Frank Capra directed March 1928's "The Matinee Idol," his third movie for Columbia Pictures. The director was in his comfort zone by handling this romantic-comedy, a genre he returned to time and again at the peak of his career. The storyline involved the fictitious tale of a female heart-throb Broadway actor, Don Wilson, a.k.a. Harry Mann (Johnnie Walker), who is on a leisurely drive when his car breaks down in a remote area near a traveling stock company's theater tent. The owner's daughter filling in as the manager, Ginger (Bessie Love), had just fired the main actor and is looking for a replacement. Up walks Wilson. The play is later seen by Wilson's Broadway producer. He wants to take the supposed drama to New York where he knows the sophisticated city audiences will find it hilariously campy. Surprises await when the play hits Broadway.
Capra shows an uncanny ability to wring the heartstrings of his viewers, unleashing tear ducts galore. He also displays a knack for handling crowd scenes, made up of both country folks and urban sophisticates, another Capra trademark. "The Matinee Idol" proved to be the pinnacle to Johnnie Walker's screen acting. He was one of so many Hollywood performers who never made the transition to talkies. He left film in 1932 after receiving only small roles that hardly paid him anything to survive. For Capra, however, the two movies in his first year at Columbia proved to be a welcome respite from comedian Langdon as well as a chance to prove his brand would soon resonate with the public like no other director before had.
