

Behind the Make-Up
Synopsis
Gardoni, a down-on-his-luck vaudeville performer, is taken in by a fellow performer, a clown who has a bicycle riding act. Gardoni shows his appreciation by stealing the clown's act and his girlfriend, whom he marries.
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →Hal Skelly
Hap Brown
William Powell
Gardoni
Fay Wray
Marie Gardoni
Kay Francis
Kitty Parker
E.H. Calvert
Dawson
Paul Lukas
Boris
Agostino Borgato
Pierre
Jacques Vanaire
Valet
Jean De Briac
Sculptor
Torben Meyer
Waiter
Bob Perry
Bartender
Walter Huston
Joe in Clark & White's Office (uncredited)
Guy Oliver
Theatre Manager (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
January 18, 1930
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Robert Milton, Dorothy Arzner, Henry Hathaway
- Screenplay & Story
- Howard Estabrook, George Manker Watters, Mildred Cram
- Original Score
- W. Franke Harling, John Leipold
- Original Title
- Behind the Make-Up
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 10m
- Production Studios
- Paramount Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Robert Milton, Dorothy Arzner, Henry Hathaway
Howard Estabrook, George Manker Watters, Mildred Cram
W. Franke Harling, John Leipold
Charles Lang
Doris Drought
Monta Bell
Department Leadership Roster
Robert Milton
Director
Howard Estabrook
Writer
George Manker Watters
Writer
Monta Bell
Producer
Doris Drought
Editor
Travis Banton
Costume Design
W. Franke Harling
Original Music Composer
Charles Lang
Director of Photography
John Leipold
Original Music Composer
Dorothy Arzner
Director
Henry Hathaway
Director
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Behind the Make-Up.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Behind the Make-Up.
2026 movies watched playlist
Here is the list of how many hours of movies that I watched in 2026 movie list here so far.
list4
MovieLens[40K:50K]
Similar Titles to Behind the Make-Up
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
More Like Behind the Make-Up
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.












Frequently Asked Questions About Behind the Make-Up
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Behind the Make-Up about?
Gardoni, a down-on-his-luck vaudeville performer, is taken in by a fellow performer, a clown who has a bicycle riding act. Gardoni shows his appreciation by stealing the clown's act and his girlfriend, whom he marries.
Who directed Behind the Make-Up?
Behind the Make-Up was directed by Robert Milton, Dorothy Arzner, Henry Hathaway.
Who stars in Behind the Make-Up?
The principal cast of Behind the Make-Up includes Hal Skelly, William Powell, Fay Wray, Kay Francis, E.H. Calvert.
When was Behind the Make-Up released and how long is it?
Behind the Make-Up was released in 1930 with a total runtime of 1h 10m.
Who composed the musical score for Behind the Make-Up?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Behind the Make-Up was composed by W. Franke Harling, John Leipold.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Behind the Make-Up?
Behind the Make-Up holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).




















