How did that happen? Bessie Love was a famous silent movie star - Anita Page was one of the hottest new properties on the MGM lot - Charles King was - who was Charles King?? His role is not even as important as the girls. How did that happen?
shareI believe Charles King was BIG in Vaudeville. Therefore a star in his own right (not neccessary film).
Another example check out 'WAR NURSE' billing, Anita's name is tiny~ fourth/fifth billed on much of the WN promotional material. June Walker takes top billing, again June was a success on the stage, today she's forgotten. Even in 1930 June wasn't really connected by film success. Yet she got Robert Montgomery and the star treatment at MGM... for a brief period.
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Yeah, but vaudeville stardom is not anything near as "prestigious" as movie stardom so you would think Anita and Bessie would have topped him in the billing. His contract probably called for him to be billed first and since Anita wasn't quite a star yet and Bessie was fading somewhat I guess they gave it to him. He certainly is the less memorable of the star trio.
June Walker appears to be one of the few failures in the early talkie raid of Broadway actresses where Barbara Stanwyck, Claudette Colbert, Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Mae West, and others were grabbed from the stage and brought to Hollywood to star in films. I didn't know until I just looked her up that June was John Kerr's mother.
Anita was never considered a star at MGM back then, she was always considered a 'featured player'. Crazy, as she had more star appeal than many of the 'stars'!
I wasn't too keen on June Walker's acting ability in 'War Nurse'. I would like to see her again though in another vehicle to see if my opinion changes.
I think one great disappointment of the 30's was the downfall of B.L's career.
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That's very true Busby1959,
..and I'd also like to add that this was the dawn of sound - and many many stars came from the theatre in those early years. Some new, and some already established in the theatre. The world went musical mad and the public wanted as many films with song and dance in the late 20's and early 30's. So, who better to star in these films but singers and dancers, and Broadway actors!
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Did he go back to the stage/vaudeville? He wasn't a big star in films, was he? Sometimes the ol' vaudeville magic just didn't translate well onto the big screen. I certainly didn't think he was handsome enough to snag both Bessie Love AND Anita Page in this one!
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I suspected Charles King might have had a big career outside of movies but still it's pretty uncommon to give top billing to a non-movie star however important they may be in the theatre, unless of course the studio is giving them a big buildup in hopes of making them a movie star which I don't think was the case with Charles.
I can see him maybe billed over Anita, who was basically just starting herself, but Billie Love was a pretty famous silent movie star for years so that seems unusual to bill him over her.
"...still it's pretty uncommon to give top billing to a non-movie star however important they may be in the theatre"
Perhaps today it is, but we're talking about 1927-1930... those few years the world went Musical crazy!! Broadway stars were flocking to Hollywood, and it was quite common to bill the theatre star over the movie star in a musical. I'd think many of the Broadway stars would have demanded top billing, and due to the musical being such a success - the studios would have been more than willing to sign them up to make a fortune.
"I can see him maybe billed over Anita, who was basically just starting herself, but Billie Love was a pretty famous silent movie star for years so that seems unusual to bill him over her."
Fame doesn't work like that! It's all about who is 'in' at that moment in time & the 'next big thing' (unless you're a fully fledged star, at a studio like MGM with the star contract which secures top billing.. think Shearer & Garbo).
It still happens today, there may be a current 'next big thing', who will get top billing over an established actor/actress. I often think it's mad, but it's whoever will bring in the public, and make the studio the most money.
Big bucks for the studios.
Back to the film...
Bessie Love, had been a big name quite a few years before 'The Broadway Melody' was released, but never a 'star' at MGM. Love was always a 'featured player' (as was Anita). I think by 1928-1929, Anita was considered a more 'important' actress than Bessie, or any other starlet/featured player at the studio. The movie magazines and MGM publications of the period raved about Anita, she was going to be huge.. on par with Joan Crawford. MGM were giving her the star build up, from late 1927 until mid 1929. That's fame, fickle, and you're the "belle of the ball" one minute and a "has been" the next. (Of course, I'm not referring to Anita as a "has been"... her career was very unusual)
Also, I'll just add that what I have realised, it depends on the country (or the state if referring to USA) for the film release on who got top billing (in film ads, promo material). From what I've researched and collected, during 1928, in England, Bessie Love was considered most popular and in Australia it was Anita. In USA it was Charles and Anita.
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