T H E B I G G E S T T H I N G T H A T E V E R
H I T B R O A D W A Y
SYNOPSIS
With the dawning of a new millennium, Frank Freebie and his accountant Lloyd Deacon decide to put on a musical show in London as part of an ill-conceived money laundering scheme.
Hollywood Daze by Warner Dexter, who used to be somebody in Hollywood,
with Mimi Samuels, a fast fading star well past her prime, as the
leading lady, seems to be the show they are looking for. It is also a
chance for the untrained, untried, untested Richard Howell, son of one
of the misguided backers, to get into show business. But a fateful
encounter between Howell and an irascible Genie jeopardises the show and
shatters Howell’s life.
The bigger part he wished for becomes too much for him to handle...
malicious magic causes his manhood to grow to a ridiculous, unbelievable
length and Howell falls into an abyss of terror and despair. After a
cruel attack by a heartless, tormenting rabble and a pitiful,
unsuccessful suicide attempt, he locks himself away in his apartment to
suffer his fear and misery alone, away from unkind eyes. It’s a lonely
life as a ‘freak’.
Meanwhile,
Holly Parker, a sweet young chorus-girl on the run from a threatened
engagement to an Italian aristocrat, is the only person who ever said a
kind word to Howell and the only person to whom he can turn for help.
Howell’s frightened and pathetic condition disturbs the kind,
considerate Holly and, incensed by the cruel caprice of Fate, she vows
to search for the Genie and, somehow, have him undo his monstrous
meddling.
Hollywood Daze stumbles through rehearsals while producer Brad Roper
investigates Howell’s absence. When he finds the missing actor and
discovers the full enormity of the young man’s dilemma, his unbridled
greed thrusts his imagination into a musical fantasy of epic proportions.
When Holly finds and confronts the Genie, Howell’s troubles are not over. A fire breaks out in his apartment block, terrifying, and threatening the safety of the residents. The danger and urgency of the situation distract Howell from his miserable self-pity and, with no concern for his own safety, he turns his affliction to great advantage in a sensational and daring rescue operation.
Howell is the last to escape and when he falls safely into Holly’s arms
he is, deservedly, restored to his normal condition. Soon he is able to
return to the theatre where, to his delight, he finds that, thanks to a
minor accident, Mimi Samuels has been replaced as the leading lady - by
Holly.
The show is
a success and the ending is happy.
Richard Howell’s tragic story is played out against a background of a
London reeling from Depression, under threat from a rampant serial
killer with a penchant for show people, and entertained by King Kong,
Frankenstein and Freaks - in stark contrast to the Hollywood Daze of
Warner Dexter’s imagination.
Howell’s anguished displacement, although unique, reflects the
psychological and ethical confusion of an era only a few years on from
chaos and destruction on an unprecedented scale. His bold triumph over
his selfish nature and his hideous affliction signal an optimism which
is complemented by the musical numbers and dance routines of the
finally, and surprisingly, successful Hollywood Days.
Director’s
intention for the film’s visual style
Most of the scenes from the actual show were shot against blue screen which allows us unlimited scope with the dance numbers.
Marcus Thompson
