History Film / ShowPeople

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Peggy's father, Col. Marmaduke Pepper, is prominently featured in the beginning of the movie but disappears later, not even showing up for Peggy's wedding day.

''Show People'' was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2003. When analysts of ''Film/CitizenKane'' talk about how the real Marion Davies was actually a gifted comic actress, this is the film they're most likely to mention.

* HollywoodCalifornia

* ShowWithinAShow: Multiple fictional Films Within A Film, as well as one real film, ''Bardelys the Magnificent'', which Peggy and Billy see in a movie theater. (The brief clip of ''Bardelys'' shown here was for 80 years or so thought to be the only surviving fragment of that film, until a copy of ''Bardelys'' was found.)

* WeddingEpisode: Peggy's wedding to Andre, which Billy sneaks into the house to stop.

* WeddingDay: Peggy's wedding to Andre, which Billy sneaks into the house to stop.

''Show People'' is a 1928 silent film starring Creator/MarionDavies and directed by Creator/KingVidor. The film is a lighthearted comic satire of Hollywood movie making at the end of the silent film era. Davies stars as Peggy Pepper, a wide-eyed innocent Georgia hillbilly who comes to Hollywood to make it big as a dramatic actress. Instead, by chance, she winds up starring in slapstick comedies. She falls in love with her co-star Billy Boone, played by William Haines, but when she gets her big break and makes the transition to drama, their romance is threatened.

''Show People'' is a 1928 silent film starring Marion Davies (best remembered as William Randolph Hearst's [[TheMistress mistress]] and the inspiration for the Susan Alexander character in ''Film/CitizenKane'') and directed by Creator/KingVidor. The film is a lighthearted comic satire of Hollywood movie making at the end of the silent film era. Davies stars as Peggy Pepper, a wide-eyed innocent Georgia hillbilly who comes to Hollywood to make it big as a dramatic actress. Instead, by chance, she winds up starring in slapstick comedies. She falls in love with her co-star Billy Boone, played by William Haines, but when she gets her big break and makes the transition to drama, their romance is threatened.

* TheCameo:
** Filled with celebrity cameos from stars of the day, from the minor ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Dane Karl Dane]]) to the huge (Creator/CharlieChaplin sans makeup and so unrecognizable).
** A complete listing: Renee Adoree, George K. Arthur, Chaplin, Lew Cody, Dane, Marion Davies (see CelebrityParadox below), Creator/DouglasFairbanks, Creator/JohnGilbert (twice), Elinor Glyn, William S. Hart, Leatrice Joy, Rod La Rocque, Robert Z. Leonard, Mae Murray, Louella Parsons, Aileen Pringle, Dorothy Sebastian, Norma Tallmadge, Estelle Taylor, King Vidor, and Claire Windsor.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Peggy Pepper is a blend of silent film stars Gloria Swanson and Mae Murray. Her weird lip pucker is an imitation of Murray. Gloria Swanson, like Peggy, got her start in slapstick (Mack Sennett's Keystone Studio) before transitioning to grand costume dramas. Both Murray and Swanson married European noblemen; Murray's husband passed himself off as a prince just as "Count" Andre does in the film. Andre's appearance and mannerisms are an obvious parody of silent film heartthrob Creator/JohnGilbert; this did not stop Gilbert from making two cameos in the movie.

* TheCameo: Filled with celebrity cameos from stars of the day, from the minor ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Dane Karl Dane]]) to the huge (Creator/CharlieChaplin sans makeup and so unrecognizable).

* EnforcedMethodActing: In-universe. Assistants slice onions for Peggy when she can't cry on command.

* AtTheCrossroads: These exact words are used to describe Peggy and Billy's diverging paths.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Peggy Pepper is a blend of silent film stars Gloria Swanson and Mae Murray. Her weird lip pucker is an imitation of Murray. Gloria Swanson, like Peggy, got her start in slapstick (Mack Sennett's Keystone Studio) before transitioning to grand costume dramas. Both Murray and Swanson married European noblemen; Murray's husband passed himself off as a prince just as "Count" Andre does in the film. Andre's appearance and mannerisms are an obvious parody of silent film heartthrob John Gilbert; this did not stop Gilbert from making two cameos in the movie.

[[caption-width-right:350:Dramtatic mood: Joy.]]

* ActorAllusion: Director Allusion. In the final scene King Vidor is directing a WorldWarOne film. This was three years after Vidor's triumphant smash hit WorldWarOne film, ''Film/TheBigParade''.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The script originally called for Marion Davies to take a PieInTheFace. However her companion William Randolph Hearst, who was also producing the film and was very sensitive to how Davies was portrayed onscreen, objected. Vidor settled for having Davies get sprayed with a bottle of seltzer water.

* PieInTheFace: But not for Peggy (see above).

* WeddingDay

''Show People'' is a 1928 silent film starring Marion Davies (best remembered as William Randolph Hearst's [[TheMistress mistress]] and the inspiration for the Susan Alexander character in ''Film/CitizenKane'') and directed by King Vidor. The film is a lighthearted comic satire of Hollywood movie making at the end of the silent film era. Davies stars as Peggy Pepper, a wide-eyed innocent Georgia hillbilly who comes to Hollywood to make it big as a dramatic actress. Instead, by chance, she winds up starring in slapstick comedies. She falls in love with her co-star Billy Boone, played by William Haines, but when she gets her big break and makes the transition to drama, their romance is threatened.

* TheCameo: Filled with celebrity cameos from stars of the day, from the minor ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Dane Karl Dane]]) to the huge (Creator/CharlieChaplin).

* ActorAllusion: Director Allusion. In the final scene King Vidor is directing a WorldWarOne film. This was three years after Vidor's triumphant smash hit WorldWarOne film, ''TheBigParade''.

** The musicians playing mood music to help Peggy Pepper with her performance are the same musicians whom Marion Davies hired to play mood music to help her with her performances.

* [[ActorAllusion Director Allusion]]: In the final scene King Vidor is directing a WorldWarOne film. This was three years after Vidor's triumphant smash hit WorldWarOne film, ''TheBigParade''.