Linda Darnell wants to be discovered by a talent scout. Well, luck falls in her lap, when Roland Young, ex-silent screen star and now movie studio talent scout, enters her diner near a college campus looking for some fresh faces. Costarring John Payne and Charlotte Greenwood with a young George Montgomery and young Robert Lowery in bit parts and other recognizeable faces, this is a pretty enjoyable film with some upbeat songs near the beginning. If I have any major problems with it, it's that it's not funny enough or involving enough in the second half to really captivate the viewer's interest. But on the whole, it should please most viewers. There are also two other things I wanted to comment on: (1) This movie mirrors Linda Darnell's own career. And, maybe it was the inspiration for penning this movie. When Miss Darnell was first discovered, she was under age and the Fox executives were reluctant to put her under contract. That's all I really know. But, that happens to her character here, too. (Also, this was only her third film, her second being "Day-Time Wife," which I have also reviewed.) (2) And, on a sad note, one night while visiting a friend, Miss Darnell was badly burned, when the house caught on fire and she never recovered. She had just watched "Star Dust" on TV that night.

Really cute flick of young girl determined to make it as an actress in that wicked town of Hollywood.The sleaziness of the business is glossed over to make it into a more Cinderella type story.Charlotte Greenwood is fun as the motherly dramatic coach,Roland Young is amusing as the talent scout.Mary Healy sings the title song with gusto,and John Payne is fun as an aspiring actor.George Montgomery has nice bit as a failed actor.This was in the sweet phase of Darnell's career before she morphed into more adult,sultry roles.Linda was a real beauty,no nose bobs,implants or capped teeth for her.She was a sad case of the Hollywood system failing her.After Darryl Zanuck lost interest in promoting her,her career never got back on track.All this despite her fine comedic talent she displayed in later films.

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source: Star Dust

Moviecut—Star Dust

Star Dust

A title which has often be used (with or without a hyphen)."Star Dust" depicts the rising of new stars and mainly the long road they have got to follow to hit the big time in Hollywood-although it is a short film and Darnell's and Payne's road does not seem a very rocky one.They make an attractive pair,a singing faux cowboy -actually a football player- and a young student who works as a waitress in a coffee shop and learns the algebraic (or trigonometric ? )formulas while serving the guests who sometimes are talent scouts ,Cinderella's good fairy.The best moment is the movie in the movie : Linda Darnell ,as if her life depended upon this screen test (and it did anyway) ,outdoes herself and is better than in the rest of the film.

A very enjoyable film loosely based on the life of the tragic Linda Darnell. One thing I've noticed, when Hollywood turns its camera on themselves, they produce a wonderful film. We saw this in "Sunset Boulevard," and "All About Eve." While Star Dust is not up to the caliber of those Hollywood classics, we enjoy the idea of what star struck young thespians had to go through, many of them leaving tinsel town quite disappointed. Charlotte Greenwood steals the film as a wily dramatic coach. She is evenly matched with Roland Young, the talent agent who finds Darnell only to discover that he knew her mother quite well. That has been a usual theme in film, but it works again in this gem.

The story of a hopeful young woman who wants to become a movie star is given rather clichéd treatment but still manages to be enjoyable fluff thanks to an excellent cast, all doing their best to make the film look better than it really is. LINDA DARNELL is at her most beautiful as a young aspiring actress who has to wait awhile before she gets the big break that turns her into a movie star. JOHN PAYNE is her love interest, also an actor hoping to make it in Hollywood. Unfortunately, his role also is assigned some comic relief about a broken nose which becomes a running gag throughout the story. Nevertheless, Payne performs his chores in easy style. The good supporting cast includes ROLAND YOUNG, CHARLOTTE GREENWOOD, DONALD MEEK,WILLIAM GARGAN--and in a bit part GEORGE MONTGOMERY. Starts out realistically enough but soon becomes mired in a predictable script with too many Hollywood clichés thrown into the mix. But if you're a fan of Linda Darnell, don't miss this one. She's stunning.

Really cute flick of young girl determined to make it as an actress in that wicked town of Hollywood.The sleaziness of the business is glossed over to make it into a more Cinderella type story.Charlotte Greenwood is fun as the motherly dramatic coach,Roland Young is amusing as the talent scout.Mary Healy sings the title song with gusto,and John Payne is fun as an aspiring actor.George Montgomery has nice bit as a failed actor.This was in the sweet phase of Darnell's career before she morphed into more adult,sultry roles.Linda was a real beauty,no nose bobs,implants or capped teeth for her.She was a sad case of the Hollywood system failing her.After Darryl Zanuck lost interest in promoting her,her career never got back on track.All this despite her fine comedic talent she displayed in later films.