As one of those people who love theatre as much as I do cinema I'm always ready to enjoy a film ABOUT the theatre and although it's difficult if not impossible to eclipse The Country Girl and All About Eve, there have, over the years, been a few half-decent stabs. Stage Struck, alas, is not one of them. Susan Strasberg was outstanding in Picnic but was never able to replicate the magic with which she invested her performance as Kim Novak's kid sister in any subsequent film role and her Eva Lovelace in Stage Struck verges on the embarrassing. There's one 'in' joke which would, in 1958, have been reasonably topical when Eva dismisses the Actor's Studio out of hand, whilst, of course, Strasberge the actress, is also the daughter of Lee Strasberg, a man associated indelibly with the Actor's Studio. Other people here have remarked on the lack of chemistry on screen but at least one noted the obvious warmth between Strasberg and Herbert Marshall and had he played the Fonda role the film might have stood a chance. Certainly worth a look especially if you've seen the original, Morning Glory, with Katherine Hepburn in the Strasberg role.
Review of Stage Struck
