Gopher City Kansas hosts a beauty contest. The winner, Elvira Plunkett, and her mother go to Hollywood. The Chamber of Commerce also provides Elvira with an agent, Gopher City's own Elmer J. Butz. Elmer likes Elvira and the shy Elvira likes him, but Mrs. Plunkett, a formidable woman, has little use for hapless Elmer. On the train west, they meet movie star Larry Mitchell, who takes a shine to Elvira and helps her meet MGM directors once they get to Tinsel Town. Elmer, meanwhile, wants to help Elvira with her career and he also wants to be her man. Movie stardom does come to the Gopher City entourage, but to whom is a surprise. And who will win the lovely Elvira's hand?
Practical Effects
Keaton's physical comedy surviving the sound transition
Production
Rare MGM backstage access with actual directors cameoing
Director
Edward Sedgwick
Buster Keaton
Elmer
Anita Page
Elvira
Trixie Friganza
Ma
Robert Montgomery
Larry
Fred Niblo
Himself
Edgar Dearing
Officer
Gwen Lee
Bedroom Scene
John Miljan
Bedroom Scene
Lionel Barrymore
Bedroom Scene
William Haines
A Guest
William Collier Jr.
Master of Ceremonies
Dorothy Sebastian
Cave Scene
Karl Dane
Cave Scene
David Burton
Himself
Jackie Coogan
Jackie Coogan - at Premiere (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Keaton's first sound film and his first MGM talkie after losing creative control—ironic given the plot about studio manipulation.
The 'pre-code' looseness shows in Trixie Friganza's bawdy mother role and jokes about casting couches that Hays Code soon banned.
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