Product Details

• Actors: Marion Davies, Bing Crosby, Fifi D'Orsay, Stuart Erwin, Ned Sparks
• Format: Black & White, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• VHS Release Date: February 24, 1995
• Run Time: 78 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302747279
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,554 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 1933 DELIGHT, November 20, 2001

By 

"scotsladdie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Going Hollywood [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Marion Davies plays a teacher at a girl's school who's bored with academics and wants to explore the world; she also idolises crooner Der Bingle and decides she will find him, so off she goes in hot pursuit..........A rare glimpse at the decidedly lovely & elusive La Davies is interesting, but the movie belongs to Bing. The best ingredient of the whole film is his rendition of TEMPTATION which was penned by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown for the movie. The scene where Crosby belts out GOING HOLLYWOOD in a Hollywoodised Grand Central Station will be remembered by 70's moviegoers in a clip from THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT. Marion Davies was impressive in her big number, WE'LL MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES and there is a funny (if exaggeratted) comic performance by Fifi D'Orsay as a hot-tempered movie star. It would be fun to see more of the elusive Marion Davies on video. Contrary to popular belief, she wasn't a no-talent bimbo as dipicted by Orson Welles' Susan Alexander in CITIZEN KANE; she was a gifted light comedienne who was hampered by Hearst's insistence that she be seen in innocent ingenue-type roles. At thirty-five, she supposedly gave a superlative performance as PEG O' MY HEART!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top quality entertainment of a lasting character., January 14, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Going Hollywood [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Early Crosby show with top quality acting. This is one of Bing's first movies, with his acting ability already perfected. Plot ranks with most of the era, perhaps a bit cornball, but leaves the viewer with a happy feeling for having seen it. Sound quality is very good also.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fine Crosby vehicle, September 3, 2007

By 

Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Going Hollywood [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Going Hollywood stars Bing Crosby as Bill 'Billy' Williams, a famous singer and actor bound for Hollywood to make a new movie. Marion Davies does a good job as Sylvia Bruce, a somewhat flighty stalker who follows Bill cross country to Hollywood in the hopes of making him fall in love with her. Look also for great supporting roles from Fifi D'Orsay who plays Lili Yvonne, Bill's current lover and Patsy Kelly as Jill Barker, a nice young woman who takes in Sylvia when Sylvia arrives in California looking for Bill. In addition, the movie plot goes along at a good pace; and the convincing acting impresses me.

After impulsively leaving the fancy Briarcroft's School for Girls, Sylvia does indeed follow Bill Williams on a train, taking a job as Lili's maid to pay her passage when she runs out of money. Of course, from the get go Sylvia and Lili don't really get along; they don't like each other and worse yet they both want the same man--Bill! Sylvia manages to get small chorus parts for herself and her roommate Jill in the same movie that stars Bill Williams and Lili Yvonne. That's when the action REALLY starts.

How will Bill get through a tough situation in which both women want him? How will he treat Sylvia, who essentially stalks him, when he finds out she's on the train from New York to Hollywood? Will Bill stay with Lili or leave her for Sylvia--ever? What about the movie they're making--will it suffer because of this triangular relationship? No spoilers here--you'll have to watch the movie to find out.

I agree with a reviewer who writes that the print is indeed rather dark; the cinematography could have been better or maybe this is a print copied from a much older print decades ago. The choreography shows great forethought in scenes from the movie they're making with huge numbers of extras all dancing; and the scenes at Grand Central Station in New York also reflect great choreography.

In short, Going Hollywood is a great film even if it is fluffy. Sylvia stalks Bill but in such a way that you know she's not really evil nor is she crazy. I highly recommend this film for Bing Crosby fans; and fans of early MGM musicals will like this one, too.

Enjoy!