The Footlights Club, the primary setting for much of STAGE DOOR, is a remarkable creation. The result of a collaboration between director Gregory La Cava, screenwriter Morrie Ryskind (brought in to replace Anthony Veiller), and an outstanding group of tough, smart-talking actresses played by Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball, Ann Miller, Eve Arden, and Gail Patrick, the film's club is always full of noise, as the conversations overlap and wisecracks come spinning out of the melee.

Newcomer Terry Randall (Hepburn) is different from the other women. For one thing, she has money and doesn't need a job. And she has confidence, initially rejecting fading actress Catherine Luther's (Constance Collier) offer of help, saying, "I think coaching's a waste of time. After all, acting's only common sense." Because of her attitude, the rooming house's inhabitants give her a rough time, especially her roommate, Jean (Ginger Rogers). Eventually, Terry gets an opportunity to act--at the expense of Kaye Hamilton (Andrea Leeds). Only after Jean and the others see Terry's response to Kaye's tragedy is she grudgingly accepted into the group. STAGE DOOR is an extraordinarily rich movie, graced by wonderful performances by Rogers, Hepburn, and the entire remarkable ensemble cast.

Set in a Manhattan boarding house during the 1930s, STAGE DOOR chronicles the ups and downs of the lives and careers of aspiring stage actresses. Director Gregory La Cava's film centers around haughty Terry Randall, who comes from a moneyed family, and is also the newest boarder.

Constance Collier, a former English stage star, was Katharine Hepburn's acting coach in real life.

Much of STAGE DOOR was improvised on the set. Anthony Veiller's initial script was just the starting point. Director Gregory La Cava, Morrie Ryskind (who began working on the script just before filming began), and the cast improvised scenes in the mornings. During lunch, La Cava and Ryskind selected the best lines from the improvisations. Then, the scene was shot in the afternoon. The movie was made in sequence, allowing La Cava and Ryskind to figure out the twists of story by considering how their characters would react to different situations. As it proceeds, STAGE DOOR departs more and more from the play on which it was based, and ends with a unique conclusion for a romantic comedy. It seems even George S. Kaufman thought STAGE DOOR was much better than the play, which he co-authored with Edna Ferber.

Excerpt: "Take off those stockings or I will."--Jean (Ginger Rogers) to Linda (Gail Patrick)

"I think coaching's a waste of time. After all, acting's only common sense"--Terry (Katharine Hepburn) to Catherine Luther (Constance Collier)

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
Dolby Digital Mono 1.0 English
Subtitles - English, French, Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
Audio Only Bonus - Radio Production With Ginger Rogers & Rosalind Russell
Bonus Short - Musical Short: UPS AND DOWNS
Trailer - Theatrical Trailer

Distributor Notes: Ginger Rogers and Ann Miller tap in time and rat-a-tat lines. Lucille Ball braves a date with an obnoxious lumber baron. Eve Arden can't recall Hamlet but one meets so many people in the big city. And Katharine Hepburn becomes Broadway's biggest star in a play wherein she notes "the calla lilies are in bloom again."

Stars galore shine in this nominee for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, a fast, witty story of aspiring actresses living at a theatrical boarding house. Based on an Edna Ferber/George S. Kaufman play, the tale was considerably rewritten for film, so much that Kaufman quipped it should be called Screen Door. What matters most to an acting hopeful is an open door. With humor and heart, this excellent movie suggests some things matter more.

Source: Warner Home Video

Katharine Hepburn: Oscar-winning American actress, ON GOLDEN POND
Ginger Rogers: American actress, dancer
Lucille Ball: American Comedienne/Actress
Ann Miller: American Actress/Dancer
Eve Arden: American Actress
Andrea Leeds: American Actress/1930s
Adolphe Menjou: American actor, THE FRONT PAGE (1931)
Constance Collier: British Actress
Pierre Watkin: American Character Actor

Gregory La Cava: Director/Writer/Producer

Pandro S. Berman: Producer

Morrie Ryskind: Screenwriter

William Hamilton: Editor/Director

"...A kinder, more sentimental backstage yarn....Hepburn in a role that defined her film persona..." -- Rating: A-
"Beyond the wisecracks, there's a memorable Oscar-nominated performance by Andrea Leeds..."
"[A] highly entertaining comedy-drama featuring a sprightly cast..."