Make Me a Star: A weirdly sad comedy about being bad at acting

You should probably watch this if you have ever felt like you were meant for something huge while you were actually just stuck doing a boring job. It is perfect for anyone who likes old Hollywood satires that are actually a bit mean. If you hate watching people embarrass themselves, you will probably want to turn it off after twenty minutes.

Merton Gill is our main guy and he is deeply delusional. He works in a tiny grocery store but spends all his time practicing his 'acting' faces in the mirror when customers aren't looking.

It reminds me a bit of the characters in Small Timers, just people who want to be big but have zero self-awareness. Merton finally saves up enough money and just leaves for Hollywood thinking they are waiting for him.

The movie is mostly about how much Hollywood does not care about you. He gets there and it is just dusty lots and people yelling at him to get out of the way.

There is this one scene where he is trying to get into the studio and he just stands there with this hopeful, dumb look on his face. It goes on for a long time. Stuart Erwin plays Merton and he has this way of looking so pathetic that you almost want to reach into the screen and give him a sandwich.

Then there is Zasu Pitts. I love her. She plays an actress who actually has a heart, which is rare in this version of Los Angeles.

She does this thing with her hands where she looks like she is constantly trying to catch a butterfly that isn't there. It is her trademark move but it works so well here because she feels like the only real person in the room.

The part that actually hurt to watch

The movie gets really dark, in a funny way, when Merton finally gets a job. He thinks he is being cast in a massive, serious drama.

He is doing his best 'serious' acting, which is just him squinting and looking constipated. The director realizes that Merton is so bad at acting that it is hilarious.

They decide to film him without telling him it is actually a comedy. Watching him give this heartfelt performance while the crew is behind the camera trying not to laugh is brutal.

It is one of those moments where the silence in the scene feels heavier than the dialogue. You can feel the movie mocking him, but you also feel bad for him because he is so sincere.

A few things I noticed

• The cameos are everywhere. You see Tallulah Bankhead and Gary Cooper just hanging out for a second.
• There is a horse named Pinto that gets a credit. He is a good horse.
• The costumes in the 'fake' movie Merton makes are hilariously over-the-top.
• The lighting in the final scene makes Merton look about ten years older than he did at the start.

I think the pacing gets a little bit slow in the middle when he is just starving in his boarding house. We get it, he is poor and hungry.

One shot of an empty plate is enough, we don't need three. But the ending makes up for it because it isn't a typical 'happily ever after' where he becomes a genius.

He becomes a star, sure, but only because people like to laugh at him. It is a bittersweet ending that stuck with me after the credits rolled.

It is a weirdly honest look at how fame usually happens. Most of the time it is just a lucky accident or a cruel joke.

If you have some time on a Sunday, give it a look. It is way more interesting than most of the polished stuff from that era.

Just be prepared to feel a little bit embarrassed for everyone involved. Especially Merton. Poor guy. 🎬