Movie Review: Breakfast in Hollywood (1946)
Synopsis: Tom Breneman hosts popular radio show Breakfast in Hollywood and during one of the tapings, meets a young woman from Minnesota, Dorothy Larson, who is looking for her sailor fiancé, Jimmy, and introduces her to another sailor from Minnesota, Ken Smith. The pair hit it off with Ken developing an instant crush. However, when Dorothy learns Ken is friends with Jimmy and he tells her the truth about her fiancé, their relationship seems doomed and a desperate Ken begs Breneman for help.
Who's in it? The movie stars Tom Breneman, Bonita Granville, Edward Ryan, Beulah Bondi and Hedda Hopper.
Review: I've had Breakfast in Hollywood in my library for some time, mostly because I am a Bonita Granville fan. However, I was somewhat reluctant to watch it because I wasn't completely sure it would be a movie I'd enjoy. I ended up giving it a try this morning though and it proved to be a much better choice than expected.
The movie's concept is somewhat clever. Breakfast in Hollywood was a real radio program hosted by Tom Breneman and this film is a fictionalized account of one of his days. As a result, there is a mix of fictional characters as well as real Hollywood royalty playing themselves, like Hedda Hopper. Plus, since it is a radio show, there is even a mix of musical performances from Spike Jones and His City Slickers, Nat 'King' Cole and Andy Russell.
The love story between Dorothy (Granville) and Ken (Ryan) is an intriguing one because while he clearly is in love with her and there seemed to be a spark, she did travel from Minnesota because she was in love with another man. So, while I did root for them, I also found myself understanding why she may not want to start a relationship with a guy she just met that morning and who only told her the truth about Jimmy after he hit on her and was rejected.
What really sold this movie for me though were the various side characters with their own stories scattered throughout. This included Annie Reed (Bondi), the elderly widow who was hit by a car on the way to the show but fought through the pain just to attend, Mrs. Cartwright (Billie Burke), the devoted wife who gets a makeover only to discover what her husband is really doing when he's supposed to be on a business trip and Elvira Spriggins (Zasu Pitts), a woman who is obsessed with getting Breneman's attention by wearing a silly hat. It was fun watching all those stories play out and intersect with each other throughout the film.
That said, it did feel as though there might have been too much going on at times, especially since some loose ends weren't quite tied up. This included Mrs. Cartwright and her husband (Raymond Walburn) who ended the movie still having a fight and with Mr. Cartwright still facing possible criminal charges. However, with the movie having a happy ending for everyone else, I am willing to overlook that.
Final Opinion: It's a better movie than I was expecting with some enjoyable stories that were fun to follow. It's worth taking the time to watch it.
My Grade: A
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Here are some reviews of other movies that take place in Hollywood:
Movie Review: 365 Nights in Hollywood (1934)
Movie Review: Heartaches (1947)
Movie Review: Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood (1945)
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