Once upon a time, there was a glorious kingdom named Hollywood where the stars had faces but no voices. A beloved cowboy star (Richard Dix) was the hero of kids everywhere, particularly Billy (Bill Burrud),a young boy who has spent the most of his life inside and outside of hospitals. But Dix's reign was not to last. A nasty little device called sound recording equipment came in and made it impossible for him to ride the range and speak at the same time. The Dukes and Duchesses of the new sound era of film considered him a has-been, a peasant among royalty, except one: his former leading lady (Fay Wray) who has managed to (at least) temporarily survive the transition from silent films to sound. She gets him a supporting role in a movie, but when Dix discovers that the director wants him to play a villain, he rebels and walks off the set. All finished, Dix is packing it in when the young fan shows up at his doorstep, pleading with him to let them visit. Feeling sorry for the kid, Dix sets up a party for the stand-ins of Hollywood stars to make guest appearances so young Billy will be able to return home happy.

A fantasy world of Hollywood, this is an extended version of dozens of shorts and a variation of such features as "Merton of the Movies", "Once in a Lifetime", "Movie Crazy" and the same year's "A Star is Born". There's even a trace of "Singin' in the Rain" with its view of the transition of Hollywood in its most difficult period outside of the depression. Chances to see Garbo and Dietrich together (or at least their look-alikes),Chaplin and W.C. (with Mae West nearby) clowning, as well as Crawford, Crosby, Shearer and the delightful Zeffie Tillbury ("The Grapes of Wrath's" feisty grandmother and the cranky old lady in an "Our Gang" short who uses a slingshot to destroy all of her pills) as May Robson's stand-in. Dix, a mega-star of the early '30's ("Cimarron") seems a bit "long in the tooth" to be a matinée idol, but Wray is lovely. If you can get over the sentimentality of the ailing pre-teen, you may enjoy this. I found it a bit manipulative, self-congratulating and obvious, but enjoyed it in spite of those misgivings.

I never liked Richard Dix, but after seeing It Happened in Hollywood from 1937, I have changed my mind.

The movie also stars Fay Wray. The film concerns a very important part of film history, the arrival of the talkies. Western silent screen star Tim Bart (based probably on Tom Mix) is a huge attraction for young kids everywhere. They belong to his special club, he visits them in hospitals - he is a great hero.

Tim's frequent costar is the beautiful Gloria Gay (Wray). She and Tim are in love, but neither one acknowledges it - it's possible Tim thinks she's too classy for him. Obviously she doesn't feel that way.

When talkies come in, westerns go that-away. Tim is now in formal attire, filming on a set - he's uncomfortable, he can't remember his lines - so the studio gets rid of him and keeps Gloria.

Tim gets into a bar fight at his favorite haunt and is spotted by a director who thinks he would be great as a gangster. He would be - but that would be letting down his kids. When push comes to shove, he won't do it.

One of his fans who was about to have surgery had promised to get well and visit Tim - and he shows up. Tim at this point is no longer a star, and he has no money. The boy falls off of Tim's horse and is put on bedrest - meaning that Tim can't send him back home (which I think is an orphanage or a special hospital).

Tim decides to call in a few favors, and it turns out, everybody is willing to help. He wants to throw a big party for the boy. He borrows his old ranch for the day. His friends provide food and music.

And the guests - the guests are movie star stand-ins and doubles, and some of them are remarkably like the originals: Joan Crawford, Irene Dunne, Loretta Young, W. C. Fields, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, John Barrymore, Greta Garbo, and Mae West, to name a few.

I won't spoil the end, but this is a fun, sweet, feel-good film. Dix is very likeable and natural, and Wray is her usual glamorous and gorgeous self. Enjoy the film, and enjoy those doubles and stand-ins!

I don't know why, but I have always liked Richard Dix in films--even though many of his films were B-movies and he died relatively young (while filming the Whistler series). While not the greatest actor of his time, there was something likable about the guy and his acting seemed rather effortless. This film did nothing to hurt my predisposition towards him--rather it enhanced it greatly because he played such a gosh-darn swell guy.

The film begins with Dix in the role of a silent cowboy star much like Tom Mix. He was a hero to the kids and immensely popular. Yet, oddly, when the Talkies arrived, the studio tried casting him in contemporary dramas and the simple cowboy had a hard time adjusting. He was simply all wrong for the parts with his southern drawl and the studio "brains" thought that Westerns were dead. Feeling sorry for him being suddenly unable to find work, one director casts him in a gangster flick, but Dix refuses to complete it because the character was an evil coward and nothing like his old screen persona. His old fans meant too much for him to betray their trust.

Later, after the fan mail all but stopped, a kid who Dix had seen in the hospital years earlier arrived unexpectedly--having snuck cross country just to see his screen idol. The problem is that now Dix is broke and his name is nothing in Hollywood. However, not wanting to disappoint the scamp, Dix comes up with a great plan to pretend he still has his old ranch and is friends with all the big stars. This really is a tad hard to believe, but also very heart-warming and satisfying to watch. In particular, the twist at the end was great viewing. Probable? No, but really well worth seeing.

Aside from Dix's apparent effortless performance, another standout in the film was an incredibly radiant Fay Wray. While I must admit that I have NOT been kind to her performances in the past (since in too many films she only gets a chance to scream or faint--her acting opportunities were terrible),here she was great. Not only was she absolutely beautiful but she also did a great job playing in a variety of roles.

Overall, this is an exceptional B-movie. Despite a rather modest budget, it's highly entertaining old fashioned fun. Plus it's really worth seeing just to see the many acting doubles you see during the party scene. Also, in an interesting twist, Victor McLaglen's near-perfect double is actually his brother, Arthur--no wonder they looked so alike!!