User reviews

Director Gregory LaCava apparently liked to hit the bottle and so had a spotty career, but Stage Door is his masterpiece. Not in some personal, auteurist way, but in having achieved an almost ideal example of Depression-era movie entertainment. Its venue is the Footlights Club, a theatrical boarding house near Broadway, where lamb stew and broken dreams are the nightly staples. Among the gals with stiletto tongues but hearts of gold are Lucille Ball, Eve Arden, Ann Miller, Gail Patrick and formidable Constance Collier ("Could you see an older woman in the part?"). But the movie centers on the rivalry between roommates Katherine Hepburn, as a spoiled rich kid who tries acting as a lark, and Ginger Rogers, as a plucky thespian waiting for her break. Believe it or no, those diametrical opposites (aristocratic, ethereal Kate and tough, pragmatic Ginger) work like a dream together. The script negotiates a delicate path between pathos and bathos, and somehow keeps its balance, even when one of the troupers loses her grip on reality and...Well, enough said. Best of all: this is the movie in which Hepburn gets to elocute: "The calla lilies are in bloom again...." Sheerest heaven.

Something very sinister happened to movies between 1937 and the 1950s that made this kind of film impossible to make. It's a terrific example of ensemble acting, with no one taking a back seat to anyone else. Ginger Rogers is absolutely amazing, especially after seeing some of the fluffy stuff she did with Astaire. It's hard to believe this is the same actress.

The dialogue zips along with lighting speed including some great laugh-out-loud one-liners. What a wonderful script! Very much like "Grand Hotel" in its structure and shockingly adult themes.

The relationships between all the women are so complex it's hard to believe it was actually made when it was. It makes men look very bad - at best we're imbeciles, at worst, Svengalis. And it has the same kind of uneasiness and disillusionment with the theater that "Sunset Boulevard" had with the movies. I wish there were more like it.

In fact this film version of a stage play by Edna Ferber and George S Kaufman, directed by Gregory La Cava is 70 years old and although it may show a wrinkle here or there - like having Adolph Menjou as the romantic lead - the youthful energy in the acting and dialog has surfed the waves of time unscathed. The bunch of girls populating the Footlights lodgings is a smashing crowd. Katharine Hepburn, brisk and Hepburnish already to the hilt. Ginger Rogers drinks, scratches and dances a duet with Ann Miller. Eve Arden, as usual, delivers the best one liners and Lucille Ball seems ready for a startling career. Andrea Leeds got an Oscar nomination and Constance Collier plays an over the hill actress that becomes Hepburn's minder, just like in real life. The film moves at an incredible speed and I defy you not to tear up when Hepburn makes her entrance with the Calla Lillies in bloom.

With a fine cast and an interesting, worthwhile story, "Stage Door" is one of the best films of the late 1930's. It provides good comedy - at least if you can keep up with the fast-paced, many-sided dialogues - and some interesting drama in the lives of its characters. The characters are well-developed, even the minor ones, and this makes the dramatic developments that much more meaningful. The atmosphere is a convincing and very interesting look at life in the theater, neither overly glamourized nor overly sordid.

There is a great deal of talent in the cast, led by Katherine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers, whose characters clash in interesting ways. Adolphe Menjou is an ideal choice to play this kind of genial cad. Gail Patrick also is perfect as an elegant but venomous young performer. Constance Collier is amusing as the would-be mentor for the younger actresses. Andrea Leeds is very sympathetic in her role. Most of the other characters in the boarding house get only small stretches of screen time, but they all make good use of it. It's also enjoyable just to see the likes of Ann Miller, Lucille Ball, and Eve Arden in some of their earlier roles.

The cast is the most obvious of its strengths, but the writing is also quite good, and Gregory La Cava's direction is very good, maintaining a good pace without rushing anything, and keeping a good balance between the amusing and the serious sides of the story. Everything works very well, making for an enjoyable and thoughtful picture.

New York City. The Footlights Club is a theatrical boarding house where young women wait for the chance to make it big on Broadway. To deal with the disappointment & bitterness that can set in, they engage in wisecracks & gossip. Fiercely loyal to their friends, they can be wickedly spiteful to those that cross them. Always before them is their dream - to capture elusive success at the STAGE DOOR.

A wonderful film, fresh & sparkling, with great dialogue infusing its wit & drama. The rapid-fire cross talk is still a real treat for viewers - as is the chance to see several fine young actresses early in their careers.

The entire cast is excellent. Brash Katharine Hepburn is the new girl who quickly meets the `regulars': feisty Ginger Rogers, cynical Lucille Ball, wisecracker Eve Arden, lively Ann Miller, snobbish Gail Patrick & sweet Andrea Leeds. While the young ladies certainly get most of the attention, be sure not to overlook Constance Collier, terrific as Miss Luther the has-been actress. Growing old on bittersweet memories, she is a constant reminder to the others what, even with success, they still might become.

Adolphe Menjou gives his usual vivid performance as an immoral producer, while Samuel S. Hinds is good as Hepburn's father. Film mavens will enjoy spotting several familiar faces in uncredited roles: Jack Carson as a Seattle lumberman; Grady Sutton as a butcher's helper; Frank Reicher as a stage director; Franklin Pangborn, hilarious as a butler; and Ralph Forbes in the role of Hepburn's stage spouse.

I don't quite know how to put my passion for this film into words. It's something I never expected. I taped it off of television because I've been on a Ginger Rogers kick lately (I think I'm in love with her), and very luckily experienced something of enormous quality.

There is not a regular plot. Unlike most classical cinema, the goal towards which the film is striving is quite tenuous. Basically, the goal is for Katherine Hepburn to get a part in a play and give a good performance, but it is never stressed. Instead, what we get is more of an ensemble piece. There are characters who are more central than others, but we get to know well a great number of characters. And we live with them, experience their dreams, hardships, and successes, falling more and more deeply in love with them every minute, caring about them as we would dear friends or siblings.

It is most often referred to as a comedy, and the dialogue tends to be hilarious (Ginger Rogers is in full form here, wisecracking at the speed of light), but the film's drama is very affecting, too. This film's ending is so beautiful, and like all great films, we're reluctant to say goodbye to the characters. Fortunately, since I have it on tape, I can visit the boarding house any time I want. Unfortunately, since this film is neither on VHS nor DVD, you probably cannot. Watch for it on AMC or TCM or other stations that play classic films. You will not be disappointed. 10/10

Watch this movie, *any way* you can.

Seriously, you won't be disappointed.

It's a brilliant way to spend a couple of hours: where else would you get an all-star cast that would make your jaw drop today (Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball, Eve Arden, Ann Miller etc. etc.), and a clever, witty script played to the hilt by the astounding cast?

The story is fairly simple: Terry Randall (Hepburn) moves into the Footlights Club to begin her career as an actress. Viewed as an odd cookie by the rest of the girls, her room-mate Jean (Rogers) especially, she starts to win them over until she wins the part belonging to Kaye (Andrea Leeds). Not wins, so much as given. It takes a tragedy to turn Terry into the actress she could be, and the friend she eventually becomes as she remains in the Footlights Club.

This film benefits from a truly amazing cast: Hepburn is glorious as Terry, an independent, in-your-face girl from the upper class, unsure why she's not liked by her new friends as she blithely (and unknowingly) talks down to them; but fiercely loyal and protective of them nonetheless. Witness Terry's outburst in Powell's office, or the way she puts Jean, much the worse for wine, to bed. Hepburn is truly great in her emotional scenes, when she is called to perform on stage despite the revelation she's received just beforehand.

Hepburn alone doesn't make the movie though (as she eventually does in lesser vehicles with less worthy co-stars). Ginger Rogers as Jean is a breath of fresh air. She's quirky, charming, and just generally appealing in her role, playing Jean with a wonderful confidence that bodes well for the character. You warm to Jean immediately. I love Rogers' drunken scenes with Menjou--ditzy yet sweet.

The supporting cast is fantastic as well, Lucille Ball never missing a chance to steal a scene or make a quip, Eve Arden fast on her heels. Andrea Leeds overacts a little, I think, but is generally good in her demanding role as Kaye--she does an excellent job on the staircase towards the end of the movie.

Absolutely A+. Everything Hollywood should be, was, and now isn't.

Director Gregory LaCava used overlapping and improvised dialogue to keep this feature moving. The play, by Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman, was adapted for the screen by Morrie Ryskind and Anthoney Veiller. Most takes place as scenes among young women seeking work and residing in The Footlights Club, a boarding house run by an ex-actress, filled with young women talking,complaining, arguing, receiving callers and messages. Ginger Rogers and Gail Patrick as Jean and Linda do not get along. They agree to part. Running through the involved narrative are 4 strands: Andrea Leeds' attempts to get work; arrival of a wealthy newcomer (Katharine Hepburn) who becomes Linda's roommate; Adolph Menjou's wooing of Patrick and others; and everyone's extreme difficulty getting even an interview. The play dates to the Depression; but its message is what happens in any era when there are no categorizing definitions, no justice system. The part Leeds wants is in "Enchanted April". The girls differ; a few respect classical speech drama; others are misplaced chorus girl sorts. The girls need money, they accept blind dates with visiting businessmen; Terry tries to get them to be more serious; they are tired, bitter. They find the men boring; but they have to eat. Jean returns home and tells Terry she wants to go on arguing; Terry agrees. She is new to everything, the hopelessness, the blinking neon lights, garbage trucks that will wake them.Next day producer Powell (Menjou) spots Jean (Rogers) at a dance studio. Jean tells her companion Annie (Ann Miller), "He wasn't looking for an act. He was putting one on." At home, Linda comes in with a mink. A phone call interrupts--Powell has gotten the two girls employment. Terry complains the girls don't like her. Kaye says they're just depressed. Terry wants a success on her own. She argues on the phone with her rich father, who does not want to support her in her career. The two girls make their debut and discover they were hired because Powell owns a half-interest in the club. Backstage, he hints Jean could replace Linda in his affections; they make a date. Eve (Eve Arden)and Judy (Lucille Ball) wait in Powell's outer office with Kaye. Starving Kaye is told Powell will be out till Monday. Terry sees her faint. She barges into the office to blame Powell. She speaks for the rightless girls dependent on his whims. "They'd be so much better off at home raising families," he replies. Flowers arrive for Rogers; Linda is "out". Terry has secretly sent for a doctor, to care for Kaye. Linda tells Jean what to expect; they trade insults. Terry lends Jean an ermine wrap; she arrives at Powell's penthouse. He shows off the view and tells her his wife will not grant a divorce, promising to put her name up in lights--big ones. He tries the Pygmalion routine. She puts him off. He tries his routine on Terry next; her break is that her father has arranged to be his show's backer. Powell tells her the story of the play, then tries to get romantic; Terry mentions. She claims not to be emotional; he says she was when she made her speech in his office. Jean is sent there, Terry's way of getting her to forget any ideas about Powell. When Jean has left, she exposes the photo of wife and son as a fraud. Powell takes the exposure in stride and continues his exposition of the part. At the Footlights Club, the girls stage a birthday party for Kaye. Then news comes: the part is going to Terry. Kaye says it's all right. Rehearsals for the play begin. Terry is wooden, amateurish. Jean is reluctant to contribute to flowers for her room-mate. Terry practices (and forgets) her lines, with Catherine, her acting coach. A very ill Kaye takes time to give her a ring for luck. News of Kaye's suicide soon is brought to Terry. Powell expects the worst. Jean comes and blames Terry for Kaye's death, in a strongly written scene. Catherine asks if she is going to let everyone down or give the performance she ought to give. The "calla lilies' speech", famous in the film, goes very well, owing to her genuine grief. Her curtain call is an affecting speech in a spotlight, about Kaye. Her father, Sims, is there, a famous millionaire, who doesn't know whether to be glad or not. Catherine tells her you have to suffer first. Jean embraces her; they plan to go to Kaye. Her name in lights, Terry continues to live at the Footlights' Club, the press notes with some wonder. Life goes on at the boarding house. Judy goes, to marry. Jean asks how she could be sad to leave such a dreary place. Terry says, "We're probably a different race of people." And a new hopeful arrives, to begin the cycle again. Cinematography for the film was supplied by Robert De Grasse, art direction by Carroll Clark and Van Nest Poleglase; costumes were created by Muriel King. Darrell Silvera did the set decorations. In the cast, Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers are quite different and above average. Eve Arden, Lucille Ball and Ann Miller have too few lines but are well cast. Adolph Mejou and Andrea Leeds might have been stronger but get a good bit out of their roles. Samuel S. Hinds and Constance Collier are very good as Terry's father and Catherine while many smaller parts are seamlessly introduced into the sprightly dialogue-rich narrative.

Framed and shot as though a stage play – which it was originally, but much changed for the film – and with a stage play within the staged play, le tout ensemble in this witty farce delivers a virtual non-stop, wise-cracking, virtuoso performance. Timing is everything and in comedy, it's particularly so; and the director, Gregory La Cava – who cut his teeth, in the silent era, as a director beginning in 1916 – doesn't miss a beat with this one.

From a play by Edna Ferber (of Giant fame) and George S. Kaufman, the film tells the story of what happens to a group of aspiring actresses who happen to board at a place called the Floodlights Club in New York City, supposedly. Of course, there are minor players, as in all plays – Lucille Ball, Eve Arden, Ann Miller and most of the men, the exception being Adolphe Menjou as a caricature (almost) of the Big Bad Producer of those days. The majors, Katharine Hepburn (as Terry), Ginger Rogers (Jean), Gail Patrick (Linda) and Andrea Leeds (Kay) form the core about which this story revolves.

Which, when all is said and done, is about the ascendancy of Terry as an actress and the decline of Kay as another: out with the old, in with the new, if you will. That would tend to make for a somewhat pedestrian story if it were simply that. Happily, what sets this apart from, say, the almost maudlin characterization by Hepburn in Morning Glory (1933) in a similar situation (for which, however, she did receive a Best Actress award in 1934), is, first, the scintillating dialog. Which means the viewer must really listen: it goes so quickly between characters that you'll miss the one-liners and sight gags if you take a chomp on a sandwich or sip of coffee, or whatever. So, be prepared.

What's left? Well, of course, the great acting by Hepburn, Rogers, Ball, Miller, Menjou, Arden, Patrick and Leeds, the latter getting a Best Supporting nomination for her somewhat overly tearful acting; so much so, she reminded me of Olivia de Havilland, in looks and style.

The direction, already mentioned, is in the hands of an old hand and it shows, explicitly. Add to that the camera work that included almost manic cuts up and down stairs, superb face-on tracking shots and perfect timing while up to a dozen people would mill about in the frame concurrently – and with dialog. Confusing? Perhaps to some. Just concentrate on the majors.

What's more interesting for me, however, is the sub-text of this comedy. Made just before USA finally shook free of the Great Depression, as you listen, you'll hear many references to the hard times: at the Floodlights, everybody is down, but not out; rich and unscrupulous producers just want to use and abuse actresses; the women are all scraping for even the lowliest acting or dancing job at the meanest of wages; despondency and depression are endemic. Despite all of that, the women 'soldier' on, pushing themselves to their emotional and physical limits.

Women in the audience at that time must have felt the pull: don't deny your dreams of self-fulfillment, despite what chauvinistic clods of men might say and do, even powerful men. It's a stirring message, albeit idealistic, but it sets the tone for the larger section of a country that was about to engage in the world war which, in a very real sense, changed the role of women as never before. So, some may die, yes, but the show must go on...

There have been a number of introspective and self-referential films about the acting business, Morning Glory being the earliest I've seen. Others include A Star is Born (made and remade many times), All About Eve (1950) – arguably the best, I think – The Dresser (1983), The Player (1992), and others, but all heavy dramas. So, it's refreshing to find a gem that's prepared to treat the matter lightly, more rather than less.

A final thought: it must have been fun for the actors to act at being actors; it's even more fun to know that the director used much of the banter between the women off-camera to actually use in the film – much to the playwrights' displeasure, so I understand.

Recommended for all.

Terrific cast in middling comedy-drama adapted from the play by Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman concerning would-be actresses living in a New York boarding house, each vying for parts on the Great White Way. Katharine Hepburn's solid performance as a socialite trying to make it on her own merits is the acting highlight here, and her bits alongside roommate Ginger Rogers are sharp and funny. Andrea Leeds received a Supporting Oscar nomination for her effective work as a troubled young woman who can't seem to find a job, but Adolphe Menjou keeps popping up as if he were the only show-producer in the city. On the whole, only marginal, but certainly worth a look for that female ensemble, which includes Lucille Ball, Ann Miller and the incomparable Eve Arden, who might have benefited from more scenes. *** from ****

The same things that make "America's Next Top Model" entertaining make "Stage Door" a blast. "Stage Door" is even better, because we don't have to put up with Tyra Banks or her panel of hissy fashion "experts," but we still get the house full of catty, superstar wannabes who throw insults at one another faster than the audience can keep up.

Katharine Hepburn plays the rich daughter of a Midwestern business tycoon who takes a room in an all-female boarding house while she sets out to become a stage actress. The house is full of a bunch of been-there-done-that girls who all have their sights set on the stage, and have varying chances of ever seeing their dreams become reality. Ginger Rogers ends up as Hepburn's roommate, and their animosity for one another becomes a grudging affection over the course of the film. Rogers, because she's not being asked to play second fiddle to Fred Astaire, gets to show off her ample reserves of charm and comic ability, and she really steals the movie away from everyone else. I think the movie is supposed to be primarily about Hepburn, but you wouldn't know it, because Rogers so dominates the first half of the picture that it feels like the film's lost its way when she drops out of a good deal of its last half.

Also in the house are Gail Patrick, playing a jaded beauty who's content to let sugar daddies provide her meals and entertainment; Constance Collier, as an aging diva who takes the young actresses under her wing and tries to teach them their craft; Andrea Leeds, in the film's most thankless role as a pathetic sad sack who has freak out scenes when she's not moping around and ends up hearing voices before throwing herself out of a window; and Lucille Ball and Eve Arden serve as a kind of Greek chorus, charged mainly with providing sarcastic commentary on the action swirling around them.

Adolphe Menjou rounds out the cast as a smarmy producer who lands Hepburn a choice part. The problem is, Hepburn's character is a terrible actress, and we're sure that her opening will be a total disaster, but she finds out that little ol' Andrea Leeds took a swan dive just before she goes on, and the emotion it arouses in Hepburn causes her to give the performance of her life and become an overnight sensation.

Only in 1930s Hollywood, folks. Don't even try to see the story as anything but the most ridiculous melodrama, and just enjoy the performances and the zingy dialogue. The movie is often very funny, both intentionally and unintentionally so.

And as a sidenote, nearly every actress in this film reminded me of a contemporary actress. If I was casting this film now, Nicole Kidman would get the Ginger Rogers role (I know, I know, I never would have thought Ginger Rogers looks like Nicole Kidman, but at times she does), Chloe Sevigny would get Eve Arden's, Debra Messing would DEFINITELY get Lucille Ball's (they're dead ringers) and Olivia de Havilland (o.k. so I know she's not a contemporary actress, but the resemblance is striking) would get Andrea Leeds'.

Grade: A-

Thanks to the BBC this finally appears as a long-overdue TV showing in tribute to Kate Hepburn. A stunning cast includes Ginger Rogers, Eve Arden, Lucille Ball and Ann Miller (both looking impossibly young!), Constance Collier (one of the great old troupers), Andrea Leeds, Adolphe Menjou, and in the cast but not credited an hilarious performance from Franklin Pangborn as Menjou's butler, plus appearances from Jack Carson, Grady Sutton, Ralph Forbes. It is a classic film fan's joy even if the plot does creak along on a variation of the 'heiress who wants to act' theme.

Hepburn looks fabulous and that brittle voice was rarely used better than to deliver the sparkling script required. Great role for Ginger too (time off from dancing with Fred, this being around the middle of their legendary partnership). Love it. One to treasure.

Superb comedy/drama about a theatrical boarding house and its tenants (all women) focusing primarily on Katherine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers. A once in a lifetime cast, all of them in top form. The movie moves VERY quickly with non-stop wisecracks flying across the screen and a very depressing turn at the end. Also, there's no sappy romance subplot - very unusual for a 1930s film. The interplay between Rogers and Hepburn is incredible--they're both holding their own against each other. Nominated for 7 Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress--Andrea Leeds). A must-see. "The calla lillies are in bloom..."

A very well acted classic drama with great characters that interact realistically when together, it is also supported by some fine acting. Katharine Hepburn is very strong and natural, and Ginger Rogers matches her, playing a witty and almost cynical character very well. Gail Patrick is great too, yet Andrea Leeds was the only cast member to go on to receive an Academy Award nomination, however she is the best of the bunch, giving life to a frail and emotionally unstable aspiring actress. It is a bit overly talkative, and it has at least one too many subplots going on, however the film presents such an interesting insight into the lives of wannabee actresses that these points hardly matter. It is indeed a little difficult to distinguish each of the supporting characters as individuals, and perhaps they could done with further development, but yet this factor is very much like how all the aspiring actresses in the world are: indistinguishable, until you get to know them - and how actresses get ahead in the world is a lot of what this film is about. The final few minutes of the film could have been chopped out; otherwise this is good viewing all the way through.

Stage Door (1937) is an excellent ensemble piece with a Who's Who of stars. It was fun seeing these famous women in their early days.

Ginger Rogers looked so young, but boy was she sassy. She stole the show for me. Her wit and timing were impeccable. Katherine Hepburn played what I would imagine was a character close to her own life in the way she was slightly above everyone else. I think this was supposed to be her film, but she seemed out of place and very much an outsider. Adolphe Menjou, although very dapper as usual, played his callous role to perfection. Lucille Ball was young, quite beautiful, and it is always fun to see her in her pre-Lucy fame days. Andrea Leeds reminded me so much of Olivia de Havilland in looks and her quiet dramatic style. Gail Patrick is the woman you never root for once again. Eve Arden sounded like she did 40 years later in Grease. She had a very mature and unique voice.

All in all, the casting was spot on and each played similar roles in other films. I've seen this a few times, but this time it played more as a drama than a comedy. It seems the comedy was to mask the fear as one of the characters said. It is a moving piece of work and one that I'll certainly watch again.

Title: Stage Door Year: 1937 Country: USA Language: English Genre: Comedy, Drama Director: Gregory La Cava Writers: Morrie Ryskind Anthony Veiller Edna Ferber George S. Kaufman Music: Roy Webb Cinematography: Robert De Grasse Cast: Katharine Hepburn Ginger Rogers Adolphe Menjou Andrea Leeds Gail Patrick Constance Collier Lucille Ball Eve Arden Ann Miller Samuel S. Hinds Franklin Pangborn Phyllis Kennedy Pierre Watkin Jack Carson Rating: 7/10

From time to time, it is categorically exhilarating to visit some legendary thespians back- catalog, and Katharine Hepburn is always my go-to pick. STAGE DOOR, is a Black & White (female) ensemble piece centers on the everyday revelry of a band of aspiring but unemployed theatrical actresses who stay in the Footlights Club and strive for their breakthrough in the depression era of New York.

Hepburn plays Terry Randall, a young girl born with a golden spoon, is the newcomer in the club, she tries to venture into Broadway without any help from her affluent background. And the rest of the girls are no so luck, Jean (Rogers) an outspoken and rapid-speaking blonde, constantly switches bitter verbal tit for tat with Linda (Patrick), who is currently dating the producer Anthony Powell (Menjou). Also thee is Kay (Leeds), a gentle and darling doll who had a great success one year earlier, and anxiously preps for Powell's upcoming cast of ENCHANTED APRIL since she is impecunious due to out of job for almost a year. The rest of the girls are played by some future big names such as Lucille Ball, Ann Miller and Eve Arden.

Director Gregory La Cava was much sought-after after the huge success of MY MAN GODFREY (1936, 7/10), here, under a refined script adapted from its original play, he continues to hone up his deft mastery in a satirical screwball comedy, laden with inspiring wisecracks and snappy chit-chats, Rogers certainly gives Hepburn a good run of her money with her barrage of bons mots as well as her tap dance, even though predictably she will become the object of Powell's desire, for just one day, she doesn't debase herself being an annoying pest. However, when a tragedy ensues, Hepburn confidently earns back her limelight with a plaintive monologue dedicated to her dear friend, the irony is redolent of the money-seeking reality, unknown to her, Terry's triumph is a mis-carried plan of her omnipotent father (S. Hinds), in order to quench her ambition as an actress. So as a matter of fact, her road to independence is a bust, and for what it is worth, its collateral damage costs a young life. but eventually, girls are still the girls, fame doesn't tarnish their friendship, some has to give up her dreams to a convenient marriage, and new blood is routinely arrived for the line of work.

With regard to the supporting bundle, Menjou is perfectly in his wheelhouse and his trademark mustache alone can convincingly exhibit his charming veneer and contemptible nature. Constance Collier is the typical diva who is past her prime, nagging about his old- fashioned methodology and trying to give a protective layer for her impaired dignity. But it is Leeds, who nabs an Oscar nomination as the pathos-arousing Kay, and as for Gregory, he is awarded a consecutive BEST DIRECTOR nomination (alas, it is also his last one) and although the movie is also a BEST PICTURE contender (among 10 nominees at then), it feels a shade rushed and unsatisfied compared to the sheer delight from MY MAN GODFREY, in spite of the same 7/10 rating, I will certainly give the latter an edge.

Katharine Hepburn takes up residence in a theatrical rooming house in "Stage Door," one of the great examples of ensemble acting in film. Besides Hepburn, the film features Adolph Menjou, Lucille Ball, Ann Miller, Ginger Rogers, Andrea Leeds, Eve Arden, Constance Collier, and Gail Patrick. Hepburn is a the daughter of a wealthy man who comes to New York to try her hand at acting. She talks a good game, but as we soon learn, she has no emotional understanding or connection to acting at all, approaching everything intellectually. All of the women are pursuing careers in theater, some with more success than others, and Patrick has a sugar daddy (Menjou). Leeds is the tragic character, a star from the previous season who can't find work but is desperate for the lead in "Enchanted April." The atmosphere created by director Gregory Lacava perfectly evokes the lively atmosphere of young women living together, sitting in the parlor complaining about food, men, and work or lack of it, as they sing, joke, play piano, strum the ukulele, and talk on the phone - all at once.

The acting is uniformly excellent, with each actress creating a unique character. Lucille Ball gives evidence of the comic timing that would make her one of the greatest TV stars of all time, and there are plenty of ironic one-liners to be had from Eve Arden, and Ginger Rogers matches her in sarcasm. Ann Miller was supposedly 14 when she made this film; it doesn't seem possible but that was her story and she stuck to it. We do get to see a little bit of her tapping. Andrea Leeds, bearing such a strong resemblance to Olivia DeHavilland, gives a touching performance as the doomed Kay, who does not have the emotional stability to withstand what can be a devastating career. It's an extremely melodramatic role and rather than have her play against this, LaCava had her play to it, thus dating what could have stood as a compelling performance even today.

The climactic scenes toward the end are pure '30s, stripping the film of previous lightness and going into tragedy but are effective and real tear-jerkers. By the film's end, though, we've come full circle.

The film is based on the play of the same name which is actually quite different. The whole idea was probably based on the Studio Club in New York City. "Stage Door" is wonderful and the script, acting and direction make it a deeply satisfying experience.

Welcome to the Footlights Club where you have to be cutthroat and tough-as-nails to survive; where a meal and soft bed to sleep is just a step away from a starring role on Broadway. Disappointments are expected and success is a dream worth fighting for.

The story concerns Terry Randall (Hepburn), the budding actress who acts as a catalyst for the girls at the famous boarding house to get their name out on the stage. The lively exchanges between the cast on their rise to stardom form both tender and catty friendships amongst the girls. All the supporting players at the Footlights Club are excellent from Ginger Rogers' tough as nails Jean to Lucille Ball's skeptical Judy. There are many people to keep track of in the film and the director juggles their parts with depth and sincere interest. Eve Arden, Andrea Leeds, Jack Carson all play off each of their dynamics in a great ensemble cast.

Hepburn is the radiant standout playing her usual strong willed, clever and outspoken self refusing fighting inch and nail for her rights and beliefs no matter what she's told. The most interesting part is seeing Hepburn, Ball, Arden and Rogers, some at the beginning of their careers almost mirroring how they would have felt trying to make it big acting in Hollywood. In fact Rogers was made her start in New York Broadway parts and is Ball now of course famous for her musical talents. All the girls look delightful, graceful and beautiful so it was a real joy seeing them all together.

The script is a knock-out taking advantage of the snappy, fast-talking witty Hollywood pictures of that period. There are so many clever quotable lines and each of the players enact them with grace, deadpan comedy and heart. Of course hearing Hepburn recite her famous line "The calla lilies are in bloom again" is a fantastic moment that illustrates her legendary acting legacy reviving memories of her famous Hamlet recital in Morning Glory to many majestic roles some 30 years later.

This is an enjoyable romp held up by the star power and clever script. It was pleasure to be in great company along this exploration of heartwarming friendship and ruthlessness among the flashing lights of Broadway

Far more than George Cukor's vitriolic femme-extravaganza, "The Women", this 1937 ensemble dramedy shows how vital women were during Hollywood's golden era, especially when they are not relegated to stoic wife roles or placed purely in adversarial positions. Following up on his 1936 screwball classic, "My Man Godfrey", director Gregory LaCava guides a Grade-A cast made up primarily of fresh-faced actresses, many of whom went on to create legendary careers of their own. Speaking the laser-sharp dialogue provided by Morrie Ryskind and Anthony Veiller (fluidly adapting the original play by Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman), the ensemble fills in the distinctive characters with intelligence and enthusiasm. Even though the storyline creaks a little seventy years later, this still holds up as a genuine cinematic classic.

Mostly set in a ramshackle boarding house one could assume was modeled after Manhattan's Barbizon Hotel for Women, the story focuses on the women living there, all aspiring actresses who bond amid failed auditions and non-existent callbacks. It's an unacknowledged sorority house with a den mother and an assortment of theatrical archetypes milling about. At the outset, the alpha female is Jean Maitland, a dancer whose cynical wisecracks mask an unflagging pride in her talent and integrity. Complications ensue when she is made to room with the new girl, Terry Randall, a self-confident debutante whose patrician airs alienate almost everyone around her. Terry is determined to make it on her own as an actress, but once word gets to producer Anthony Powell that she is the daughter of a wealthy investor, she gets cast in the starring role of a drawing room weepie called "Enchanted April". Unfortunately, that's the role desperately desired by Kay Hamilton, another actress in the house. Kay impressed critics a year prior, but she hasn't had any luck in replicating that success. Of course, once Terry lands the part, she is disastrous in rehearsals until a tragedy occurs. The last part of the movie is played out as pure melodrama, but it works in deepening our affections for the characters involved.

As Jean, an Astaire-less Ginger Rogers expertly zings with abandon and grounds the film with her no-nonsense manner. Katharine Hepburn, although playing a blueblood variation of the same actress she played in "Morning Glory", has the comparatively tougher role as Terry since her character's priggishness must give away to a revelation of humanism. She manages the conversion expertly and parries gleefully with the always-ready Rogers in the movie's best scenes. Adolphe Menjou has the right gruff spirit as the pompous Powell, though he seems a bit weathered to get away with his ladies'-man shenanigans. In very early roles, Lucille Ball, Eve Arden and Ann Miller show off the unique talents that would soon bloom. Arden, in particular, delivers her scabrous lines with devastating wit. In roles that perfectly reflected their screen personas, Gail Patrick plays the nasty Linda with the same venom she spewed as Carole Lombard's talon-bearing sister in "My Man Godfrey", while Constance Collier brings out all the vainglorious pomp in Terry's aging mentor.

The standout at the time was Andrea Leeds' poignant turn as Kay. A sharp actress who would retire within a few years of this film, Leeds is the only one who doesn't get any funny lines and consequently is made to come across as an oversensitive albeit beloved wet rag. However, she makes the most of her last scene to powerful effect. The 2005 DVD has a reasonable though not outstanding print of the aged film. Other than the theatrical trailer, there are just two extras. The first is a silly, twenty-minute musical short from 1937 called "Ups and Downs" about an enterprising elevator operator who tap dances. It stars a bleached blonde, baby-faced June Allyson in her film debut and features an almost-as-young Phil Silvers as a manic tailor. The more interesting extra is a condensed radio production of "Stage Door" with Rogers and Menjou repeating their roles and Rosalind Russell taking over for Hepburn and Arden taking over for Patrick.

STAGE DOOR was an old movie I'd heard of when I was a kid, so when it came to our local theater as part of a double-feature revival program, I couldn't resist having a peek at it.

I was glad I did. I'm not a KATHARINE HEPBURN fan (only like her in a few of her many, many films), but I thought she excelled in the role of a girl who came from money (much like Hepburn herself) to take a stab at acting (much like Hepburn did) as long as her father was willing to pay the bills. The other gals aren't as lucky, all of them depending upon that one big break to get them out of a rooming house for show biz gals on the fringe of the business, all with dreams of succeeding.

It's not only a good showcase for Hepburn and her brand of acting, but it gives good roles to GINGER ROGERS, LUCILLE BALL, EVE ARDEN, ANN MILLER, GAIL PATRICK and, especially ANDREA LEEDS (as the suicidal actress who can't deal with missing the brass ring). Ginger gets some of the best wise-cracking lines, as does Eve Arden (with a cat draped over her shoulder) and newcomer Lucille Ball. Amusing too is CONSTANCE COLLIER as an older actress still believing her press clippings. The men include dapper ADOLPHE MENJOU, FRANKLIN PANGBORN and RALPH FORBES.

Predictable stuff, really, but enormously entertaining and fun to watch. Hepburn's manners sit well on this kind of arrogant, forceful role and none of the others let her down. Expertly directed by Gregory La Cava, it's well worth watching and deserved its recognition as one of the best films of 1937.

In the aptly titled Stage Door, Katharine Hepburn plays a society girl with dreams of being a theatrical actress. She shuns financial support from her father and runs away from home, joining a boarding house full of other hopeful actresses and dancers. Determined to make it on her own, she learns the ins and outs of the theater. Ginger Rogers plays the most prominent roommate, and she and Kate have some interesting and influential dealings with producer Adolphe Menjou.

While Kate gives some speeches that show her strength and willingness to help out her friends, she's not the most accessible character in the film. She's wealthy and can easily go back home to her parents if the going gets tough. The other girls are poor and struggling, so when less-than-honorable propositions are made, they don't feel they have the liberty to refuse. Ginger Rogers is given more one-liners than is realistic, so once again the audience doesn't really feel they can relate to her. Doesn't she have any characteristic besides cynicism?

Ironically, my worst part of the film was the script. It felt like most of the exchanges between the roommates were ad-libbed, but that was actually director Gregory La Cava's intention! He told his actresses to ad-lib for two weeks, and wrote down much of what they said to add to the screenplay so that the dialogue would sound natural. If you don't mind an improvised script, you might enjoy Stage Door more than I did.

There is one very famous line from this film. Katharine is onstage and remarks that the "calla lilies are in bloom". If you want to save yourself ninety minutes, you can just watch the famous clip and call it a day.