What Price Hollywood?

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What Price Hollywood? is a 1932 RKO film drama starring Constance Bennett and Lowell Sherman. Written by Gene Fowler and Rowland Brown from a story by Adela Rogers St. Johns, and directed by George Cukor, the film was a "behind the scenes" look at Hollywood.

Bennett, an aspiring actress, meets an alcoholic director (Sherman) who makes her a star. As her career flourishes, he drinks himself out of the motion picture business and eventually commits suicide. Neil Hamilton plays Bennett's love interest, a millionaire who finds her lifestyle incompatible with his once they are married.

The part was originally written for Clara Bow whose own career was in decline. She refused the part because she was not happy with the salary; Bennett took over the role and achieved her first notable success as a screen actress.

Although the plot of A Star Is Born (1937) resembles that of What Price Hollywood?, the 1937 picture is not officially a remake, and RKO considered filing a plagiarism suit against Selznick International Pictures.

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