{"id":3968,"date":"2007-08-20T09:52:44","date_gmt":"2007-08-20T16:52:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3968"},"modified":"2021-02-01T10:48:52","modified_gmt":"2021-02-01T17:48:52","slug":"stage-door-1937","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3968","title":{"rendered":"Stage Door (1937)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Isn&#8217;t there enough heartache in the theater without our hating each other?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Poster-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-30076\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Poster-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Poster-85x128.jpg 85w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Poster.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nIn a theatrical boarding house, a bevy of aspiring stars &#8212; including Jean (Ginger Rogers), Eve (Eve Arden), Judy (Lucille Ball), Linda (Gail Patrick), Annie (Ann Miller), and Kay (Andrea Leeds) &#8212; hope for their big break. When wealthy heiress Terry Randall (Katharine Hepburn) shows up hoping to try her hand at acting, unexpected consequences ensue.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Actors and Actresses<\/li>\n<li>Adolph Menjou Films<\/li>\n<li>Ann Miller Films<\/li>\n<li>Aspiring Stars<\/li>\n<li>Eve Arden Films<\/li>\n<li>Ginger Rogers Films<\/li>\n<li>Heiresses<\/li>\n<li>Jack Carson Films<\/li>\n<li>Katharine Hepburn Films<\/li>\n<li>Lucille Ball Films<\/li>\n<li>Play Adaptations<\/li>\n<li>Rivalry<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nCritical opinion seems to be split on this classic RKO ensemble tale, starring Ginger Rogers in her first major &#8220;non-dancing&#8221; role, Katharine Hepburn in a performance meant to disrupt her designation as &#8220;box office poison&#8221;, Lucille Ball in her self-described &#8220;breakthrough role&#8221;, and many other familiar female faces. Peary is among the film&#8217;s fans, calling it &#8220;one of the best films of the thirties&#8221;, and noting that it contains &#8220;some of the snappiest insult-laden dialogue found in thirties movies&#8221;. Others, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s1549door.html\">DVD Savant<\/a>, argue that &#8220;almost everyone concerned with this movie did better work elsewhere&#8221;, that the film &#8220;became a classic without being a really great show&#8221;, and that the &#8220;dialogue isn&#8217;t quite as witty as it wants to be&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p>My opinion lies somewhere in between these two extremes. I find the film (noticeably different from the original play) to be a somewhat dated yet mostly enjoyable outing, primarily due to plenty of refreshing rapport between the young women, and the welcome absence of a distracting romantic subplot. The acting is noteworthy as well: Hepburn is strong and compelling as the nominal lead, Menjou is appropriately suave and slimy, and Rogers clearly shows her talent as a sassy comedic actress. On the other hand, several plot elements seriously detract from the film&#8217;s authenticity and power: the pivotal character of Kay, for instance (played by an overly maudlin Andrea Leeds, who was inexplicably nominated for an Oscar), is too much of a goody-two-shoes martyr to care about; and Hepburn&#8217;s transformation from an AWFUL actress (her rehearsal scene &#8212; &#8220;The calla lilies are in bloom&#8230;&#8221; &#8212; is literally painful) to a talented Broadway star is truly beyond belief. Nonetheless, film fanatics will certainly want to check out this Oscar-nominated melodrama at least once, and decide for themselves whether it&#8217;s an enduring classic, a dated disappointment, or a bit of both.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ginger Rogers&#8217; sassy performance as Jean<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Rogers.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Rogers.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-67676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Rogers.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Rogers-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Rogers-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Rogers-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Katharine Hepburn as Terry<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Hepburn.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Hepburn.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-67675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Hepburn.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Hepburn-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Hepburn-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Hepburn-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Adolph Menjou as slimy manager Powell<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Menjou.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Menjou.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-67677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Menjou.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Menjou-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Menjou-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Menjou-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Terry and Jean&#8217;s ongoing sparring<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Sparring.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Sparring.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-67678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Sparring.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Sparring-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Sparring-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Sparring-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Menjou&#8217;s reaction to Rogers&#8217; drunken monologue<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Reaction.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Reaction.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-67679\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Reaction.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Reaction-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Reaction-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Reaction-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Many fine supporting performances &#8212; especially those by Eve Arden, Lucille Ball, and Constance Collier<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Ensemble.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Ensemble.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-67680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Ensemble.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Ensemble-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Ensemble-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/08\/Stage-Door-Ensemble-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Plenty of witty, caustic one-liners:<br \/>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Terry<\/strong>: It would be a terrific innovation if you could get your minds to stretch a little further than the next wisecrack.<br \/>\n<strong>Eve<\/strong>: You know, I tried that once, but it didn&#8217;t snap back into place.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes. While it hasn&#8217;t held up as well as one might hope, it remains must-see viewing for its noteworthy ensemble cast. Chosen as the best film of the year in Peary&#8217;s <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em> book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Noteworthy Performance(s)<\/li>\n<li>Oscar Winner or Nominee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0029604\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1936\/10\/25\/archives\/origins-of-stage-door.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s1549door.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/429\/stage-door#articles-reviews\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/QCwGnGiMMEY\">Tired Old Queen at the Movies Video Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Isn&#8217;t there enough heartache in the theater without our hating each other?&#8221; Synopsis: In a theatrical boarding house, a bevy of aspiring stars &#8212; including Jean (Ginger Rogers), Eve (Eve Arden), Judy (Lucille Ball), Linda (Gail Patrick), Annie (Ann Miller), and Kay (Andrea Leeds) &#8212; hope for their big break. When wealthy heiress Terry Randall (Katharine Hepburn) shows up hoping to try her hand at acting, unexpected consequences ensue. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Actors and Actresses Adolph Menjou Films&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3968\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3968"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3968\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67681,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3968\/revisions\/67681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}