Lloyd Hamilton Movies

Are You There? is a characteristically lumpy but enjoyable early-talkie musical from Fox Studios. Broadway luminary Beatrice Lillie stars as a looney lady detective with a penchant for disguises. This plot device allows her to parade her astonishing versatility in a wide array of characterizations, including a dotty nurse in a hospital where a criminal gang is encamped. Are You There? came at the tail end of the first movie-musical cycle; Fox, fearing that musicals were on the way out, removed four of Ms. Lillie's seven musical numbers. This butchery resulted in the negative reputation Are You There? has earned among Bea Lillie's staunchest fans, though even in its truncated form the film is extremely entertaining. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Basically a filmed vaudeville presentation, The Show of Shows was Warner Bros.' entry in the "all star, all talking, all singing and all dancing" sweepstakes of 1929. Though slightly better than MGM's Hollywood Revue of 1929, the Warners entry pales in comparison to Fox Movietone Follies of 1929 and Paramount on Parade, due mainly to the film's master of ceremonies, the insufferable Frank Fay. Some of the individual acts seen in Show of Shows were pretty good, notably Winnie Lightner's delightful Singing in the Bathtub (a spoof of Hollywood Revue of 1929's Singin' in the Rain) and John Barrymore's brilliant rendition of Richard III's soliloquy from Shakespeare's Henry VI. Also easy to take was "Floradora Sextette," featuring such luminaries as Myrna Loy, Patsy Ruth Miller and cross-eyed comedian Ben Turpin, and "Eight Sister Acts," including such Hollywood siblings as Dolores and Helene Costello, Sally Blane and Loretta Young and Shirley Mason and Viola Dana (also teamed in this number are Ann Sothern and Marion Byron, who were not sisters). But for the most part, the acts are on a par with "Skull and Crossbones," a boring production number showcasing entertainer Ted Lewis, and "Recitations," a one-joke affair in which three different anecdotes (related by Frank Fay, Louis Fazenda, Lloyd Hamilton and Bea Lillie) are melded into one. Show of Shows was originally released in two-color Technicolor but now exists only in black in white, save for the "Chinese Fantasy" number featuring crooner Nick Lucas and Warner Bros. contractee Myrna Loy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Lloyd Hamilton plays the title character in this light comedy. The failure, also known as Breezy, has been given custody of Sonny (Ben Alexander), because his dying father thought he had become a successful businessman. Breezy is actually a tramp, and he takes Sonny and his dog on his travels. They wind up in Sulphur Springs, where Cyrus (Sam DeGrasse), who runs the health resort, mistakes Breezy for the new medical advisor. Sonny stays with kindly Grandma Neal (perennial kindly old lady Mary Carr), and Breezy discovers that the resort actually belongs to her -- Cyrus is a crook who has swindled her out of it. Breezy and Sonny help Grandma Neal get her resort back. Sonny convinces Breezy to stay behind -- his dog has had puppies, so it's time to put down roots. Patsy Ruth Miller and Matt Moore play the incidental love interests. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

The premise is clichéd -- it's the usual tale of a pretty girl from the sticks trying to break into movies -- but this satire gives it a number of unexpected turns. In addition, just about every star in Hollywood -- not just those at Paramount, the releasing studio -- has a cameo at one point or another during the film's eight reels. Ironically, nearly all of the lead actors are unknowns (although George K. Arthur would become a noted character comedian). Angela Whitaker (Hope Brown) of Centreville is convinced she has a chance in Hollywood -- all her friends tell her so. So she heads West with her Uncle Joel (Luke Cosgrave) in tow. But Angela has no luck in Tinseltown, while her uncle starts landing roles left and right because of his curious image. Eventually the rest of the family, including Angela's sweetheart Lem Lefferts (Arthur), her grandmother (Ruby Lafayette), and her aunt (Eleanor Lawson) come to Hollywood. All Angela's relatives get movie work because they're character types. Finally a screenwriter tries to help Angela out, but Lem winds up landing a role instead. He becomes a star, which suits Angela just fine because she has married him. The couple have twins, and the babies -- not to mention the couple's pet parrot -- wind up in films, while Angela remains at home. The most notable cameo in this picture is Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, who had been shunned in motion pictures since the 1921 scandal surrounding a Labor Day party that allegedly resulted in the death of starlet Virginia Rappe. Here he returns as a man standing in a casting line. When it's his turn to come up to the window, it is shut in his face and a "closed" sign put out. Unfortunately this gag turned out to be all too true; Arbuckle was not seen in front of a camera again until 1932. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi