The Dryden will screen Show People (King Vidor, U.S. 1928, 89 min., 35mm) with live piano accompaniment by Philip C. Carli.

Marion Davies shines in this spirited comedy about a country girl breaking into the movies (something Davies herself had considerable help with). What makes this such a delight is not only Davies's sparkle and human appeal, but breezy William Haines's zany but sympathetic understanding of her dreams, which turns into a deeper relationship for them both. Vidor had the old Mack Sennett studio reopened to give extra flavor for the slapstick scenes, and almost the entire MGM star roster make cameos at various points throughout the film (and a few other non-MGM luminaries show up as well, like Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks). Made at the height of silent filmmaking, this is a hilarious yet touching valentine to the hopes and heartaches of early Hollywood.

[source: George Eastman Museum calendar, 2015-Nov-23]