Movies at Mechanics' Presents: Stage Door (1937)

A group of aspiring theatre actresses navigate the ups and downs of a harsh business, while living in a theatrical boarding house in New York City. Inspired by The Rehearsal Club, a real-life residence for budding actresses, it features stellar performances from a phenomenal cast, and is one of the few films of the era to center women who depend on each other, rather than on men.

Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman wrote Stage Door as a play in 1936, and Hollywood agent Leland Hayward purchased the film rights later that year. He hoped that a film version would boost the careers of Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers, both stuck in professional ruts. Rogers, primarily known for musicals up to this point, was looking for a way to expand her horizons as an actress. Hepburn’s marketability was beginning to wane after a series of flops, and she desperately needed a triumph. Hayward sold the rights to RKO, where both Hepburn and Rogers were under contract, confident that the film was a recipe for success.

Stage Door is a poignant tribute to female friendship, independence, and ambition during the Great Depression. Though the banter is sharp and the comedy borders on zany, underneath the antics is a serious commentary on the dark underbelly of show business. It touches on complex themes such as unemployment, anxiety, and despair, subjects all too familiar to Depression-era audiences.

Supporting Hepburn and Rogers are many stars on the ascent, including Eve Arden, famous in the 1940s for her dry wit and wisecracks. Arden had a thriving career on radio and television in the 1950s, but is perhaps best known to younger audiences as Principal McGee in Grease (1978). Lucille Ball, appearing over a decade before I Love Lucy, plays her breakout role in Stage Door. Another resident of the theatrical boarding house is “Annie,” played by 14-year-old future dancing sensation Ann Miller.

Hayward had been correct in his gamble that Stage Door would be a hit. It garnered critical acclaim, was named one of the best films of 1937, and proved that both Hepburn and Rogers had what it took to continue their spectacular careers in Hollywood. For the rest of their careers, Ball, Arden, and Miller credited Stage Door as the gateway to their success.

Stage Door holds up today as a commentary on the triumphs and tragedies of show business, and the power of friends to lift us up in our darkest moments.

Join us as we kick off “From Stage to Screen,” our tribute to theatrical representation on film, all this month at Movies at Mechanics’!

Movies at Mechanics' has welcomed film enthusiasts for classic cinema screenings and salons on Friday evenings for over 20 years. Join us for fresh popcorn, lively discourse, and your favorite films the first three Fridays of the month. Hosted by Lara Gabrielle, film writer and author of Captain of Her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies.

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