Directed by Gregory La Cava
Written by Morry Ryskind and Anthony Veiller from the play by Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman
1937/USA
RKO Radio Pictures
Repeat viewing
Jean Maitland: [to Linda Shaw as she is leaving for a dinner date] Don’t chew the bones and give yourself away!
I love me some snappy one liners and this movie about the residents at a women’s theatrical boarding house is full of them. And what a cast!
Stage Door is not an extremely plot-driven movie but the central story concerns wealthy cultured newcomer Terry Randall (Katharine Hepburn) who moves into the Footlight Club where she is surrounded by hardened, struggling Broadway performers. She shares a room with wise-cracking Jean Maitland (Ginger Rogers).
Among the many colorful characters at the boarding house is serious actress Kay Hamilton (Andrea Leeds) who hasn’t worked in a year and is now going hungry while dreaming of being cast in a new play. There is a subplot about various girls’ adventures with womanizing producer Anthony Powell (Adolphe Menjou). With Gail Patrick, Lucille Ball, Eve Arden, Constance Collier, and Ann Miller.
The plot summary above doesn’t sound too scintillating and it sort of descends into predictable melodrama at the end. The interplay of the catty female characters is simply priceless, however. These ladies were firing on all cylinders and apparently having a marvelous time. I had a big smile on my face for most of the running time. Warmly recommended.
Stage Door was nominated for Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Andrea Leeds), and Best Writing (Screenplay).
Clip – Hepburn and Rogers – new roommate
I recall STAGE DOOR as great fun. Love Eve Arden with her cat draped around her neck.
Anything with Eve Arden is almost guaranteed to be fun.
You all stole my comment. Eve Arden made any film worthwhile and she is in top form here. I hate to say this but Hepburn got on my nerves a bit in this film and it may be because she was surrounded by a wise and wise-cracking cast that didn’t let her upstage them.
I thought Hepburn was a good foil for the others. The pairing I liked best was Gail Patrick and Ginger Rogers. They were absolutely perfect. Gail Patrick didn’t make enough movies as far as I am concerned.