Show People

King Vidor's film describes Hollywood from inside it. Peggy Pepper, played by Marion Davies, comes from Georgia to become a star. She finds work in comedy, takes cream in the face, then decides to be a serious actress, changes her name and makes herself ridiculous. The best thing in it is Davies mocking herself. In one scene Peggy encounters a star called Marion Davies, whom Davies also plays, and Peggy is unimpressed. It is a rare joke about star culture made from within the period. Guest appearances abound: Charlie Chaplin turns up as an autograph hunter, along with Douglas Fairbanks, John Gilbert, Norma Talmadge and Vidor himself. The character is generally said to draw on the careers of Gloria Swanson and Mae Murray. The film contains no audible dialogue; it was released with a Movietone track carrying a synchronised score and effects. Who it is for: viewers curious about silent comedy and Hollywood's view of itself. Who it is not for: anyone unable to leave the habits of sound cinema behind, since this runs entirely on gesture and intertitle.