The Girl in the Show | 1929 | Comedy, Drama

Title: The Girl in the Show | 1929 | Comedy, Drama Director: Edgar Selwyn Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Starring: Bessie Love, Raymond Hackett, Edward Nugent, Mary Doran, Jed Prouty, Ford Sterling Based on: Eva the Fifth by Kenyon Nicholson and John Golden Release Date: August 31, 1929 Runtime: 77 minutes Format: Black-and-white; Movietone sound-on-film; also released in silent version; 1.20:1 Country: United States Language: English Genres: Comedy, Drama --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Opening credits and touring troupe 00:14:00 Manager absconds with funds 00:28:00 Marriage bargain with the undertaker 00:43:00 Last-minute booking disrupts wedding plans 00:58:00 Role rivalry and setbacks 01:12:00 Final performance and reunion --- Summary: A traveling “Tom show” troupe performing Uncle Tom’s Cabin is stranded in Kansas when their manager disappears with the payroll. Hattie Hartley, the company’s Little Eva, considers marrying a local undertaker to keep the troupe afloat and pay for her younger sister’s schooling. When a sudden booking coincides with Hattie’s wedding day, loyalties are tested and a rivalry for the coveted role of Eva emerges. Professional ambition, family duty, and romantic feeling collide as Hattie chooses the stage, setting up a final performance that determines both her career and personal future. --- Background: The film adapts the 1928 stage play Eva the Fifth, drawing on the once-ubiquitous touring productions of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Produced and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during Hollywood’s transition to sound, it was issued in a Movietone sound version with a parallel silent release for theaters not yet wired for talkies. Key MGM artisans contributed, including cinematographer Arthur Reed, editor Harry Reynolds, and art director Cedric Gibbons. --- Trivia: Also known as “Eva the Fifth” in some listings. Reported runtimes vary by source, with versions cited between 74 and 82 minutes. A silent counterpart accompanied the Movietone release to serve non-wired theaters. Exterior train-depot scenes were filmed at Palms Railway Station in Palms, California. Cedric Gibbons, MGM’s longtime art director, is credited on the production. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: August 31, 1929 Original Studio / Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: TheGirlInTheShow BessieLove EdgarSelwyn MGM 1929 EarlySound ComedyDrama ClassicFilm PublicDomain Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Girl_in_the_Show.webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/The_Girl_in_the_Show.webm