It Happened in Hollywood is a 1937 American comedy film written by Samuel Fuller, directed by Harry Lachman and starring Richard Dix, Fay Wray and Victor Kilian.
Tim Bart, a leading western silent movie star, crosses paths with a young boy named Billy during a charitable visit to a hospital for disabled children. In a heartfelt gesture, Tim promises to bring Billy to his Hollywood ranch and introduce him to fellow celebrities once he recovers. However, the tides turn unfavorably for Tim with the onset of talkies, destroying his career. Meanwhile, Gloria Gay, Tim's on-screen partner, achieves remarkable success and becomes a huge star. Broke, Tim is forced to sell his ranch and is preparing to leave Hollywood when an unexpected twist occurs – Billy escapes from the hospital, holding Tim to his promise. Moved by the opportunity to fulfill the young boy's dreams, Tim rallies his former associates to recreate a day of splendor on the Hollywood ranch. He also throws a party for Billy, inviting Gloria and a number of actors who are doubles for famous movie stars. However, Billy is injured when he falls off Tim's horse, and desperately needs medical attention.
Tropes:
- Accidental Hero: Tim decides to hold up a bank, but just as he is about to do so, real gangsters appear and shoot a police officer. As the three robbers attempt to flee, Tim shoots them and is hailed a hero for his bravery.
- Alliterative Name: Gloria Gay
- Bound and Gagged: Slim and Pete do this to Joe Stevens to keep him from ruining the party Tim is throwing for Billy.
- Camp Cook: Pete is the cook at Tim Bart's ranch. After Tim loses the ranch, Pete starts up a lunch wagon that caters to film shoots.
- Cannot Spit It Out: Part of Tim's troubles stem from the fact that he cannot just come out and tell Gloria how he feels about her; thinking that his feelings should be obvious. She eventually realises when he asks her for help for the first time; something the fiercely independent Tim would only do if he was in love with her.
- Celebrity Lie: Tim promises to bring Billy to his Hollywood ranch and introduce him to fellow celebrities once he recovers. This isn't a lie as Tim is a major Hollywood star. However, by the time Billy arrives, the introduction of talkies has destroyed Tim's career. So as not to disappoint Billy, Tim throws a party using the doubles and stand-ins of the Hollywood stars.
- Diner Brawl: Tim gets in a fight with Joe Stevens who is mocking his destroyed career in a diner. Al Howard witnesses this and is impressed enough to cast him a gangster film.
- Everyone Can See It: Pretty much everyone knows that Tim and Gloria are in love with each other; apart from Tim and Gloria.
- Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: Heroic cowboy actor Tim Bart only smokes cigarettes he rolls himself; even turning down a pre-made one his agent offers him.
- Guns in Church: When Tim Bart becomes an Accidental Hero by foiling a bank robbery, nobody seems concerned that he was carrying a concealed loaded firearm inside a bank.
- Inspirationally Disadvantaged: Billy, the disabled orphan who runs away from a hospital in the Midwest and makes his way to Hollywood to see his hero Tim Bart. His faith in Tim starts Tim on his path to redemption.
- Mock Millionaire: In order to keep his promise to Billy, Tim pretends that he still has his fortune and owns his ranch, and throws a party filled with doubles for famous movie stars.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Tim Bart is a thinly disguised version of Tom Mix. And Mix's horse Tony gets his own counterpart in the form of Bart's horse Toby.
- Oblivious Guilt Slinging: Billy does this while appealing to Tim, not realizing that Tim's career is over and that he is broke. It moves Tim to stage the party full of doubles of Hollywood stars so he can keep his promise to Billy.
- Unconfessed Unemployment: Tim hasn't told Gloria that he has been broke ever since he got thrown out off pictures. Gloria hasn't told Tim that she hasn't worked in months and the stories about her being in demand are planted by her publicist to keep her name in the papers. This all comes to light when they suddenly need money for Billy's medical treatment.
