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Paul Dunham, singer, dancer, actor
extraordinaire, and one of the big stars of Hollywood, is
furious when he finds out the casting for his latest
musical. His costars are up-and-coming Jack Wells, a man
Paul believes can’t act or sing and who is reputed to be
obnoxious and rude on-set, and Betty Thayer, a woman he once
had a brief affair with. In Paul’s mind, the casting is a
recipe for disaster, and he’s determined to do anything and
everything he can to change it. When the studio head
refuses to see his point of view, he decides to be
professional and get through the shoot with as few problems
as possible.
Jack Wells has spent years dancing,
taking singing lessons, and working harder than anyone else
to get the opportunity to be in a major picture. Starring
with one of his idols, the gorgeous Paul Dunham, is icing on
the cake. Unfortunately, on their first meeting Paul is
cold and dismissive, and Jack can’t help getting an attitude
with him. Jack sees something interesting in the tightly
controlled Paul, and decides to see how far he can push the
man before he breaks.
Paul and Jack are at odds at every
rehearsal, but it’s not long before the tension takes on a
different undertone. For 1950’s Hollywood stars, any whiff
of scandal, especially attraction to their own sex, could
mean the end of both their careers. Can Paul and Jack work
through their animosity and keep their careers?
Sticks and Stones mixes the classic love-hate
relationship, the glory of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and
the danger of being gay in a time and a place in which it
wasn’t at all accepted to form a story that’s fun, hot, and
surprisingly emotional. At first I was worried that the
extreme dislike Paul felt for Jack wouldn’t be able to
translate into anything else, but Jamie Craig did an
admirable job of keeping the transformation believable.
Uptight, secretive, and the master of the false front, Paul
was a fascinating character. His control made the times he
slipped and let something show all the more interesting.
Brash, wild, and a lot more upfront with his feelings, Jack
is the total opposite of Paul. Watching them fight their
way toward each other was amusing. The cast of secondary
characters, including Paul’s best friend and his wife,
studio execs, the film’s cast and crew, and others fleshed
out the story nicely, providing support or additional
conflict. One of the best things about Sticks and
Stones was the setting. I felt immersed in the
making of a 1950’s Hollywood musical. With lots of
conflict, a great setting, and a satisfying ending, you
can’t go wrong with Sticks and Stones. |
