Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined

TeenzTen An action-packed slog

Derry Herrera Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

JohnHowardReid "Dramatic School" had a lot going for it. Luise Rainer, fresh from winning Hollywood's annual Academy Award for Best Actress for two years running (1936 and 1937) is here somewhat inappropriately cast as a ham actress. Worse still, the screenplay rewards the character's false histrionics with applause rather than ripe tomatoes. Bob Sinclair's direction also presents a problem. Admittedly, he takes the first quarter-hour at an admirably snappy pace, but once the stage is set and the script's rather routine plotting gains the upper hand, Sinclair obviously loses interest. At least the excellent photography by William Daniels always remains a constant. The movie is stunningly and most beautifully photographed from start to finish. Producer Mervyn LeRoy, fresh from his triumphs at Warner Brothers and now making his debut at M-G-M, has okayed some really lavish sets and costumes. Alas, all this doesn't add up to a good movie when a sizzling script and appropriate acting are lacking.

kidboots Even though she had won a Best Actress Academy Award two years in a row (1936, 1937) by 1938 all Luise Rainer's kittenish mannerisms, which had been so enchanting at her career's beginning, were now seen as a bore. "Dramatic School" was designed primarily to showcase all Rainer's quirky qualities in a view to making her popular once more but she was past caring. Her marriage was in trouble and she left Hollywood soon after in an effort to patch things up. Like the later "These Glamour Girls", this movie was a classy MGM release which also promoted their up and coming talent - Paulette Goddard (soon to go to Paramount) co-starred and down among the supporting players were Lana Turner, Ann Rutherford and Virginia Grey.Louise Mauban (Rainer) is an intense, young would be actress at the prestigious National School of Dramatic Art - she seems to be the only dedicated student, as the other girls seem to think of the school as just a stepping stone to becoming a Ziegfeld or Earl Carroll showgirl. She works all night at a gas meter factory to pay her way and it is there she meets Andre (Alan Marshall) who is escorting dizzy society actress Gina Bertier (it was so nice to see the lovely Genevieve Tobin again) as she tries to find inspiration among the lowly factory workers. Back at school she has to contend with Madame Charlot (Gale Sondergaard), an embittered teacher who is especially vindictive towards the young and fresh student. Louise is a girl of mystery to the other students - where does she go at night and why is she so tired? When they won't believe the truth, she spins another of her famous dreams where she is caught up in a whirl of night clubs, luxury and penthouses with Andre at it's centre and of course word gets around that she is a wealthy girl.Nasty Nana (Goddard) wants to catch her out so she organises a birthday party inviting both her and Andre, hoping to embarrass them but it backfires when Andre plays along. Rainer, all dramatic intensity seems to be in a different movie than the other girls. Goddard, as her usual sophisticated, catty self is far more at home night clubbing, in fact her character's function seems to be arranging parties for the students to meet eligible men about town. Critics were impressed and she got the best reviews. Lana Turner was still a "cute kid" and was still very much in the background. It would have been a far more interesting movie if the film concentrated on the dynamics between Louise, Madame Charlot and a kindly teacher (Margaret Dumont - having a break from the Marx Brothers), who only appears at the start as a posture teacher but still tries to advise Madame on her haughty and overbearing manner but to no avail.

hrd1963-1 Strangely, it's set in France, yet features a bevy of American actresses playing girls with names like Nana, Yvonne and Simone. It's not as good as the similar Stage Door, which was released by RKO the year before, and the story takes a while to get going. Lovely, dark-eyed Luise Rainer stars as the young woman who aspires to be a great actress; Paulette Goddard is cast to type as a cynical, knowing classmate; Gale Sondergaard is the teacher who resents Rainer for her youth and talent; and Alan Marshall is the wealthy cad who misuses Rainer, thus allowing her to experience the suffering required for her to achieve great dramatic success. It's not a bit credible but, when all is said and done, it's fairly entertaining. With Lana Turner in an early role, Virginia Grey, Ann Rutherford and Margaret Dumont, Henry Stephenson, Genevieve Tobin, John Hubbard, Marie Blake, Erik Rhodes and moist-eyed Rand Brooks.

Neil Doyle DRAMATIC SCHOOL was obviously designed as a star vehicle for LUISE RAINER, the European actress whose career fizzled after winning two Oscars in the mid-'30s. Her acting here is even more mannered than usual, aside from seeming eccentric as compared to the more natural acting styles of others in the cast. And it's quite a cast--a whole bevy of up-and-coming young stars on the Metro lot.PAULETTE GODDARD gets most of the footage as a glamorous and scheming bad girl while LANA TURNER, VIRGINIA GREY and ANN RUTHERFORD play more conventional types.But oddly enough, in a film concentrating on its young female talent, the picture is stolen by ALAN MARSHAL in the film's only substantial male role--elegant, debonair, sophisticated and as handsome as any matinee idol. And the other scene stealer is none other than GALE SONDERGAARD as a drama instructor who lets jealousy get the upper hand in dealing with her students.It's all formula stuff, interesting only for the cast and offering very little in the way of a credible plot. LUISE RAINER's "magic" as a performer eludes me. I never cared for her artificial poses and her Joan of Arc sequence is ludicrous.Worth noting is RAND BROOKS (he was Charles Hamilton in GWTW) as a young actor who can't act. A clever bit of typecasting.