Directing
During America’s Civil War, Union spies steal engineer Johnny Gray's beloved locomotive, 'The General'—with Johnnie's lady love aboard an attached boxcar—and he single-handedly must do all in his power to both get The General back and to rescue Annabelle.
Elissa Landi and Charley Chase host an East Asian themed garden tea party in Hollywood. After introducing a few Hollywood luminaries who are attending the party, they present a number of musical and/or dance performances to entertain the crowd. This set of performances also includes ethnic Chinese actress Anna May Wong modeling some fashions she brought back from her first ever trip to China. Through it all, one of the guests, already inebriated, is having a few problems mixing and serving the cocktails he wants.
This was a Krazy Kat cartoon made for Charles Mintz and distributed by Columbia. While the studio originally based the character on the comic strip created by George Herriman, by 1931 he was changed in design and personality to be more like Walt Disney's popular Mickey Mouse (whose cartoons, ironically, were also distributed by Columbia at the time).
In this short, members of the California Water Bugs club demonstrate new ways to get thrills when water skiing.
In this MGM Miniature Musical, Harry Owens and his orchestra perform several song numbers.
A "Pete Smith Specialty" short that looks at legendary movie stuntman Harry Woolman planning and rehearsing stunts for films.
A humorous look at various circus and other acrobatic feats. One of the "Pete Smith Specialties" produced and narrated by "A Smith named Pete."
Two autograph hounds attend an air show at Santa Anita racetrack.
Winners of the Lucky Stars National Dance Contest - one woman from each state of the United States - are welcomed to Palm Springs. Palm Springs being the desert playground for the movie stars, the women are introduced to the cavalcade of stars vacationing in Palm Springs at the time.
Essentially an advertisement for Murder at the Vanities (1934). Features Chico Marx, W.C. Fields, Duke Ellington and many others.
In this short film, two starstruck movie fans hire a tour guide and see a plethora of Hollywood stars.
La Fiesta de Santa Barbara is a 1935 American comedy short film directed by Louis Lewyn. It was nominated for an Academy Award at the 9th Academy Awards in 1936 for Best Short Subject (Color). It features a young, pre-stardom 13-year-old Judy Garland singing "La Cucaracha" with her two sisters (billed as "The Garland Sisters"). In the film, Hollywood stars participate in a Mexican-themed revue and festival in Santa Barbara. Andy Devine, the "World's Greatest Matador," engages in a bullfight with a dubious bovine supplied by Buster Keaton, and musical numbers are provided by Joe Morrison and The Garland Sisters. Comedy bits and dance numbers are also featured.
A group of stable hands is given a race horse when its owner retires from the business. They raise money to run the horse in the Hollywood Derby at Santa Anita race track. Many Hollywood personalities attend the event.
Two starstruck visitors to Hollywood sneak into the famous nightclub and end up in a Conga contest and get more than they expected.
A short featuring many stars
Short film in which Frankie Darro as a Telegram delivery boy visits various Hollywood locations to make deliveries. He visits the Los Angeles Pier and a Gala Hollywood Premiere.
If you enjoy playing "Spot the Stars", this is the sort of short you'd enjoy. It's full of then-well-known Hollywood players, identified by name, who run through routines. This one, produced by Tiffany, is not particularly good as people run through canned bits, sometimes without much enthusiasm. Robert Woolsey plays a game a solitaire and it's hard to tell whether his bit was written that way or he improvised it to reflect his feelings.
Several members of MGM's 'galaxy of stars' attend an evening of music and a fashion show.
In the first entry of this series, the show open with a troupe of dancing chorus girls getting a salute from crossed-eyed Ben Turpin. Then the master of ceremonies, Fredric March, brings on the various acts, starting with a pre-teen Mitzi Green), dressed as an adult and singing "Was That the Human Thing to Do?" , followed by Ginger Rogers and Jack Oakie singing-and-dancing to "The Girl Who Used to be You." Then the Three Brox Sisters do a triple imitation of Marlene Dietrich singing 'Falling in Love Again." 'Jack Duffy' does a drunken hillbilly bit involving a lamp post, the the finale has Eddie Peabody, playing a banjo for some chorus girls on a pedestal.
This short was included on the recently released Harry Langdon: Lost and Found collection. This entertainment show features various Hollywood stars and this episode includes Langdon, Lola Lane, Harry Jolson, Lew Cody and Armida. There's really nothing too special here with the exception of it being of minor historic interest.
