The death Of Peg Entwistle. Her death revealed the misery behind the stardom. In September of 1932 she jumped to her death off the H of the Hollywoodland sign. No one ever knew exactly why but it was speculated that it was due to her film career not working out the way she had expected after she had made a life changing move from her English home to the chaos of Los Angeles. Sadly she wasn't the last person to take their life this way.
Careers did take off in this year though. Some of them turned into superstars. We saw debuts from Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Shirley temple, David Niven and Jessica Tandy amongst a lot of others.
The year's biggest earner was Shanghai Express. A still spectacularly beautiful film from the collaborative duo of actress Marlene Dietrich and Josef Von Sternberg.
The Tarzan novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs had been adapted for the big screen before but Tarzan the Ape Man was the first truly successful version, a hit both critically and financially and a film that made overnight stars of both Johnny Weissmuller, a former Olympic swimmer and Maureen O'Sullivan, an Irish actress from Roscommon who's film career had only began two years previously.
The 5th Academy awards were held in 1932 and Grand Hotel won Best Picture. A big star studded dramatic piece of work that's still influencing ensemble movies and TV shows today. Audiences flocked to it.
Freaks was released. A genuinely powerful and unsettling tale of circus folk that's still as effective today as it was 86 years ago. Directed by Todd Browning, it was considered highly exploitative and shocking when it opened due to it's use of people with real deformities. So shocking in fact that 26 minutes was cut from it and has never been seen since. Audiences were terrified and stayed away and it was only in the 1960's that the film and the beautiful performances contained within it started to be appreciated. It was of course banned in Ireland and still technically is. Yes, it is exploitative and morally iffy but it's actually bursting with warmth and heart.
Horror was still very much in vogue this year bit big hits including Murders in The Rue Morgue, White Zombie,The Old Dark House, Island Of Lost Souls, The Mummy all getting releases. The latter 4 films in this list are still honest to god masterpieces.
One of the most enduring icons of gangster cinema made his first appearance this year too. Tony Montana. Played to perfection by Paul Muni in Howard Hawks' Scarface. A highly controversial film based on the life of Al Capone and accused of glorifying crime and criminal lifestyles, it failed to find an audience at the time but is now hailed an all time classic. Remade as a gorily profane crime epic in 1983 by Brian DePalma but this version is the superior one.
The Most Dangerous Game appeared this year. A highly influential thriller/action film/horror about an evil Count on an island who hunts people for sport. The most exciting film of the year and nearly 9 decades later would still make your palms sweat. 62 minutes of lean perfection that can be watched here right now. If your moral compass will allow you of course.
1932 also saw the death of Hollywood's first animal superstar. A German Shepherd dog called Rin Tin Tin. Rescued as a puppy from a French village during the latter part of WW1, Rin Tin Tin was brought to American and found work in silent films. Audiences loved him and the success of the 20+ films he starred in helped Warner Brothers studios become established as one of the big Hollywood hitters, a position they still hold today.
Last but far from least, 1932 was the year some of cinemas most enduring names were born. Ellen Burstyn, Debbie Reynolds, Milos Forman, Francois Truffaut, Roy Scheider, Elizabeth Taylor & Peter O'Toole all sprouted and all grew up to make a lasting mark on cinema.
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