| Dramatic School | |
|---|---|
Theatrical poster |
|
| Directed by | Robert B. Sinclair |
| Produced by | Mervyn LeRoy |
| Written by | Ernest Vajda Mary C. McCall Jr. |
| Starring | Luise Rainer Paulette Goddard Alan Marshal |
| Music by | Franz Waxman |
| Cinematography | William H. Daniels |
| Editing by | Fredrick Y. Smith |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | December 9, 1938 |
| Running time | 80 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Dramatic School (1938) is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film directed by Robert B. Sinclair, and starring Luise Rainer, Paulette Goddard, Alan Marshal, Lana Turner, and Gale Sondergaard. The film's screenplay, written by Ernest Vajda and Mary C. McCall was based on a play by Hans Székely and Zoltan Egyed.
Aspiring actress Louise Mauban (Luise Rainer) attends the Paris School of Drama while working at a dreary factory job. Her fellow students begin to suspect that her stories of a luxurious life and her wealthy, handsome boyfriend, Marquis Andre D'Abbencourt (Alan Marshal), are just fantasies that she weaves to relieve her humdrum life. One of them, Nana (Paulette Goddard), maliciously invites Louise to her "birthday party", having arranged for Andre to attend. However, the plan backfires. Andre is enchanted by Louise and the lie turns into the truth. He showers her with gifts and takes her out every night.
Andre eventually becomes enamored of another woman and breaks up with Louise by letter. When Louise's friends show up, she tells them to take their pick of the fabulous clothes Andre has given her. However, to a late-arriving Nana, she shows the letter, as her "gift". Nana's heart is softened to her rival and they become friends.
Meanwhile, Madame Therese Charlot (Gale Sondergaard), an aging star and teacher at the school, is upset to learn from Monsieur Pasquel, Sr. (Henry Stephenson) that she will not get the leading role in a new play about Joan of Arc because she is no longer young enough. In her bitterness, she lashes out when Louise is late to class once again; she informs Louise that she will demand her expulsion. Louise follows her and, to Charlot's surprise, thanks her. Louise explains that she believes that to be a great star, she must suffer, as Madame Charlot herself had suffered early in her own career. The next day, Louise defiantly returns to class. Madame Charlot announces that she has accepted another, more mature role in the play and recommended Louise for the lead. Louise gets the part and is a great success on opening night, receiving a standing ovation.
This was to be the debut film of Greer Garson under her MGM contract, but Garson injured her back, and Rainer was cast instead. Garson's first film for MGM was Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939).