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Calling All Stars (1937 musical)

{{Short description|1937 British film by Herbert Smith}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Calling All Stars

| image = Calling_All_Stars.jpg

| caption =

| director = Herbert Smith

| producer = Herbert Smith
S.W. Smith

| writer = Herbert Smith

| narrator =

| starring = {{ubl|Arthur Askey|Evelyn Dall|Max Bacon|Bert Ambrose}}

| music = Carroll Gibbons

| cinematography = George Stretton

| editing = Brereton Porter

| studio = British Lion Film Corporation

| distributor = British Lion Film Corporation

| released = {{Film date|1937|03}}

| runtime = 79 minutes

| country = United Kingdom

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Calling All Stars is a 1937 British musical comedy film directed and written by Herbert Smith and starring Arthur Askey, Evelyn Dall and Max Bacon.{{Cite web |title=Calling All Stars |url=https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150022729 |access-date=13 October 2024 |website=British Film Institute Collections Search}} The film is a revue, featuring a number of musical acts playing themselves. It was made at Beaconsfield Studios for release as a quota quickie.{{Cite book |last=Chibnall |first=Steve. |title=Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film |publisher=British Film Institute |year=2007 |isbn=978-1844571550 |pages=287}} The film's art direction was by Norman G. Arnold.{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6a7015af|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111125945/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6a7015af|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 January 2021|title=Calling all Stars (1937)|website=BFI}}

Plot

After a set of master discs is dropped and destroyed, the recording artists are gathered together to re-record their contributions.

Cast

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Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Cutting is rather spasmodic and the continual appearances of Flotsam and Jetsam demanded better material; as it is, they are apt to pall. ... The story is undiscernible, but the stars are the attraction."{{Cite journal |date=1 January 1937 |title=Calling All Stars |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1305799382 |journal=The Monthly Film Bulletin |volume=4 |issue=37 |pages=141 |url-access=subscription |via=ProQuest}}

Variety wrote: "With but the flimsiest excuse to envelope the aggregation, this production is practically a photographed version of the acts offered by a number of pop stars of vaude and radio ... fans of each particular act will lap it up. With so many of the names natives of the U.S., there's no reason why it shouldn't register there, too. But with the general run of picturegoers the lack of a story will militate against its success."{{Cite journal |date=17 March 1937 |title=Calling All Stars |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1475928140 |journal=Variety |volume=126 |issue=1 |pages=15 |url-access=subscription |via=ProQuest}}

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "average", writing: "Spasmodically entertaining review."{{Cite book |last=Quinlan |first=David |title=British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 |publisher=B.T. Batsford Ltd. |year=1984 |isbn=0-7134-1874-5 |location=London |pages=45}}

References

External links

  • {{IMDb title|0028681}}

{{Herbert Smith}}

Category:1937 films

Category:1937 musical comedy films

Category:British musical comedy films

Category:Films directed by Herbert Smith

Category:Films shot at Beaconsfield Studios

Category:Films set in England

Category:British black-and-white films

Category:1930s English-language films

Category:1930s British films

Category:English-language musical comedy films

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