This is another enjoyable role for that great actor Lee Tracy.He paid so heavily for his transgressions that he has virtually been eradicated from the map.However the real point of interest for this film is that it includes a tour of the RKO lot.In the film it is supposed to be "Wonder Pictures" but it is easily recognisable as the RKO studios.Some of the action takes place outside the very recognisable entrance which i recall is on Gower Street.The climax of the film is shot on Stage 9 and also featured are ares around the internal courtyard.Many of the signs for the various departments are visible.When i visited the studio in 1983 for the taping of an episode of "Cheers" it looked very much the same.In fact that programme may even have been made on the same sound stage as this.So if you are interested in the history of RKO this is an added attraction for this film.
13 Reviews
There's no room for boredom in this fast paced little B
AlsExGal9 July 2023
Herman Tibbetts (Paul Guilfoyle) is just getting out of prison after five years for a bank robbery in which the money was never recovered. The Hawk, the gang leader, got away with that money and let Herman take the rap. He's met by his wife, Goldie (Lee Patrick). While the two are getting tickets for a train they hear a fellow (Lee Tracy as Michael Winslow) at the next window say he wants to insure the contents of his bag for fifty thousand dollars, but the train won't insure something that valuable. This gets our (ex? ) crooks minds turning, and they make sure they are on the same train he is on. Then in the dining car a clipping falls out of Mike's coat pocket. It is a news item about 50 thousand dollars in stolen bonds. So Goldie and Herman decide to take the stolen bonds from Mike and turn it in for the reward, which could likely be 5000 dollars.
They corner Mike in his compartment, but it turns out his briefcase is full of scripts, not bonds. The clipping was just one of many he keeps on him in hopes of getting ideas for further scripts. However, Mike's crime yarns have lots of holes in them. Herman, claiming to be a criminologist, says he can help with needed authenticity in Mike's scripts, and the two become collaborators. It turns out to be a very profitable partnership too as the B crime series they come up with about the exploits of an arch criminal named "The Hawk" is wildly popular.
Unfortunately the real Hawk, the lead gangster in Herman's old gang, wants to know who is telling all of his secrets and making him look like a jerk in the movies. At the same time, Texas law enforcement and the president of the bank the Hawk's gang robbed notice that nobody could know about all of the details of the hold up except the robbers who did the heist. All of these puzzled parties converge on the site of the shooting of the latest Hawk crime film, with the idea of maybe doing some shooting of their own. Further complicating factor - The guy playing the Hawk is a dead ringer for the real Hawk. Complications ensue.
This was a fast-paced little B. It has no time for character development but there is no time for boredom either as the players jump from dilemma to dilemma, with an extremely likeable cast. It's ironic that Lee Tracy is starring as the writer of the kinds of B films that he starred in after he got booted from MGM because of the unfortunate incident in Mexico while making "Viva Villa". Look for a very young Jack Carson as a sardonic director dressed like he can't decide if he's a blue collar worker or on safari. I also think I caught a glimpse of George Reeves of later Superman fame in an uncredited role as an annoyed patron in a movie theater.
They corner Mike in his compartment, but it turns out his briefcase is full of scripts, not bonds. The clipping was just one of many he keeps on him in hopes of getting ideas for further scripts. However, Mike's crime yarns have lots of holes in them. Herman, claiming to be a criminologist, says he can help with needed authenticity in Mike's scripts, and the two become collaborators. It turns out to be a very profitable partnership too as the B crime series they come up with about the exploits of an arch criminal named "The Hawk" is wildly popular.
Unfortunately the real Hawk, the lead gangster in Herman's old gang, wants to know who is telling all of his secrets and making him look like a jerk in the movies. At the same time, Texas law enforcement and the president of the bank the Hawk's gang robbed notice that nobody could know about all of the details of the hold up except the robbers who did the heist. All of these puzzled parties converge on the site of the shooting of the latest Hawk crime film, with the idea of maybe doing some shooting of their own. Further complicating factor - The guy playing the Hawk is a dead ringer for the real Hawk. Complications ensue.
This was a fast-paced little B. It has no time for character development but there is no time for boredom either as the players jump from dilemma to dilemma, with an extremely likeable cast. It's ironic that Lee Tracy is starring as the writer of the kinds of B films that he starred in after he got booted from MGM because of the unfortunate incident in Mexico while making "Viva Villa". Look for a very young Jack Carson as a sardonic director dressed like he can't decide if he's a blue collar worker or on safari. I also think I caught a glimpse of George Reeves of later Superman fame in an uncredited role as an annoyed patron in a movie theater.
Fast paced and has some laughs
mysterv13 January 2015
Just watched Crashing Hollywood after having saved it on my DVR from a TCM airing. I like Lee Tracy but did not have high expectations. He was a big star early in his career but his personal life derailed his career. Crashing Hollywood is a short film at only around 60 minutes which is not always a bad thing. Lee Tracy was more reserved than when I had seen him a couple of his older films. The supporting cast provided more of the screwball humor. The story held some interest from the start and towards the end of the film it escalated into a wild screwball comedy with mistaken identities and chase scenes. This is not an Academy Award movie but a good choice if you want to spend an hour being entertained and having a few laughs.
Entertaining Programmer
dougdoepke22 August 2014
Sprightly entertainment. The 60-minutes never rises above programmer status but does well with what it has. The plot revolves around a screenwriter (Tracy), his shady collaborator (Guilfoyle), plus an actor and his gangster look-alike (Page). Then there are the girls, a lovely Joan Woodbury and a brassy Lee Patrick. Of course, all of this has to sort out before folks can get on with their lives at the movie studio. Oh yes, shouldn't forget the unruly ducks that are good for a few laughs. And catch the movie's last line, an apparent jibe at the comical Marx Bros.
I love it when the chases around the studio lot crash through the movie sets-- poor Jack Carson (the director) never will complete a shot. Plus we've got two of Hollywood's fastest talkers—Lane and Tracy. In fact, Lane steals the show as a don't-mess-with-me studio boss. I wonder if any of RKO's suits got a message. Actually, Tracy's more subdued than his usual fast-talking reporter, but still fits in well. It's also a good chance to catch some of the studio grounds and soundstages that are nicely blended into the proceedings. No, the movie's nothing special. But it does show again how delightfully entertaining these old programmers can be.
I love it when the chases around the studio lot crash through the movie sets-- poor Jack Carson (the director) never will complete a shot. Plus we've got two of Hollywood's fastest talkers—Lane and Tracy. In fact, Lane steals the show as a don't-mess-with-me studio boss. I wonder if any of RKO's suits got a message. Actually, Tracy's more subdued than his usual fast-talking reporter, but still fits in well. It's also a good chance to catch some of the studio grounds and soundstages that are nicely blended into the proceedings. No, the movie's nothing special. But it does show again how delightfully entertaining these old programmers can be.
entertaining
blanche-22 October 2015
"Crashing Hollywood" from 1938 is the story of a screenwriter (Lee Tracy) who meets the right -- or maybe it is the wrong - people on a train en route to Hollywood.
The people he meets are Herman and Goldie Tibbets (Paul Guilfoyle and Lee Patrick). Herman, recently released from prison, is interested in becoming a duck farmer, while Goldie thinks one more robbery isn't a bad idea. When they meet Michael Winslow (Tracy) they are under the impression that he has $50,000 in a briefcase when they overhear him trying to insure it.
Determined to get it away from him, they befriend him. Michael, meanwhile, is trying to make time with an actress (Joan Woodbury) whom he literally fell into earlier.
Winslow shows Herman and Goldie that the $50,000 is his script. When Herman looks it over, he tells him that a lot of details are wrong - it concerns an actual bank robbery, and Winslow takes him on as a collaborator. He's unaware that Herman is giving him the names of a real crook and the actual true details of the robbery.
When the real crook (Bradley Page) sees the film starring a lookalike (Bradley Page) -- he heads out to Hollywood before there are any other films featuring him, "The Hawk."
Amusing film with a nice turn by Page as an arrogant actor and and a tough guy. Lee Tracy is his usual fast-talking, energetic self, and Lee Patrick is funny as Goldie, as is Guilfoyle.
This is a B picture. Many of these actors went on to careers in television. Page quit films in 1943.
This is a fast, fun movie.
The people he meets are Herman and Goldie Tibbets (Paul Guilfoyle and Lee Patrick). Herman, recently released from prison, is interested in becoming a duck farmer, while Goldie thinks one more robbery isn't a bad idea. When they meet Michael Winslow (Tracy) they are under the impression that he has $50,000 in a briefcase when they overhear him trying to insure it.
Determined to get it away from him, they befriend him. Michael, meanwhile, is trying to make time with an actress (Joan Woodbury) whom he literally fell into earlier.
Winslow shows Herman and Goldie that the $50,000 is his script. When Herman looks it over, he tells him that a lot of details are wrong - it concerns an actual bank robbery, and Winslow takes him on as a collaborator. He's unaware that Herman is giving him the names of a real crook and the actual true details of the robbery.
When the real crook (Bradley Page) sees the film starring a lookalike (Bradley Page) -- he heads out to Hollywood before there are any other films featuring him, "The Hawk."
Amusing film with a nice turn by Page as an arrogant actor and and a tough guy. Lee Tracy is his usual fast-talking, energetic self, and Lee Patrick is funny as Goldie, as is Guilfoyle.
This is a B picture. Many of these actors went on to careers in television. Page quit films in 1943.
This is a fast, fun movie.
A decent enough B-picture, but Cagney did it better
planktonrules26 November 2008
A couple (Paul Guilfoyle and Lee Patrick) of ex-crooks stumble into Hollywood and manage to make it big. Although the film starts with them, later it switches emphasis to their partner screen writer (Lee Tracy) and his lady love (Joan Woodbury)--though this relationship seems a bit unreal. After all, they barely know each other, yet it's the clichéd "love at first sight" sort of rot--especially for Tracy.
This film is highly reminiscent of Jimmy Cagney's exceptional film, LADY KILLER. Both films are about criminals who move to Hollywood and make it big making gangster films because they know best how to play themselves. There are a few changes, as the criminal couple are collaborators to a screen writer and there are a few other twists and turns, but otherwise it's the same plot--though Cagney clearly did it better and did it first. My advice is see the Cagney version and only CRASHING Hollywood if you are curious. Much of it was because Cagney was so great and part of it was that I usually find Lee Tracy about as welcome as a minor headache--though he's less annoying here than usual.
This film is highly reminiscent of Jimmy Cagney's exceptional film, LADY KILLER. Both films are about criminals who move to Hollywood and make it big making gangster films because they know best how to play themselves. There are a few changes, as the criminal couple are collaborators to a screen writer and there are a few other twists and turns, but otherwise it's the same plot--though Cagney clearly did it better and did it first. My advice is see the Cagney version and only CRASHING Hollywood if you are curious. Much of it was because Cagney was so great and part of it was that I usually find Lee Tracy about as welcome as a minor headache--though he's less annoying here than usual.
Pleasant nonsense
marcslope20 June 2023
A Hollywood spoof grittier than some of its contemporaries, this RKO B has screenwriter Lee Tracy high-tailing it to Hollywood and.getting mixed up with recent ex-con Paul Guilfoyle and his sassy girlfriend Lee Patrick, who use their innate knowledge of how crime pays to help him spruce up his bank robbery screenplay. Meantime, Tracy is pursuing an awkward romance with Joan Woodbury, who poses as a leading lady but in reality can't even get extra work, and the real crook their screen character is based on is in hot pursuit. A little silly, but well-paced (it zips along at just over an hour), and with some welcome support: Richard Lane as a bonkers studio head, a just-starting-out Jack Carson as a director who never makes it to "cut." Nothing special, but lively, and Tracy, not talking as fast or being as amoral as usual, is a decent leading man.
average at best
SnoopyStyle15 June 2023
Recently released convict Herman Tibbets (Paul Guilfoyle) and his wife Goldie Tibbets (Lee Patrick) board a train to Hollywood. Screenwriter Michael Winslow (Lee Tracy) meets Barbara Lang (Joan Woodbury) on the same train. After mistaking Michael for a criminal, Herman and Goldie decide to join the writer to write a better script. Things go wrong when gangsters recognize their crime up on the screen.
This needs a more compelling lead character and actor. The premise has good potential for a screwball comedy. All in all, it's average at best. The stage fight is funny. I want more of that in a slapstick.
This needs a more compelling lead character and actor. The premise has good potential for a screwball comedy. All in all, it's average at best. The stage fight is funny. I want more of that in a slapstick.
You need a collaborator
bkoganbing16 June 2017
Crashing Hollywood has recently released from prison Paul Guilfoyle and moll Lee Patrick meeting aspiring screenwriter Lee Tracy on the train. As Tracy is writing about crime Gulfoyle decides he needs a collaborator for a little realism.
Guilfoyle's material is based on his time with the gang of the infamous criminal known as The Hawk still at large and still unknown to the public. But he does look a whole lot like ham actor Bradley Page.
Crashing Hollywood is based on a flop play Lights Out which only ran 12 performances in 1922. Back in the day studios bought all kinds of material even stuff that flopped on stage because they needed dialog for those new fangled talking pictures. In this case there was a silent version which seems to have disappeared into obscurity.
Dwarfed by the much larger budgeted Boy Meets Girl over at Warner Brothers also about zany studio goings on, Crashing Hollywood does have its moments. Bradley Page is great in the dual role of the Hawk and the ham. Tom Kennedy is always funny and here's the Hawk's thick as a brick trigger man. Richard Lane however steals the show as the zany head of the studio, Wonder Pictures where Lucille Ball would work in The Affairs Of Annabel.
Tracy is good, but almost subdued here for him. Crashing Hollywood will be enjoyed by fans who liked Boy Meets Girl like me.
Guilfoyle's material is based on his time with the gang of the infamous criminal known as The Hawk still at large and still unknown to the public. But he does look a whole lot like ham actor Bradley Page.
Crashing Hollywood is based on a flop play Lights Out which only ran 12 performances in 1922. Back in the day studios bought all kinds of material even stuff that flopped on stage because they needed dialog for those new fangled talking pictures. In this case there was a silent version which seems to have disappeared into obscurity.
Dwarfed by the much larger budgeted Boy Meets Girl over at Warner Brothers also about zany studio goings on, Crashing Hollywood does have its moments. Bradley Page is great in the dual role of the Hawk and the ham. Tom Kennedy is always funny and here's the Hawk's thick as a brick trigger man. Richard Lane however steals the show as the zany head of the studio, Wonder Pictures where Lucille Ball would work in The Affairs Of Annabel.
Tracy is good, but almost subdued here for him. Crashing Hollywood will be enjoyed by fans who liked Boy Meets Girl like me.
When movie makers toot their own horn, duck!
mark.waltz9 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Another behind the scenes view of movie making is a silly crime spoof about the irony of casting a real life organized crime King posing as an actor to play himself. Lee Tracy tones it down a bit (basically cutting down a few cups of coffee to come off as very hiper rather than extremely hiper) as a screenwriter who has written a script about a real life criminal known o only as "the hawk" and casting lookalike Bradley Page to play him. Little does he know that the real hawk has shown up and it's amusing to see how he reacts to his public calling him by the character name, thinking at first thar he's been exposed.
There's also acquaintances of Page's (ex-con Paul Guiilfoyle and Lee Patrick) who aided Tracy in creating the script. The movie within the movie is as much of a B programmer as this is, not really believable, but fun and fast moving. Joan Woodbury plays Tracy's love interest, a wannabee actress tied up in the intrigue, and there's also Tom Kennedy (Edgar's brother) as Page's not so bright hood sidekick and George Irving as a studio executive and a young Jack Carson as well.
The film culminates with the shooting of a film that Page crashes with real gun in hand, mistaking the filming for a setup for him being caught. Page, playing a dual role, walks off with the film, changing his heavy image to play the obvious ham actor, having a ball, and briefly playing off himself. Some cute ducks aren't as foul as the movie's realism. Strictly a bottom of the barrel programmer that won't strain the brain, but will be quickly forgotten afterwards.
There's also acquaintances of Page's (ex-con Paul Guiilfoyle and Lee Patrick) who aided Tracy in creating the script. The movie within the movie is as much of a B programmer as this is, not really believable, but fun and fast moving. Joan Woodbury plays Tracy's love interest, a wannabee actress tied up in the intrigue, and there's also Tom Kennedy (Edgar's brother) as Page's not so bright hood sidekick and George Irving as a studio executive and a young Jack Carson as well.
The film culminates with the shooting of a film that Page crashes with real gun in hand, mistaking the filming for a setup for him being caught. Page, playing a dual role, walks off with the film, changing his heavy image to play the obvious ham actor, having a ball, and briefly playing off himself. Some cute ducks aren't as foul as the movie's realism. Strictly a bottom of the barrel programmer that won't strain the brain, but will be quickly forgotten afterwards.
A Forgotten Gem
craig_smith912 April 2002
I came across this by accident and discovered that over time people have lost sight of this movie and that is a shame. Herman Tibbits (Paul Guilfoyle) gets out of five years in prison and just wants to be a duck farmer. His wife Goldie is not sure she wants that and thinks that one more robbery would help them considerably. In an attempt to steal what they think is $50,000 they meet up with a struggling writer named Mike Winslow (Lee Tracy) who is on the same train as them heading to Hollywood.
There are many plot lines to this movie. Winslow is trying to get in good with Barbara Lang (Joan Woodbury), who wants to be an actress. Mike wants to write movie scripts for Wonder Studios. Herman and Tibbits want to go straight and work with Winslow. In fact, it is Herman who knows how to be a real robber and that is what helps Winslow write very effective movie scripts. Turns out they are too effective as they are based on Herman's life before prison and that makes the attention of The Hawk (the head of the gang that Herman had been part of) who the movies are about.
It is all of that coming together that makes this such an interesting movie. The movie keeps up a steady, increasing pace throughout. The dialogue is crisp and well written. The start of the movie lays out a very solid foundation. The middle builds the pace and the ending has a lot of action. It is amazing that a 65 minute movie has so much in it and yet doesn't leave you wondering what got missed (nothing does). 9/10
There are many plot lines to this movie. Winslow is trying to get in good with Barbara Lang (Joan Woodbury), who wants to be an actress. Mike wants to write movie scripts for Wonder Studios. Herman and Tibbits want to go straight and work with Winslow. In fact, it is Herman who knows how to be a real robber and that is what helps Winslow write very effective movie scripts. Turns out they are too effective as they are based on Herman's life before prison and that makes the attention of The Hawk (the head of the gang that Herman had been part of) who the movies are about.
It is all of that coming together that makes this such an interesting movie. The movie keeps up a steady, increasing pace throughout. The dialogue is crisp and well written. The start of the movie lays out a very solid foundation. The middle builds the pace and the ending has a lot of action. It is amazing that a 65 minute movie has so much in it and yet doesn't leave you wondering what got missed (nothing does). 9/10
Decent
Michael_Elliott2 December 2008
Crashing Hollywood (1938)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
A former gangster (Paul Guilfoyle) gets out of prison and takes his wife on a train to California where he plans on going straight by starting a duck farm. On the train he meets a screenwriter (Lee Tracy) and the two team up to make realistic crime pictures. All goes well until a real gangster shows up wondering how the writers is getting all the details right. This film isn't nearly as funny as it should have been but it is mildly entertaining on a second film of a double feature type of way. For the most part this is just a one-joke film as our main guys make a blockbuster movie but soon the main gangster is showing up to get revenge. This leads to some rather routine gags including the gangster being mistaken for the actor playing him as well as the actor getting beaten up because people thinks he's the gangster. These scenes here are actually pretty funny but they only come up during the final fifteen-minutes. These final scenes contain the most laughs as the police are running around the studio trying to capture the real bad guys. Tracy is pretty good in his role but you have to like his style of comedy or else you'll probably find him annoying. Guilfoyle is also pretty good but he's a character actor I've always enjoyed. It's Richard Lane who steals the film as the loud mouth, fast talking producer who's always trying to sign someone to a contract. Lane would become famous for playing Inspector Farraday in the Boston Blackie movies and his comic timing here is just as good. Fans of those Boston Blackie movies will certainly get a kick out of seeing Lane here.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
A former gangster (Paul Guilfoyle) gets out of prison and takes his wife on a train to California where he plans on going straight by starting a duck farm. On the train he meets a screenwriter (Lee Tracy) and the two team up to make realistic crime pictures. All goes well until a real gangster shows up wondering how the writers is getting all the details right. This film isn't nearly as funny as it should have been but it is mildly entertaining on a second film of a double feature type of way. For the most part this is just a one-joke film as our main guys make a blockbuster movie but soon the main gangster is showing up to get revenge. This leads to some rather routine gags including the gangster being mistaken for the actor playing him as well as the actor getting beaten up because people thinks he's the gangster. These scenes here are actually pretty funny but they only come up during the final fifteen-minutes. These final scenes contain the most laughs as the police are running around the studio trying to capture the real bad guys. Tracy is pretty good in his role but you have to like his style of comedy or else you'll probably find him annoying. Guilfoyle is also pretty good but he's a character actor I've always enjoyed. It's Richard Lane who steals the film as the loud mouth, fast talking producer who's always trying to sign someone to a contract. Lane would become famous for playing Inspector Farraday in the Boston Blackie movies and his comic timing here is just as good. Fans of those Boston Blackie movies will certainly get a kick out of seeing Lane here.
What a waste!
jaykay-105 June 2004
If, like myself, you might be drawn to this picture because of your admiration of the unique talent of Lee Tracy.....forget it. Cast as a "good Joe" rather than the snarly, hyperactive conniver he excels at playing, Tracy is stuck with a role that virtually anyone could have played with as much, or as little, distinction. The story is ludicrous, the attempts at humor enfeebled, and the reliance on confusion of look-alikes reduces the plot - such as it is - to a level that might be appreciated by children, as long as they aren't too mature. Lee Tracy fans, stay away! There are many classic performances by him elsewhere. For Tom Kennedy fans, it might be worth a look.
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