It Happened in Hollywood
Brief Synopsis
A silent Western star has trouble adjusting to the coming of sound.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Harry Lachman
Director
Richard Dix
Tim Bart
Fay Wray
Gloria Gay
Victor Kilian
Slim
Franklin Pangborn
Mr. Forsythe
Charlie Arnt
Jed Reed
Film Details
Also Known As
Once a Hero
Genre
Comedy
Drama
Release Date
Sep
7,
1937
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Columbia Pictures Corp. of California, Ltd.
Distribution Company
Columbia Pictures Corp. of California, Ltd.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 7m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7 reels
Synopsis
Western film star Tim Bart meets a young boy named Billy while making a personal appearance at a hospital for disabled children, and promises to invite him to his Hollywood ranch and introduce him to other celebrities after he gets well. Time passes, and the advent of sound motion pictures proves disasterous for Tim's career. Meanwhile, Gloria Gay, Tim's leading lady, becomes a great success and begins to feel bad for Tim. Destitute, Tim is forced to sell his trained pony, Toby, to a Japanese gardener and move away from Hollywood. Just as he is about to leave, however, Billy runs away from the hospital and asks Tim to make good on his promise. Seeing no harm in making the young boy's dreams come true, Tim, with the help of his former employees, spends one day recreating his life on the Hollywood ranch. He also throws a party for Billy, inviting Gloria and a number of actors who are doubles for famous movie stars. Billy is injured when he falls off Tim's horse, and desperately needs medical attention. Unable to afford a doctor, Tim asks Gloria for help but finds that she, too, has no money. Tim decides to hold up a bank, but just as he is about to do so, real gangsters appear and shoot a police officer. As the three robbers attempt to flee, Tim shoots them and is hailed a hero for his bravery. After being given parts by their former producer, Tim and Gloria are reunited and Tim adopts Billy.
Director
Harry Lachman
Director
Cast
Richard Dix
Tim Bart
Fay Wray
Gloria Gay
Victor Kilian
Slim
Franklin Pangborn
Mr. Forsythe
Charlie Arnt
Jed Reed
Granville Bates
Sam Bennett
William B. Davidson
Al Howard
Arthur Loft
Pete
Edgar Dearing
Stevens
James Donlan
Shorty
Billy Burrud
Billy
Zeffie Tilbury
Miss Gordon
Harold Goodwin
Buck
Charles Brinley
Pappy
Zeni Vatori
Joe Spogoli
Wade Boteler
Patrolman
Helen Brown
Nurse
Mary Jane Temple
Nurse
Robert Chisholm
Englishman
Zita Moulton
Englishwoman
Tom Chatterton
Bank manager
Byron Foulger
Chet
Sam Mcdaniel
Black porter
Miki Morita
Japanese gardener
Edward Lesaint
Doctor
Arthur Wanzer
Addison
D'arcy Corrigan
Shakespearean actor
Scotty Beckett
Boy
Delmar Watson
Boy
Bobby Watson
Boy
Tommy Bupp
Boy
Freddie Walburn
Boy
Wally Albright
Boy
Sammy Mckim
Boy
Richard Terry
Gangster
George Chesebro
Gangster
Eddie Laughton
Gangster
Don Brodie
Sound man
Eddie Fetherston
Assistant director
Beatrice Curtis
Script girl
Edward Hearn
Cop
Lucille Lund
American girl
Harry Strang
Joe Pratt
John Tyrrell
Burt
Cyril Ring
Cameraman
Frank Ellis
Gorman
George Billings
Tough boy
Billy Wolfstone
Fat boy
Charles Williams
Photographer
Alex Palasthy
Russian
Francis Sayles
Waiter
C. L. Sherwood
Bum
Bruce Sidney
Bank manager
Philip Waldron
Clark Gable double
Doc Dearborn
William Powell double
Bob O'keefe
James Cagney double
Howard Bruce
Edward Arnold double
Joan Beauchamp
Myrna Loy double
Margaret Wormser
Loretta Young double
John Bohn
John Barrymore double
Arthur Mclaglen
Victor McLaglen double
James May
W. C. Fields double
Eugene Deverdi
Charles Chaplin double
Charles Clark
Joe E. Brown double
Frank Brown
Harold Lloyd double
Virginia Rendell
Mae West double
Carol Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich double
Franky Farr
Eddie Cantor double
Earl Haddon
Bing Crosby double
Berna Mack
Claudette Colbert double
Don Eddy
Dancing Fred Astaire double
Lillian Tours
Dancing Ginger Rogers double
Beatrice Coleman
Ginger Rogers double
Betty Dietrich
Greta Garbo double
Crew
Arthur Black
Assistant Director
Al Clark
Film Editor
Myles Connolly
Associate Producer
Myles Connolly
Story
Lodge Cunningham
Sound Engineer
Harvey Fergusson
Screenwriter
Samuel Fuller
Screenwriter
Stephen Goosson
Art Director
Ethel Hill
Screenwriter
Kalloch
Gowns
Otto Meyer
Film Editor
William Perlberg
Executive Producer
Morris Stoloff
Music Director
Joseph Walker
Photography
Film Details
Also Known As
Once a Hero
Genre
Comedy
Drama
Release Date
Sep
7,
1937
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Columbia Pictures Corp. of California, Ltd.
Distribution Company
Columbia Pictures Corp. of California, Ltd.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 7m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7 reels
Articles
It Happened in Hollywood
A silent Western star has trouble adjusting to the coming of sound.
It Happened in Hollywood
A silent Western star has trouble adjusting to the coming of sound.
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Once a Hero. Although a July 1935 New York Times news item noted that RKO producer Cliff Reid was preparing It Happened in Hollywood for production, his participation in the released film has not been determined. The file for the film in the MPAA/PCA Collection at the AMPAS Library contains a letter, dated February 8, 1937, in which the PCA informed Columbia that it could not certify the picture "because of the objectionable nature of the important element of the two detailed bank hold-ups." The PCA also objected to "the unnecessary drinking" contained in the film, and the showing of children playing gangsters.
