Out Where the Stars Begin (1938)

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Breaking into Hollywood should be this easy! Sally Carter (Evelyn Thawl) sneaks into the Superb Pictures studio lot with the help of a make-up artist (Jeffrey Lynn), smuggling her in as part of a tour group. She quickly breaks stride with the rest and winds up as a dancer under the supervision of manic director Nitvitch. You can only take his schtick for so long, but the picture only lasts nineteen minutes, so hang in there. Watch for cameos by legitimate, but not Superb Studio actors, as they make their way through the main gate - Wayne Morris, Dick Foran, Ann Sheridan and Pat O'Brien. The ironic touch in the picture occurs right after Miss Carter has makeup applied along with a blonde wig to look totally unlike her real self, as her makeup artist sings "You're Lovely As You Are".

"Out Where the Stars Begin" seems like a typical glamorization of Hollywood. It reminds me a little bit of Tex Avery's cartoon "Daffy Duck in Hollywood", in which Daffy interferes with the production of a movie. Exactly the sort of flick that "Mystery Science Theater 3000" could have shown. My favorite character was Nitvitch, the overstuffed director (a parody of "Casablanca" director Michael Curtiz). He's the kind of grouch who we'd all love to be at least once.Otherwise, the whole thing is really hokey, especially the singing guide. What would be really neat would be a cross between this movie and...oh, I don't know..."Snakes on a Plane"! Or "Idiocracy".That's my take on it.

Evelyn Thawl as "Sally Carter" was pretty and wholesome-looking and a good dancer as she demonstrates here in this 20-minute short came with the "Angels Have Dirty Faces" DVD. It's always nice to see the beautiful Technicolor back in those rare times when it was filmed in the 1930s."Sally" is trying to break into the movie business as a dancer. She makes a quick friend in the makeup artist (no name given but played by Jeffrey Lynn) who persuades director "Mr. Nitovich" (Fritz Field) to give her shot. The film also belongs to Field as he gives an over- the-top satire performance of a dramatic European film director making his debut in American films. It's a good thing this is short film because "Nitovich," which his abrasive yelling, soon wears out his welcome.Anyway, Thawl performs a ballet and a tap dance number, Lynn sings a song and we see cameo shots of a few stars such as Pat O'Brien and Ann Sheridan.Overall, it's quite corny and dated and, frankly, not something I would more than twice. A sad note: from what I could find, Miss Thawl, who performed mostly on Broadway, lived a very short life....but I have no details of what happened to her.

Fritz Feld is the best thing in this as the definitive wacky european film director with crazy artistic pretensions which he would reprise many times, lastly in Woody Allen's TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN. Great early technicolor (look for Pat O'Brien's kelly green car.