In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

As a huge fan of old Hollywood I always loved this cartoon. I find it amusing how younger folks have a difficult time understanding it due to the fact they probably don't watch enough old movies to know who these stars are. In the Wikipedia article on this cartoon, they mention the actor sitting with Claudette Colbert early on as Don Ameche. Upon repeated viewing I'm inclined to think it's the great George Brent. It looks too much like him and he was a much bigger star than Ameche ever became. Although brilliant I will agree it is dated in that all the references pertain to movies of that era. As a 55 year old, I grew up when these movies were staples on television and recognized almost all of the stars. All in all this is a great representation of when Hollywood was truly loaded with big movie stars. I'd cringe to think of what a modern version would look like. On a final note, there is nothing confusing about this cartoon and it doesn't matter if children don't get it. These cartoons were never meant for children as they were shown in movie theaters prior to the main events. This is a great representation of how things were at that time in Hollywood.

. . . but for others this 1941 Entrance Exam may produce a flunking grade (especially if they're a normal person under the age of 30). As fans of current live-action feature film FIFTEEN REAL MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN well know, our Holy Bible doesn't have room to cover EVERY helpful spiritual pointer (such as the location of the Healing Hollow Cottonwoods of Texas). Many of the Faithful believe there may be sort of a Cultural Literacy Triage Station adjacent to the Pearly Gates, particularly if the Population Explosion spreads skyward (since They'd never allow the lines in Heaven to get longer than those at Disneyland!). In such a case, What you know could conceivably trump Who you know. H0LLYW00D STEPS OUT seems designed as a beta version of such a trial. Say an American battleship explodes, sending more than a thousand souls instantly Upward (as happened in Real Life a few months after H0LLYW00D STEPS OUT's release). Possibly there was room for all of the recently deceased way back when. If not, perhaps those who could differentiate Curly, Larry and Moe for Peter, Paul, and Mary would gain preferential entrance. There may not be anyone left alive who can pass this 1941 Heavenly Entrance Exam without lots of cramming with Lenny Maltin or Bob Osborne. Perhaps Warner Bros. could put out an up-to-date cribbing cartoon?

The Hollywood set steps out at Ciro's to be precise, where the night-clubbing action is exclusively set. The script is not particularly amusing or inventive, but fascinating all the same. The voice impersonations are mostly very skillful. One of the longest spots has Jimmy Stewart declining an invitation to rumba. At least two gags deal with Crosby's horse-racing ventures, whilst the climax features a bubble dance by "Sally Strand". Naturally the stars in evidence at Ciro's on this particular night (Dinner $50 and up. Easy terms available) are weighted in favor of Warner Bros, though a number of "foreign" stars receive a fair innings including the Hardys (both real and fictional), the Three Stooges, and Harpo Marx. Some of the faces are glimpsed so fleetingly they will be difficult for a 2007 audience to recognize. And maybe two or three are now forgotten.Musically, the film is a feast for song-lovers with snatches from Nat Ayer's "Oh, You Beautiful Doll", Tony Jackson and Egbert Van Alstyne's "Pretty Baby", Allie Wrubel's "The Lady in Red", Isham Jones' "It Had To Be You", James Brockman, James Kendis and Nat Vincent's "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles", M.K. Jerome's "Congo", Harry Warren's "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby", Murray Mencher's "Merrily We Roll Along" and others, all delightfully rendered by the studio orchestra under the baton of Leo F. Forbstein.To sum up: In view of the star line-up, somewhat disappointing, but still a must for all movie buffs.

Set in the Legenday Hollywood hills restaurant Ciro's, this Tex Avery directed Looney Tunes short has way too many caricatures of popular actors and actresses of yesteryear to list them all here. It's notable to know that the stripper/ dancer scene is a prelude of shorts to Avery's later 'Red Hot Riding Hood' cartoons. It's a very interesting short and transports you back to the '30's even if you were born, like me, much MUCH later. This animated short can be seen on Disc 4 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2 and also features an optional commentary by Greg Ford.My Grade: A-