Merton of the Movies (1947)
Rent DVD by Mail
Theatrical Release Information | See Details About All Versions
The George S. Kaufman-Marc Connelly play Merton of the Movies was previously filmed in 1923 with Glenn Hunter, and in 1932 (as Make Me a Star) with Stu Erwin. This time around, Red Skelton plays Merton, the small-town rube who aspires to become a dramatic actor in silent pictures. Bumbling his way into Hollywood, he lays waste to several movie sets before he finally lands a screen test. When his histrionic efforts are greeted with derisive laughter, Merton slinks away disappointed and disillusioned-only to re-emerge triumphant as moviedom's newest comedy sensation! In one of her few non-musical appearances, deadpan comedienne Virginia O'Brien plays Phyllis "Flips" Montague, the warmhearted Hollywood stunt girl who befriends and eventually falls in love with the hapless Merton. Reportedly, Buster Keaton supplied a few of the film's sight gags, but apparently not enough to permit Merton of the Movies to rise above mediocrity and predictability. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Complete Cast:
- Red Skelton - Merton Gill
- Gloria Grahame - Beulah Baxter
- Alan Mowbray - Frank Mulvaney
- Hugo Haas - Von Strutt
- Tom Trout - Marty
- Almira Sessions
- Virginia O'Brien - Phyllis Montague
- Leon Ames - Lawrence Rupert
- Charles D. Brown - Jeff Baird
- Harry Hayden - Mr. Gashwiler
- Douglas Fowley - Phil
- Dick Wessel - Chick
- Director(s):
- Robert Alton
- Writer(s):
- Lou Breslow, George Wells
- Producer(s):
- Albert Lewis
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
- Subtitles:
- Check All Versions
