The Perils of Pauline
The Perils of Pauline is a 1947 American Technicolor comedy film directed by George Marshall and starring Betty Hutton, John Lund and William Demarest. It was produced and released by Paramount Pictures. The film is a fictionalized Hollywood account of silent film star Pearl White's rise to fame, starring Hutton as White.
Plot
Pearl White (Betty Hutton) is a frustrated garment worker who aspires to become a dramatic actress, although she really shines at singing and bantering with audiences. (Shoved on stage to do or die, she throws the tomatoes back at the hecklers.) She joins a touring theatrical troupe owned and managed by handsome but pompous Mike Farrington (John Lund). Veteran actress Miss Julia Gibbs (Constance Collier) takes Pearl under her wing, as does Timmy Timmons (Billy De Wolfe), another member of the troupe. Farrington starts her off by putting her in charge of costumes and giving her walk-ons. Unable to suppress her natural rambunctiousness on stage, Pearl resorts to tying her hands together under an apron. Mike and Pearl fall in love, but neither confesses it. In a South Sea melodrama, Pearl is drenched with cold water, and shivers and sneezes so badly that she can't speak. Farrington berates and insults her; Pearl reads him the riot act and walks out. Julia follows her.
Cast
- Bert Moorhouse
- Bert Roach
- Bess Flowers
- Betty Hutton
- Chester Conklin
- Constance Collier
- Creighton Hale
- Eddie Kane
- Edward Keane
- Emmett Vogan
- Ernö Verebes
- Ethan Laidlaw
- Frances Morris
- Francis McDonald
- Frank Faylen
- Frank Mayo
- Franklyn Farnum
- Hal K. Dawson
- Hank Mann
- Harry Hayden
- Jay Eaton
- Jimmy Finlayson
- John Lund
- John Mylong
- Lester Dorr
- Margaret Field
- Maxie Rosenbloom
- Paul Panzer
- Ray Walker
- Sam Ash
- Sidney D'Albrook
- Snub Pollard
- William Demarest
- William Forrest
More details
| author | Frank Butler P. J. Wolfson |
|---|---|
| director | George Marshall |
| editor | Arthur P. Schmidt |
| genre | comedy historical |
| keywords | billy de wolfe film follow leading man new boss publicity stunt silent film sing theatrical troupe their way tour warn wed world war i |
| musicBy | Frank Loesser |
| producer | Sol C. Siegel |
| productionCompany | Paramount Pictures |
| publisher | Paramount Pictures |
| theme | biographical filmmaking silent war |