What makes it different from others?

Perfect cast and a good story

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Spirited young teacher leaves uptight girl's school for fame and fortune in Hollywood.I tuned in to catch the legendary Marion Davies, WR Hearst's (Citizen Kane) favorite squeeze, and was generally impressed even though the movie is unexceptional. She's got some natural charisma, and can dance and act as well as most musical performers. So this is not a case of a rich Daddy Warbucks making a silk purse out of a no-talent.The movie itself is expensively produced with a couple impressive dance numbers (e.g. the massed train station), plus a youthful Crosby crooning at his most tuneful. But except for the torchy Temptation, the selections themselves are pretty forgettable. Nonetheless, the many behind-the-scenes look at movie sets remains fascinating. At the same time, macho director Walsh and noir producer Wanger may seem odd choices for the production end of a musical, but this is still early in their respective careers. Speaking of directors, Ned Sparks who plays the raspy director in the movie appears to have swallowed a lemon and followed it up with a load of sandpaper, providing much of the comedy relief, along with a young Patsy Kelly. But funnier than anyone without even trying is D'Orsay's cartoonish French siren. For cultural historians, there's the guy mimicking radio personalities of the day, making an informative and entertaining novelty act. But I can't help noticing a couple of Davies', shall we say, unusual costumes—one is so fancy, it looks like the crinoline is swallowing her, while the other resembles a big furry snow cone minus the snow. Good thing the rest of her wardrobe is 30's conventional.All in all, it's a good glimpse back in time, even if the musical end lacks staying power.

Marion Davies is a young woman who quits her job as a teacher and is content to chase a singer (Bing Crosby) in "Going Hollywood," a 1934 film also starring Stuart Erwin, Fifi D'Orsay, Patsy Kelly and Ned Sparks. Davies fancies herself in love with a crooner and follows him to LA, where he's about to make a picture with a temperamental French actress (D'Orsay) who is also his current girlfriend.Before becoming the singer of "White Christmas," Bing Crosby was an innovative performer, the first so-called "legit" singer to cross over into popular song. At one point in his career, Crosby actually was offered the title role in Verdi's "Rigoletto." Hearing him in the '20s and '30s, it's easy to understand why. Though Crosby's voice was always fluid and beautiful, he was less easygoing and took many more vocal risks back in the day, as evidenced in this film. The robustness with which he sang, and his beautiful high notes are sensational. The most striking number he does is "Temptation" with the camera focusing from time to time on a close-up of D'Orsay's face. The film is nearly all music, but nothing as good as "Temptation": "Our Big Love Scene," "Beautiful Girl," "Just an Echo in the Valley," etc.There is a wonderful scene done by the Radio Rogues, who play techs in the film where they improvise a radio program that references stars of the era such as Morton Downey, Russ Columbo, Rudy Vallee and Kate Smith.Marion Davies at this point was 36 - way, way, over the hill for a lead actress in those days - and she requested both Crosby and D'Orsay to be in the film. Hearst didn't want either one and had Lili Damita in mind for the D'Orsay role. He relented when others told him Crosby would be good for Davies' career. Though Davies will eternally get a bad rap because of the untalented Susan in "Citizen Kane," she was in fact a lovely actress and a very good comedienne. She couldn't sing and her dancing was from the Ruby Keeler Hoofer School - but I actually found her lighter on her feet than Keeler. That obviously was a style of tap back in those days that thankfully is gone.This is a very entertaining film, and if you want to hear Crosby at his finest, this is one of the films that is a must. He is remembered as a wonderful singer and successful actor today, but in actuality, his contribution to music was much greater than is realized now.

One of the other reviewers said that this film was essentially about stalking. I had never thought of it in those terms, but it's true.Marion Davies is a love starved French teacher at a girl's boarding school who's spare hours are taken up with the radio crooning of Bing Crosby. She follows the object of her affection out to Hollywood and in Hollywood cliché style gets her big break in the movies.First if you're willing to accept the beautiful Marion Davies with this crowd of old spinsters at the boarding school then the rest of the plot simply follows. Second for Bing Crosby fans one has to remember that this is NOT a Crosby picture. He's the leading man in a Marion Davies film. Everyone is familiar with William Randolph Hearst and the Svengali like influence he had on her career. Marion's making a musical so you go out and buy the hottest singer currently as her leading man. And that, boys and girls, is the story of Bing's first film away from Paramount.You also hire a topflight director in Raoul Walsh to keep things at a brisk pace. And you give Marion a good supporting cast that includes Fifi D'Orsay, Ned Sparks, Stu Erwin, and Patsy Kelly. Mix 'em together and you got Going Hollywood.It's not a bad mix. Crosby had a lot of songs in this film. The big hit was Temptation, but there were other good ones from Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed. One thing however, since this was not Paramount and MGM was known for the great production numbers in their films, Bing got some great numbers. I'm surprised frankly that Hearst allowed Crosby a huge number like the title tune, set in Grand Central Station, without Davies in it. Davies does join him in a dream sequence where she sings a couple of lines of We'll Make Hay While The Sun Shines with Marion and Bing dressed as a pair of Grand Wood rustics. Another big production number that Paramount would never spend the money for.Davies had good if limited talents. Hearst however could only see her as a pure heroine. Since he discovered her in the Ziegfeld Follies, Davies's dancing should be no surprise. It's at least as good as Ruby Keeler's. She had a good gift for mimicry, her imitation of Fifi D'Orsay is a key point in the plot. One thing that would be considered in god-awful taste now is her donning black-face to get on Bing's movie set and imitating the dialect. It's funny though. Think about pictures like Play Misty For Me and The Fan made two generations later. Stalking was looked on entirely differently back in those more innocent days.

When she discovers that the crooner she adores is GOING HOLLYWOOD, a liberated school teacher dogs his steps all the way to the Studio sound stages.Marion Davies tries her hardest to entertain in this tinsel town spoof, but neither the script (based on a story by the celebrated Frances Marion) nor the direction give her much leeway. Raoul Walsh seems a curious choice to direct this kind of film, but he must have had William Randolph Hearst's approval or he never would have been given the assignment. The trouble is that Marion has little chance to be anything other than sweet & pleasant - when finally given the opportunity to do a wicked spoof of co-star Fifi D'Orsay, she's terrific. Unfortunately, moments like that come all too rarely.Leading man Bing Crosby comes off rather better, showing the casual charm that would make him a huge star. And he gets to sing some fine tunes by Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed, including the classic ‘Temptation' and the fun ‘We'll Make Hay While The Sun Shines.' Although his character is a bit of a cad, Bing never fails to deliver the goods to the audience.A troika of character performers add sparkle to the proceedings: earnest Stuart Erwin as a film producer; caustic Ned Sparks as a dictatorial director; and tomboy Patsy Kelly as a plain-talking gal trying to break into the movies.Movie mavens will spot Clara Blandick & Nora Cecil as two of the ossified instructors at the girls' school, and Sterling Holloway as a recording mike technician - all uncredited.Oddly, this film about the Hollywood movie business takes time out to poke fun at contemporary radio stars. Mimic singers & impressionists, The Radio Rogues will provide a smile to viewers with very long memories.***********************Time has not dealt kindly with Marion Davies. Almost forgotten today, when remembered at all it is usually as a sort of footnote to history or object of scandal. Her life certainly was colorful, and as chatelaine of America's most amazing private estate she did circulate amidst powerful circles. But to remember her as only the bimbo blonde mistress of the country's mightiest media baron is patently unfair.While much of the blame can go to Orson Welles' spoof of Davies in CITIZEN KANE (which he was to admit he regretted towards the end of his life) it must be stated emphatically that Marion was not a no-talent actress with few friends & even fewer brains, whose career was destroyed by her stammer, leaving her to spend lonely years in great, hulking empty castles.In reality, Davies was a bright, vivacious lady who charmed & captivated such diverse guests as George Bernard Shaw & Winston Churchill throughout her 33-year liaison with Hearst. Adored by her friends and a fierce cadre of fans, Davies was renowned for her tireless generosity and charitable good works. Her speech impediment never affected her screen acting and her undeniable talent was evident to any who were willing to assess her performances honesty and look past the scandal.Davies had to have been embarrassed by the Hearst empire's relentless pushing of her career. She knew this left her open to ridicule & mockery, doubtless contributing to her scarcely concealed alcoholism. But she eventually relinquished her film pursuits in order to care for the aging Hearst, and after his death in 1951 she showed herself to be an astute businesswoman during the remaining ten years of her life.It is only now, with the passage of much time & the restoration of her old movies, that it is becoming easier to acknowledge the contributions & cinematic expertise of Miss Marion Davies.