Hotel Variety
Cast & Crew
Raymond Cannon
Hal Skelly
Olive Borden
Charlotte Walker
Sally Rand
Glorian Grey
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
A man speaking into a microphone takes the film spectator on a tour of New York City. Shots of the city include the George Washington Bridge, Central Park and some tall buildings. In the main story, a dancer and singer working in a neighborhood speakeasy witnesses the murder of a federal officer in a private room. She takes refuge in the nearby "Hotel Variety," a boardinghouse for vaudevillians, where, unknown to her, the murderer also has a room. At the boardinghouse, she falls in love with a "hoofer," who, like the other tenants, is waiting for the chance to be in a big show. When the hoofer, who lives with his young son, finally gets a job through his agent, the other boarders celebrate, but the job falls through. The hoofer's ex-wife then comes and says that her new husband, who is wealthy, can provide a good education for the boy. Feeling that he is a failure, the hoofer agrees to give the boy up. The owner of the speakeasy, who is after the speakeasy performer to save himself, is dragged over the fire escape by the murderer, and they both crash to their death. After one of the boarders sells a scenario to a film producer, the hoofer is hired to play the lead, and he persuades the director to hire most of the other boarders. The boy returns, saying that he does not want to live apart from his father, and the hoofer and speakeasy performer are united in love.
Director
Raymond Cannon
Cast
Hal Skelly
Olive Borden
Charlotte Walker
Sally Rand
Glorian Grey
Shannon Day
Martin Burton
Jackie Jordan Jr.
Marshall Montgomery
Ned Norworth
Lilya Vallon
Hershell Mayall
Bernard Randall
Alan Brooks
Judith Wood
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
This was the first film of Screencraft Productions. Director Raymond Cannon had been an assistant to D. W. Griffith during the silent era and had acted in some of Griffith's films. This May have been the last feature for cameraman William Bitzer, better known as G. W. "Billy" Bitzer, who was one of the first motion picture cameramen and who worked with Griffith on most of his films. According to Variety, a number of well-known vaudevillians played the boarders. Reviewers panned the film, Film Daily calling the script "rambling, carelessly prepared," while Variety, noting that it was "another wrangle with the Grand Hotel idea," states, "All told there's about three reels of real footage in nearly eight reels of film."
