Merton of the Movies (1947 film)

{{Infobox film

| name = Merton of the Movies

| image = File:Merton of the Movies (1947 film).jpg

| caption =

| director = Robert Alton

| producer = Albert Lewis

| screenplay = George Wells
Lou Breslow

| based_on = {{plainlist|

{{based on|Merton of the Movies
1922 novel|Harry Leon Wilson}}
{{based on|Merton of the Movies
1922 play|George S. Kaufman
Marc Connelly}}

}}

| starring = Red Skelton
Virginia O'Brien
Leon Ames
Gloria Grahame
Alan Mowbray

| music = David Snell

| cinematography = Paul C. Vogel

| editing = Frank E. Hull

| studio = Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

| distributor = Loew's Inc.

| released = {{Film date|1947|10|11}}

| runtime = 82 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $1,504,000{{Citation | title = The Eddie Mannix Ledger | publisher = Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study | place = Los Angeles}}.

| gross = $1,712,000

}}

Merton of the Movies is a 1947 American comedy film, based on the 1922 novel of the same name written by Harry Leon Wilson, and the play of the same name written by George S. Kaufmann and Marc Connelly, which opened on Broadway in 1922. It was previously adapted as a 1924 silent film and as the 1932 film Make Me a Star. The 1947 version stars Red Skelton and is directed by choreographer Robert Alton in his directorial debut.

Plot

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Red Skelton as Merton Gill aka Clifford Armytage
Virginia O'Brien as Phyllis Montague
Gloria Grahame as Beulah Baxter
Leon Ames as Lawrence Rupert
Alan Mowbray as Frank Mulvaney
Charles D. Brown as Jeff Baird
Hugo Haas as Von Strutt
Harry Hayden as Mr. Gashwiler
Tom Trout as Marty
Douglas Fowley as Phil
Dick Wessel as Chick
Gordon Richards as Kristen, Beulah's Butler

}}

Production

Due to negative reception from sneak preview audiences, extensive reshoots were required before a widespread release.{{Cite book |last=Film Bulletin Company |url=http://archive.org/details/independ15film |title=Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1947) |date=1947 |publisher=New York, Film Bulletin Company |others=New York The Museum of Modern Art Library}}

Reception

According to MGM records the movie earned $1,274,000 in the US and Canada and $438,000 elsewhere, making a loss to the studio of $367,000.

Comic book adaptation

Fiction House Movie Comics #4 (1947){{gcdb issue|id=259439|title=Fiction House Movie Comics #4}}{{comicbookdb|type=issue|id=285628|title=Fiction House Movie Comics #4}}