Hollywood Party

Starring: Elissa Landi, Charley Chase, Joe Morrison, Leon Errol, Freddie Bartholomew (uncredited), Joan Bennett (uncredited), Joe E. Brown (uncredited), Clark Gable (uncredited), Jack Goode (uncredited), Anna May Wong (uncredited)
Directed by: Roy Rowland
Rating: Approved
Genre: Comedy, Short, Musical
Length: 21 minutes
1937

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Elissa Landi and Charley Chase host a Chinese-themed party for Hollywood's elite.

Review:

Tim: I really didn't care for Hollywood Party. There's a lot of things wrong with this short film. I recognize I'm looking at this from a 2021 lens, but it must have been somewhat cringe-worthy to some even in the 1930s. You have a bunch of famous Hollywood people who attend a party that's blatantly racist in its depiction of Chinese people. Nearly everyone involved comes off looking bad, but none worse than Charley Chase. He does a truly awful Fu Manchu impersonation that is 100% cringe from start to finish. I don't think I've seen Charley Chase before and I'm fine with that. From this short film, he certainly seemed to not have much talent. The whole production is fairly awful. "Let's pretend to be Chinese!" used to be acceptable from a society standpoint, but it was never right. That's on display here.

I wouldn't say there was a lot of talent assembled for this short film. Elissa Landi is mostly just hosting, she doesn't do much noteworthy. As I said, Chase is awful. Leon Errol was solid, but underutilized in a small, pointless cameo. It was fun to see Clark Gable in a one second uncredited appearance, but he doesn't do anything except smile. The rest of the acts felt forgettable and unnecessary.

I suppose the only reason to see Hollywood Party is to try and get insight into Hollywood and society in the 1930s. A lot has changed since then (and sadly, some things have not). For a relic of a bygone era, this short film might be worth seeing. But, if you're looking for entertainment, enjoyable, or something inoffensive, I wouldn't bother tracking this down. Honestly, I don't have much else to say about this. On top of all these other issues, it's boring, too. All around, this is a failure as a short film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- N/A


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