A lot of fun.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

"Hollywood Party" is one of those films that has no plot and a few famous faces thrown in. The film is a right shambles and pretty boring. That is except for the cameo made by Laurel and Hardy. They make "Hollywood Party" worth it, thanks to a few marvellous sketches. They play a couple of lion sellers who turn up at the party in question to collect their money from the owner of the house. Once Laurel and Hardy leave the film, it is time to stop watching.

WE CAN WELL remember thinking of what a great movie that it would be to have something with a title like THE 3 STOOGES MEET THE MARX BROTHERS (or visa-versa with the billing). This writer was about 11 or 12 years old at the time; not realizing the impossibility of such a teaming. The movie would call for having the heart of the Stooges Act (Curly Howard)being brought back to life and even though all of the Marx Brothers were still with us, they were all busy with their own projects and had surely been slowed down by both Mother Nature and Father Time.HAVING ALL OF the principals aforementioned could well have appeared in this HOLLWOOD PARTY (MGM. 1934)had it been made in the following Anno Domini 1935. This was the first year of the the MGM-Marx Alliance; the Boys having been given pink-slips from Paramount following a poor Box Office showing from their feature, DUCK SOUP (Paramount, 1933). The absurd notion of teaming them would not have materialized; but at least, they would be in the same cast, without sharing any scenes.THE PROJECT THAT did materialize was not much less absurd than my childhood brainstorm; although it did have the the advantage of having the use of the vast and impressive MGM stable of contract players. This was an array of talent once referred to as having: "More Stars Than There Are In Heaven!" THIS MOST DISJOINTED and disorganized cinematic romp was not what one could call a total misfire; but it did prove that it takes more than just a lot of on screen "Stars" to make for a hit, let alone a critically approved (if not acclaimed) movie. As the story (such as it is) unfolds, we are plagued by just one question. WHY? WHY,INDEED DID such an undertaking escape out of MGM's entertainment factory and get into the Real (not Reel) World? ON THE RATHER slim, positive side of things, like just about any movie (except maybe DONDI), there are some likable and positive elements here. For one, the unbilled presence of Ted Healy and the Three Stooges (a very youthful Howar-Fine-Howard combo). They make the most of their thin, nearly thread-bare scene as movie fans seeking autographs. Their then mentor/punishment dispenser, Ted Healy, portrays an also unbilled newspaper reporter.THE APPEARANCE OF veteran stage comedian, Jack Pearl, portraying his perennially very Germanic Baron Munchausen, proves to be very amusing and a true bright spot in the dismal proceedings. This is conditionally endorsed as a positive, considering that the Baron is minus long time straight man, Cliff Hall*, and seems completely out of synch with even this bizarre storyline.IN A SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT with Walt Disney, there is an odd inclusion of MICKEY MOUSE and a special Technicolor short cartoon, HOT CHOCOLATE SOLDIERS.** This is very enjoyable, but even with Mickey's popularity, it only adds to the peculiarity of the film.IT DOOES APPEAR that the movie may well have been primarily a vehicle to both promote and exploit Mr. Durante. Jimmy had been touted as the embodiment of the "New Breed" of Comedians for the Sound Era; but did experience some setback following an unsuccessful teaming with the Silent Screen's "Great Stone Face", Buster Keaton.FOR OUR MONEY, the very best element of the movie is the sequence featuring Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy locked in an egg smashing mêlée with the Mexican Spitfire herself, Lupe Velez. It is basic,inspired and perfectly timed and played. The whole bit is pure "Reciprocal Destruction" and classic Laurel & Hardy at its best.THIS "RECIPROCAL DESTRUCTION" shtick was developed by Leo McCarrey and his boss, Producer & Studio Head, Hal Roach. The principal is in evidence in so many of the various classic L & H comedies; as well as in those of Charley Chase, Thelma Todd/Zasu Pitts/Patsy Kelly and others, even OUR GANG. The "Reciprocal Destruction" mode basically turns many an older idea of break-neck speed application of a multitude of gaffs and slow things down; allowing the 'milking' of one single gag into a multitude of laughs.ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, this movie, MGM's Hollywood PARTY, is one that we all should see, at least once-if only for the first hand experience.NOTE: * Mr. Cliff Hall did some early TV work, later in his career. He portrayed Horatio Frisby on the JOHNNY JUPITER kids series; but is best remembered as the Head Racoon to Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton's Racoon Lodge on THE HONEYMOONERS Series. NOTE: ** The appearance of Mickey Mouse, as well as the HOT CHOCOLATE SOLDIERS sequence do not appear in some of the older TV prints of the movie and in some early VHS copies. This was due to their copyright owner, Disney, wouldn't allow them to be used beyond the original, theatrical showings. We presume that some $$$$ rectified the situation.

This film is excellent if you take it for what it is - a thin but pleasant comical storyline as an excuse for what turns out to be practically a revue of MGM's lesser stars of the day, plus two great stars - Laurel and Hardy - that didn't even work for the studio. However, Hal Roach did distribute his films through MGM, thus the boys do show up in a couple of MGM films of this era. Also, Disney's Mickey Mouse shows up for a comedic bit. I'd love to know how MGM ever worked that out with Walt.The jist of the plot is that Schnarzan (Durante) is losing his audience for his jungle jaunt movies since the death of his original lion. People think that the subsequent lions he wrestles in his films are flimsy excuses for courageous carnivores and box office receipts are beginning to drop. His producer says that he can guarantee a hit if Durante can procure one or more of the lions of the famous Baron Munchausen who is a renowned hunter of wild beasts. Durante decides to wine and dine the baron at his mansion and give a big party in his honor.There are a couple of very good precode musical numbers in this film including the title song featuring scantily clad chorus girls in various states of undressing/dressing and singing and dancing telephone operators dressed up in weird metallic outfits. At the party Lupe Valez spars with Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges put in an appearance back when they were still with Ted Healy, and there is an early musical cartoon number involving chocolate soldiers with music by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown. Finally there are Charles Butterworth and Polly Moran as a wealthy oil magnate and his wife who have some hilarious moments.If you don't know who any of the people I just mentioned are, you are probably not going to like this film. If you know who all or most of them are you are sure to enjoy it as one of the last pre code films made, released just one month before strict enforcement of the code began.

Big budget movie concerning Jimmy Durante throwing a party so that Baron Munchhausen will let him use his killer lions in an up coming entry in his Schnarzan series. Various stars show up and sing and dance.Scatter-shot- and I do mean scatter-shot musical comedy showcasing many of MGM's lesser stars. Its a good segment followed by a poor, a great throw away line followed by a poor one. Huge production numbers are done to mediocre songs. Its an odd ball affair that I picked up on a used VHS tape because its the only film I know that has both Laurel and Hardy and the Three Stooges (who were still working with Ted Healy). Stan and Ollie, who's pictures are on the sleeve of the tape don't show up until about 55 minutes into the film. They are very good, but no match for Lupe Valez who runs over them and everyone else she comes in contact with. She is the best human in the film.(She was a great actress with the right part).The Stooges show up about 35 minutes in and play autograph hounds trying to get signatures.they are good but their bit is simply too short to really work.Of real interest (and the best thing besides Velez) is the appearance of Mickey Mouse. This is a cantankerous Mickey who gets into a fight with Durante before singing a song which leads into an animated segment called Hot Chocolate Soldiers.This is a light song about a chocolate soldier army going to war against gingerbread people.The images are rather dark and nasty and had I been a kid the whole thing might have given me nightmares.(or not since the darkness comes from knowing what war is, which as a child I wouldn't have understood as well.) Its an strange piece that like much of the film doesn't fit with anything else.(It also seems more like a Fleischer or Van Buren cartoon as opposed to a Disney one.Worth a look on TV, but not as something to search out, odds are anyone loving old movies or cartoons will find something to like (even as they find much to dislike). 5 out of 10 for the good and the bad.