on the stage carrying and dancing with her bubble: |
Crosby then introduces the "feature attraction of the evening:" [[Sally Rand]] (identified as "Sally Strand") performing the [[bubble dance]] to "[[I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles]]". Crosby points to a stage area off screen, where the camera shifts to an unlit area and Rand standing still and holding a large white bubble in front of her presumably nude body from a longshot. A light comes on and shines on her and the camera zooms in on her, where we see Rand blink twice before motioning herself to dance. During the dance sequence, the camera shifts back and forth between the men's reactions and Strand dancing. All shots on Rand show her pacing back and forth on the stage carrying and dancing with her bubble: |
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* [[Kay Kyser]], in his "Ol' Perfessor" character, shouts out "Students!" to which a group of men [[wolf-whistle]] in unison and exclaim "Baby!" |
* [[Kay Kyser]], in his "Ol' Perfessor" character, shouts out "Students!" to which a group of men [[wolf-whistle]] in unison and exclaim "Baby!" They are [[William Powell]], [[Spencer Tracy]], [[Ronald Colman]], [[Errol Flynn]], [[Wallace Beery]], and [[C. Aubrey Smith]]. |
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* Uninterested in Sally's dance, [[Peter Lorre]] cryptically states "I haven't seen such a beautiful bubble since I was a child" (possibly in reference to his breakthrough film role as a child murderer in ''[[M (1931 film)|M]]''). |
* Uninterested in Sally's dance, [[Peter Lorre]] cryptically states "I haven't seen such a beautiful bubble since I was a child" (possibly in reference to his breakthrough film role as a child murderer in ''[[M (1931 film)|M]]''). |
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* [[Henry Fonda]] hears Alice Aldrich of ''[[The Aldrich Family]]'' calling "Hen-''reeeeee''!" to which he quotes "Coming mother!" He is then pulled away by his ear. |
* [[Henry Fonda]] hears Alice Aldrich of ''[[The Aldrich Family]]'' calling "Hen-''reeeeee''!" to which he quotes "Coming mother!" He is then pulled away by his ear. |
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* [[Jerry Colonna (entertainer)|Jerry Colonna]] is very excited while looking through the binoculars and utters his catchphrases "Guess who?", to which the camera reveals an invisible character next to him called "Yehudi!" ("Who's Yehudi?" was Colonna's famous [[catchphrase]], referring to violinist [[Yehudi Menuhin]]). |
* [[Jerry Colonna (entertainer)|Jerry Colonna]] is very excited while looking through the binoculars and utters his catchphrases "Guess who?", to which the camera reveals an invisible character next to him called "Yehudi!" ("Who's Yehudi?" was Colonna's famous [[catchphrase]], referring to violinist [[Yehudi Menuhin]]). |
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"Strand" tosses her bubble up in the air and catches it on the way back down, titillating the audience. Now that Strand is standing still on the stage, this allows Harpo Marx, who was hiding underneath a table, the perfect opportunity to shoot her bubble with his slingshot. The bubble explodes when the missile hits it, and Sally reacts with shock as it reveals her wearing a barrel underneath as the curtain closes. |
"Strand" tosses her bubble up in the air and catches it on the way back down, titillating the audience. Now that Strand is standing still on the stage, this allows Harpo Marx, who was hiding underneath a table, the perfect opportunity to shoot her bubble with his slingshot. The bubble explodes when the missile hits it, and Sally reacts with shock as it reveals her [[bankruptcy barrel|wearing a barrel]] underneath as the curtain closes. |
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Meanwhile, Gable has finally caught the girl he was chasing, insisting she kiss him. "She" turns out to be [[Groucho Marx]] in drag and says "Well, fancy meeting you here!" The cartoon ends with a long-lost clip which was cut in reissue prints of Gable saying |
Meanwhile, Gable has finally caught up to the girl he was chasing, insisting she kiss him. "She" turns out to be [[Groucho Marx]] in drag and says "Well, fancy meeting you here!" The cartoon ends with a long-lost clip which was cut in reissue prints of Gable saying to the camera "I'm a bad boy" (this was Lou Costello's catchphrase, [[Abbott and Costello]] having become massive comedy stars just the year before). |
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==Cast== |
==Cast== |
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* [[Kent Rogers]] as [[James Cagney]], [[Cary Grant]], [[Edward G. Robinson]], [[Clark Gable]], [[Ned Sparks]], [[Peter Lorre]], [[Groucho Marx]],<ref>[http://www.warnercompanion.com/eowbcc-qr.html"The Warner Brothers Cartoon Companion"]. Retrieved 2018-06-03.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://classiccartoons.blogspot.com/2006/02/whos-that-guy-hollywood-steps-out.html|title=Classic Cartoons: Who's That Guy? - "Hollywood Steps Out"|language=en|access-date=2018-11-15}}</ref> [[Mickey Rooney]], [[James Stewart]], [[ |
* [[Kent Rogers]] as [[James Cagney]], [[Cary Grant]], [[Edward G. Robinson]], [[Clark Gable]], [[Ned Sparks]], [[Peter Lorre]], [[Groucho Marx]],<ref>[http://www.warnercompanion.com/eowbcc-qr.html"The Warner Brothers Cartoon Companion"]. Retrieved 2018-06-03.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://classiccartoons.blogspot.com/2006/02/whos-that-guy-hollywood-steps-out.html|title=Classic Cartoons: Who's That Guy? - "Hollywood Steps Out"|language=en|access-date=2018-11-15}}</ref> [[Mickey Rooney]], [[James Stewart]], [[J. Edgar Hoover]], [[Henry Fonda]], [[Bing Crosby]], [[Kay Kyser]], [[Lewis Stone]] |
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* [[Dave Barry (actor)|Dave Barry]] as [[Bing Crosby]], [[Lewis Stone]] |
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* [[Mel Blanc]] as [[Jerry Colonna (entertainer)|Jerry Colonna]] |
* [[Mel Blanc]] as [[Jerry Colonna (entertainer)|Jerry Colonna]] |
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* [[Sara Berner]] as [[Greta Garbo]], [[Ann Sheridan]], [[Paulette Goddard]], [[Dorothy Lamour]], Henry Fonda's Mother |
* [[Sara Berner]] as [[Greta Garbo]], [[Ann Sheridan]], [[Paulette Goddard]], [[Dorothy Lamour]], Henry Fonda's Mother |
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==Production notes== |
==Production notes== |
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* [[Paulette Goddard]] is credited as the "Coat Check Girl" |
* [[Paulette Goddard]] is credited as the "Coat Check Girl" |
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* When announced for the bubble dance Rand is called "Strand" by Crosby, presumably to avoid infringement. Rand refused permission to copy her dance act. |
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* In one showing of the short, there are actually variants as to how the cartoon runs. One version shows a more revealing, erotic bubble dance by Sally Strand. If one slows the part where she lifts her bubble up, one can see much more of her nudity than is shown in the former case. The bubble also immediately comes down after going up a certain distance rather than to the left first before coming down. In addition, her nudity is never completely shown, but rather is heavily implied. Throughout the entire dance, Rand dances behind her bubble hiding her nudity. In addition, the viewer can only see her dance from the front side due to the camera view. Her sides and back side are never shown. |
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* Strand's bubble and Marx's slingshot are makeshift objects. The former's an object shaped like a ball and is smaller than one Rand used in the actual dance, while the latter uses a rubber band to aim a ball missile, but the missile is not shown. |
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* Out of the 46 stars caricatured, Mickey Rooney was the last survivor until his death on April 6, 2014. C. Aubrey Smith died earliest in the cast on December 24, 1948, and was the oldest personality featured in the cartoon upon its release, at age 77. |
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* All of the female celebrities' voices were provided by Sara Berner. |
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* Kent Rogers voiced all of the male celebrities except for Jerry Colonna (voiced by Mel Blanc), Bing Crosby and Lewis Stone (both voiced by actor Dave Barry). Rogers was a gifted impressionist and only 17 years old when the cartoon was made. In July 1944, he was killed in [[Pensacola, Florida]], during a U.S. Navy training flight. |
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* The original release had an extended ending where Clark Gable kisses Groucho Marx anyway (adding, [[Lou Costello]]'s catchpharse, "I'm a BAD boy!"); this was cut out of the reissue print, because Clark was worried it would hurt his career. The result of cutting the ending was an abrupt black-out fade.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.toonzone.net/forums/threads/strange-version-of-hollywood-steps-out.3535761/|title=Strange version of Hollywood Steps Out|access-date=2016-08-19}}</ref> |
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* Caricatures of [[Katharine Hepburn]] and Bette Davis were made, but ultimately not used in the film. Had they made the cut, Hepburn would've been the longest-lived of all the stars, being 96 at the time of her death in 2003. Of the personalities featured in the completed version, Stokowski was the longest-lived, dying in 1977 at the age of 95. |
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* On July 13, 2016, former UCLA film archivist Steve Stanchfield partially discovered the long-lost original ending of the cartoon. |
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==Reception== |
==Reception== |
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''[[The Film Daily]]'' called the short a "caricature novelty", saying, "Latest Leon Schlesinger foray into the realm of caricature will interest and amuse."<ref>{{cite journal |title=Reviews of Short Subjects |journal=[[The Film Daily]] |date=June 18, 1941 |volume=79 |issue=118 |page=7 |url=https://archive.org/details/filmdail79wids/page/n535/mode/2up |access-date=13 June 2020}}</ref> |
''[[The Film Daily]]'' called the short a "caricature novelty", saying, "Latest Leon Schlesinger foray into the realm of caricature will interest and amuse."<ref>{{cite journal |title=Reviews of Short Subjects |journal=[[The Film Daily]] |date=June 18, 1941 |volume=79 |issue=118 |page=7 |url=https://archive.org/details/filmdail79wids/page/n535/mode/2up |access-date=13 June 2020}}</ref> |
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Cartoon voice actor [[Keith Scott (voice actor)|Keith Scott]] writes |
Cartoon voice actor [[Keith Scott (voice actor)|Keith Scott]] writes "There have been many twenty-first-century comments about how much this cartoon's cultural references (like conga music) and its raft of celebrities are impenetrable to a contemporary audience. However, on its initial release, ''Hollywood Steps Out'' was hyped as a special event and given a publicity buildup in ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]''. Audiences in 1941 would have greeted every caricature with instant recognition and hearty laughter."<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Beck |editor1-first=Jerry |title=The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons |date=2020 |publisher=Insight Editions |isbn=978-1-64722-137-9 |page=100}}</ref> |
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==Home media== |
==Home media== |
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* ''[[Slick Hare]]'' |
* ''[[Slick Hare]]'' |
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* ''[[What's Cookin' Doc?]]'' |
* ''[[What's Cookin' Doc?]]'' |
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* ''[[What's Up, Doc? (1950 film)]]'' |
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* ''[[The Coo-Coo Nut Grove]]'' |
* ''[[The Coo-Coo Nut Grove]]'' |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*{{IMDb title|id=0033724|title=Hollywood Steps Out}} |
*{{IMDb title|id=0033724|title=Hollywood Steps Out}} |
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*{{BCDB title|519}} |
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{{Tex Avery}} |
{{Tex Avery}} |
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[[Category:Merrie Melodies short films]] |
[[Category:Merrie Melodies short films]] |
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[[Category:American films]] |
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[[Category:1941 animated films]] |
[[Category:1941 animated films]] |
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[[Category:1941 films]] |
[[Category:1941 films]] |
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[[Category:Films directed by Tex Avery]] |
[[Category:Films directed by Tex Avery]] |
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[[Category:Films set in Los Angeles]] |
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[[Category:1941 comedy films]] |
[[Category:1941 comedy films]] |
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[[Category:Hollywood |
[[Category:Films about Hollywood, Los Angeles]] |
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[[Category:American animated short films]] |
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[[Category:1940s American animated films]] |
[[Category:1940s American animated films]] |
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[[Category:Animation based on real people]] |
[[Category:Animation based on real people]] |
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[[Category:Cultural depictions of actors]] |
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[[Category:Cultural depictions of Greta Garbo]] |
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Greta Garbo]] |
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[[Category:Cultural depictions of Edward G. Robinson]] |
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Edward G. Robinson]] |
Latest revision as of 22:49, 28 June 2024
Hollywood Steps Out | |
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Directed by | Supervision: Fred Avery |
Story by | Dave Monahan |
Produced by | Leon Schlesinger |
Starring | Sara Berner Mel Blanc Kent Rogers |
Edited by | Treg Brown |
Music by | Carl W. Stalling |
Animation by | Rod Scribner |
Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 7:45 |
Language | English |
Hollywood Steps Out is a 1941 short Merrie Melodies cartoon by Warner Bros., directed by Tex Avery.[1] The short was released on May 24, 1941.[2]
The cartoon features caricatures of over 40 Hollywood celebrities at the time.
Plot
[edit]A bird's-eye view of Los Angeles is shown with searchlights moving to a conga beat. The action takes place in the famed Ciro's nightclub where the Hollywood stars are having dinner at $50 (equivalent to $1,036 in 2023) a plate and "easy terms".
The first stars seen are Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche, and, at a table behind them, Adolphe Menjou and Norma Shearer, followed by Cary Grant, seated alone. Grant's first lines reference his films My Favorite Wife, The Awful Truth, and His Girl Friday (originally titled The Front Page). Greta Garbo comes along as a cigarette girl and lights a match for Grant on her notoriously large feet.
In the next scene, Edward G. Robinson asks Ann Sheridan "How's the Oomph girl tonight?" Sheridan, then known as the "Oomph Girl", responds by uttering the word "Oomph" several times.
The camera then tracks past several other tables: Warner Bros. staffers Henry Binder and Leon Schlesinger appear as an in-joke while the soundtrack quotes "Merrily We Roll Along" – the theme to the Merrie Melodies series. A seat is reserved for Bette Davis, as is a large sofa for the rotund Kate Smith. We see the seats reserved for the characters of the Blondie films, including a fire hydrant for Daisy the dog.
Meanwhile in the cloakroom, Johnny Weissmuller checks a coat with Paulette Goddard that reveals his Tarzan outfit with the single addition of a tuxedo collar and black bow tie. Sally Rand (famous for her striptease acts and fan dance) leaves her trademark feather "fans" behind and is presumably naked.
In the next scene, James Cagney prepares Humphrey Bogart and George Raft – all known for their gangster roles – for a risky task. They get ready, turn, and start childishly pitching pennies.
Harpo Marx gives Garbo a hotfoot (lights matches tucked under her shoe). In keeping with her subdued acting style, she responds with only a laconic "Ouch." Clark Gable (known for chasing women) turns his head around 180 degrees to observe a pretty blonde girl whom he follows offscreen.
Emcee Bing Crosby introduces the evening's entertainment, interrupted frequently by a lazy, over-affectionate race horse with an apparently unconscious jockey (the fact that Crosby owned several race horses who never won races was a staple radio gag in the early 1940s). Crosby presents Leopold Stokowski, who wears a snood as he prepares for what promises to be a serious orchestral performance— however, the song is "Ahí, viene la conga" and he dances to the beat. Different things happen during this performance:
- The conga inspires Dorothy Lamour to invite James Stewart to dance with her. Stewart, known for playing "shy guy" roles, stutters, stammers, and finally runs away scared leaving behind a sign reading "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."
- Gable dances by following the girl he saw earlier as he quotes "It's me again!"
- Tyrone Power dances with noted ice skater Sonja Henie.[3]
- Frankenstein's monster dances stiffly and woodenly.
- The Three Stooges poke, slap, and smash each other in rhythm to the beat.
- Oliver Hardy's dance partner is revealed to be twin blonde women initially hidden by his obese frame.
- Cesar Romero dances with Rita Hayworth; considered to be two of the era's best big-screen dancers, they dance clumsily and spastically and Hayworth's gown is tattered at the bottom from being continuously stepped on.
- Mickey Rooney, sitting with Judy Garland, is presented with an expensive bill. A typical scene in the Andy Hardy film series occurs as Rooney turns to ask his on-screen father Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) for a heart-to-heart talk. In the next scene, they are seen washing dishes to the conga beat.
- Still following the girl, Gable gives an aside to the audience "Don't go away, folks! this oughta be good!"
Crosby then introduces the "feature attraction of the evening:" Sally Rand (identified as "Sally Strand") performing the bubble dance to "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles". Crosby points to a stage area off screen, where the camera shifts to an unlit area and Rand standing still and holding a large white bubble in front of her presumably nude body from a longshot. A light comes on and shines on her and the camera zooms in on her, where we see Rand blink twice before motioning herself to dance. During the dance sequence, the camera shifts back and forth between the men's reactions and Strand dancing. All shots on Rand show her pacing back and forth on the stage carrying and dancing with her bubble:
- Kay Kyser, in his "Ol' Perfessor" character, shouts out "Students!" to which a group of men wolf-whistle in unison and exclaim "Baby!" They are William Powell, Spencer Tracy, Ronald Colman, Errol Flynn, Wallace Beery, and C. Aubrey Smith.
- Uninterested in Sally's dance, Peter Lorre cryptically states "I haven't seen such a beautiful bubble since I was a child" (possibly in reference to his breakthrough film role as a child murderer in M).
- Henry Fonda hears Alice Aldrich of The Aldrich Family calling "Hen-reeeeee!" to which he quotes "Coming mother!" He is then pulled away by his ear.
- J. Edgar Hoover then says "Gee!" several times as a pun on his position as a G-man.
- Boris Karloff, Arthur Treacher, Buster Keaton, and Mischa Auer watch the dance with their typical deadpan expressions until Ned Sparks, another famous movie "grouch," asks them if they are having a good time. They respond in unison with a solemn "Yes."
- Jerry Colonna is very excited while looking through the binoculars and utters his catchphrases "Guess who?", to which the camera reveals an invisible character next to him called "Yehudi!" ("Who's Yehudi?" was Colonna's famous catchphrase, referring to violinist Yehudi Menuhin).
"Strand" tosses her bubble up in the air and catches it on the way back down, titillating the audience. Now that Strand is standing still on the stage, this allows Harpo Marx, who was hiding underneath a table, the perfect opportunity to shoot her bubble with his slingshot. The bubble explodes when the missile hits it, and Sally reacts with shock as it reveals her wearing a barrel underneath as the curtain closes.
Meanwhile, Gable has finally caught up to the girl he was chasing, insisting she kiss him. "She" turns out to be Groucho Marx in drag and says "Well, fancy meeting you here!" The cartoon ends with a long-lost clip which was cut in reissue prints of Gable saying to the camera "I'm a bad boy" (this was Lou Costello's catchphrase, Abbott and Costello having become massive comedy stars just the year before).
Cast
[edit]- Kent Rogers as James Cagney, Cary Grant, Edward G. Robinson, Clark Gable, Ned Sparks, Peter Lorre, Groucho Marx,[4][5] Mickey Rooney, James Stewart, J. Edgar Hoover, Henry Fonda, Bing Crosby, Kay Kyser, Lewis Stone
- Mel Blanc as Jerry Colonna
- Sara Berner as Greta Garbo, Ann Sheridan, Paulette Goddard, Dorothy Lamour, Henry Fonda's Mother
Production notes
[edit]- Paulette Goddard is credited as the "Coat Check Girl"
Reception
[edit]The Film Daily called the short a "caricature novelty", saying, "Latest Leon Schlesinger foray into the realm of caricature will interest and amuse."[6]
Cartoon voice actor Keith Scott writes "There have been many twenty-first-century comments about how much this cartoon's cultural references (like conga music) and its raft of celebrities are impenetrable to a contemporary audience. However, on its initial release, Hollywood Steps Out was hyped as a special event and given a publicity buildup in The Los Angeles Times. Audiences in 1941 would have greeted every caricature with instant recognition and hearty laughter."[7]
Home media
[edit]Hollywood Steps Out is available on Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2. It is also available on Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2 Disc 2. Both feature the Blue Ribbon reissue title card.
See also
[edit]- Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies filmography (1940–1949)
- Mickey's Gala Premiere
- Mickey's Polo Team
- Mother Goose Goes Hollywood
- The Autograph Hound
- Hollywood Daffy
- Slick Hare
- What's Cookin' Doc?
- What's Up, Doc? (1950 film)
- The Coo-Coo Nut Grove
References
[edit]- ^ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 116. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 104–106. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ "The Warner Brothers Cartoon Companion: H".
- ^ "The Warner Brothers Cartoon Companion". Retrieved 2018-06-03.
- ^ "Classic Cartoons: Who's That Guy? - "Hollywood Steps Out"". Retrieved 2018-11-15.
- ^ "Reviews of Short Subjects". The Film Daily. 79 (118): 7. June 18, 1941. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ Beck, Jerry, ed. (2020). The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons. Insight Editions. p. 100. ISBN 978-1-64722-137-9.
External links
[edit]- 1941 films
- Merrie Melodies short films
- 1941 animated films
- Films directed by Tex Avery
- 1941 comedy films
- Films about Hollywood, Los Angeles
- 1940s American animated films
- Animation based on real people
- Cultural depictions of actors
- Cultural depictions of Greta Garbo
- Cultural depictions of Edward G. Robinson
- Cultural depictions of Clark Gable
- Cultural depictions of Humphrey Bogart
- Cultural depictions of James Cagney
- Cultural depictions of Johnny Weissmuller
- Cultural depictions of Bing Crosby
- Cultural depictions of Laurel & Hardy
- Cultural depictions of the Marx Brothers
- Cultural depictions of Buster Keaton
- Cultural depictions of J. Edgar Hoover
- Cultural depictions of Peter Lorre
- Cultural depictions of The Three Stooges