Hollywood Boulevard (1936) DVD-R

Starring John Halliday, Marsha Hunt, Robert Cummings, C. Henry Gordon, Esther Ralston,
Esther Dale, Frieda Inescort, Irving Bacon, Francis X. Bushman, Betty Compson, Mae Marsh,
Charles Ray, Chester Conklin, Gary Cooper, Ellen Drew
Directed by Robert Florey

Print: black/white
Runtime: 75 min.
Genre: drama
Print Quality: B

Hollywood Boulevard is a trenchant look at the underside of Tinseltown. Though the nominal
hero is a disillusioned screenwriter played by Robert Cummings (whose dialogue
anticipates the lines spoken by William Holden in 1950's Sunset Boulevard), the focus of the
story is John Halliday as a washed-up film star. Desperately, Halliday accepts the offer from
a sleazy 'tell all' magazine to write his memoirs. The actor's estranged family is devastated
by the resultant scandal, and out love for his daughter (Marsha Hunt), Halliday tries to break
his contract. But the publisher (C. Henry Gordon) threatens to ruin Halliday's comeback
attempt if he refuses to write the rest of his memoirs. In a scuffle, the publisher kills
Halliday, and the blame falls on the actor's daughter. But wise guy screenwriter Cummings
gets to the truth of the mystery. A slick B-plus crime melodrama, Hollywood Boulevard has
the added bonus of several well-known silent film personalities (Charles Ray, Francis X.
Bushman, Maurice Costello, Mae Marsh etc.) in cameo roles, as well as a guest appearance
by Gary Cooper.