Make Me A Star

Directed by William Beaudine, Make Me A Star follows aspiring actor (and total hayseed) Merton Gill (Stuart Erwin) as he arrives in Hollywood hoping (and expecting) to make it big in the movies – with Merton’s efforts eventual assisted by a sympathetic fellow performer named Flips Montague (Joan Blondell). Filmmaker Beaudine, armed with a script by Sam Mintz, Walter De Leon, and Arthur Kober, delivers a hit-and-miss endeavor that fares especially poorly within its sluggish and deliberately-paced first act, as the picture is, at the outset, concerned primarily with Merton’s far-from-engrossing exploits within his small town – with, especially, a long, drawn-out sequence wherein Merton attempts to take photos alongside a horse doing little to alleviate the underwhelming atmosphere. It’s clear, then, that Make Me A Star improves considerably once the action moves to Hollywood and Blondell’s appealing character is introduced, with the watchable vibe heightened by a recurring emphasis on film-set behind-the-scenes happenings and an unexpected twist concerning Merton’s lucky break. And while the movie’s final few minutes can’t help but feel a little anticlimactic, Make Me A Star ultimately comes off as an erratic yet mostly satisfying endeavor that benefits from Blondell’s thoroughly agreeable efforts.

**1/2 out of ****