Editing The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra

{{short description|1928 film}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = The Life and Death of 9413:<br />a Hollywood Extra
| image          = The Life and Death of 9413 A Hollywood Extra title card.jpg
| alt            = A gray screen with the words "the life and death of 9413 a hollywood extra" written in white text, in an angled, jagged font.
| caption        = Title card from the film
| writer         = {{plainlist|
* Robert Florey
* Slavko Vorkapić
}}
| starring       = {{plainlist|
* Jules Raucourt
* Voya George
* Adriane Marsh
}}
| director       = {{plainlist|
* [[Robert Florey]]
* [[Slavko Vorkapić]]
}}
| producer       = {{plainlist|
* Robert Florey
* [[Douglas Fairbanks]]
}}
| music          = [[George Gershwin]]
| cinematography = {{plainlist|
* [[Gregg Toland]]
* [[Paul Ivano]]
}}
| distributor    = [[Film Booking Offices of America|FBO Pictures Corporation]]
| country        = United States
| released       = {{Film date|1928}}
| runtime        = 11 minutes
| language       = [[Silent film|Silent]] (English [[intertitle]]s)
| budget         = {{dollarsign|USD|lk=on}}97
}}
'''''The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra''''' is a 1928 American [[silent film|silent]] [[experimental film|experimental]] short film co-written and co-directed by [[Robert Florey]] and [[Slavko Vorkapić]]. Considered a landmark of American [[avant-garde]] cinema, it tells the story of a man (Jules Raucourt) who comes to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] with dreams of becoming a star; he fails and becomes [[dehumanized]], with studio executives reducing him to the role of an [[Extra (acting)|extra]] and writing the number "9413" on his forehead.

The film has abrupt cuts, rapid camera movement, extensive superimposition, dim lighting, and twisted shapes and forms at disorienting angles. Filmed on a budget of only $97 (${{Inflation|US|97|1928|fmt=c}} in today's dollars), it includes a combination of close-ups of live actors and long shots of miniature sets constructed from cardboard, paper cubes, tin cans, cigar boxes, and toy trains. With no access to Hollywood studios or equipment, most of the film was made in the filmmakers' homes (their walls painted black to provide a background).

The story was inspired by Florey's own experiences in Hollywood and [[George Gershwin]]'s ''[[Rhapsody in Blue]]''. It was one of the first films shot by [[Gregg Toland]], who was later acclaimed for his work on such films as ''[[The Grapes of Wrath (film)|The Grapes of Wrath]]'' (1939) and ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' (1941). The film is a satire of Hollywood's social conditions, practices and ideologies, and the film industry's alleged mistreatment of actors. [[Douglas Fairbanks]] assisted with its development, and [[Charlie Chaplin]] and [[Joseph M. Schenck]] helped to promote it.

Unlike most experimental films, it received a wide release by [[Film Booking Offices of America|FBO Pictures Corporation]] in more than 700 theaters in North America and Europe. The film has been well received by contemporary and present-day critics; according to film historian Brian Taves, "More than any other American film, it initiated the avant-garde in this country".<ref name="Taves114" /> In 1997, it was selected for preservation by the [[National Film Registry]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/|website=Library of Congress |access-date=May 4, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=New to the National Film Registry |date=December 1997|url=https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9712/nfr.html|access-date=July 22, 2020|website=www.loc.gov – Library of Congress Information Bulletin}}</ref> Florey co-wrote and directed ''[[Hollywood Boulevard (1936 film)|Hollywood Boulevard]]'' (1936), a lighter version of the film.

==Plot==
Mr. Jones (Jules Raucourt), an artist and aspiring movie star, arrives in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] and is immediately star-struck by the film industry's glitz and glamour. He speaks with a film-studio representative, presenting a letter of recommendation and trying to speak on his own behalf. The representative cuts him off, however, and writes the number "9413" on his forehead. From this point on, 9413 speaks only in unintelligible gibberish and moves mechanically, mindlessly following the instructions of film directors and studio representatives. He goes on a series of casting calls, but is unable to find success; he is repeatedly confronted with signs reading "No Casting Today". A series of images are interspersed through these scenes: shots of Hollywood, cameras filming, the word "Dreams" written in the stars, and a repeating loop of a man walking up a stairway toward the word "Success" without ever reaching the top.

[[File:The Life and Death of 9413 a Hollywood Extra - Mask.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Two men look at each other while applauding in the direction of a third man, who holds a paper mask in front of his face.|Studio executives applaud Extra #15 (Voya George) as he holds paper masks in front of his face, symbolizing his performances.]]
Unlike 9413, other extras around him become successful. A woman (Adriane Marsh) with the number 13 on her forehead repeatedly sits down and stands back up at the behest of a film director, and eventually succeeds in landing a part after she is greeted by a "Casting Today" sign. Another extra (Voya George) with the number 15, who (unlike 9413) has an expressionless, unenthusiastic facial expression, holds paper masks symbolizing his performances in front of his face. He is greeted enthusiastically by cheering crowds, all of whom speak in the same gibberish as 9413. His number is replaced with a star, and he becomes tremendously successful. 9413 admires the new movie star and can't contain his excitement when the two meet in person. He presents his own (much more impressive-looking) mask to the star to show he is also an actor. The star is unimpressed and turns his back on 9413, who sadly cradles his mask like a baby and laments his inability to achieve success.

Time passes, and 9413 remains unable to find work in Hollywood. Despite repeated phone calls to studio representatives begging for work, he is always confronted by "No Casting Today" signs. He cannot afford food, and bills he is unable to pay are slipped under his door. A series of images symbolizing his mental anguish include twisted trees blowing in the wind and a man lying on the stairway leading to "Success", still unable to reach the top. Starving, exhausted, and in despair about his failures, he collapses and dies. After the other actors laugh at him, his tombstone is shown. It reads: "Here Lies No. 9413, a Hollywood Extra"; the words "No Casting Today" appear next to it.

After his death, 9413's spirit leaves his body and is pulled up a ramp into the sky. As he gets higher, he grows angelic wings and ascends into heaven: a place with glittering crystal towers and bright, blinking lights. A hand removes the "9413" from his forehead, he smiles happily, and he flies further into heaven.

==Production==

===Conception===
[[Robert Florey]] and [[Slavko Vorkapić]], who met after Florey attended one of Vorkapić's [[American Society of Cinematographers]] lectures,<ref name="Zecevic11">{{Harvnb|Zecević|1983|p=11}}</ref> are credited as co-writers and co-directors of ''The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra''.<ref name="James39">{{Harvnb|James|2005|p=39}}</ref> Although accounts differ about the two men's level of involvement in the film's creation, most identify Florey as primarily responsible.<ref name="James51">{{Harvnb|James|2001|p=51}}</ref> According to film historian Brian Taves, Vorkapić was not involved in the writing or direction of the film; his contributions were limited to set design and miniature lighting, but Florey insisted on equal credit for Vorkapić's role in bringing the film to fruition.<ref name="James51" /><ref name="Taves 1998 116">{{Harvnb|Taves|1998|p=116}}</ref> Early reports about the film support this view, including a 1928 article about Florey in ''[[Motion Picture Magazine|Hollywood Magazine]]''.<ref name="James51" /> Taves also says that Vorkapić did nothing to promote the film when it was first released, later exaggerating his role in its production when it became respected.<ref name="James51" /><ref name="Taves88">{{Harvnb|Taves|1987|p=88}}</ref> [[Paul Ivano]], who did camerawork on the film, agreed: "Vorkapić tries to get credit, but he didn't do much."<ref name="Taves86"/> Vorkapić has said that the initial idea was Florey's, and they discussed it and drafted a rough one-page synopsis together. However, "all the effects were devised, designed, photographed, and added by me", and "at least 90 percent of the editing and montage" was Vorkapić's work.<ref name="Zecevic11" /> He said that he directed most of the opening and ending sequences, crediting Florey with filming the casting scene and the shots of laughing extras, and the rise of Voya George's character to stardom was filmed jointly.<ref name="Zecevic11" />

Within a few years of his arrival in Hollywood, Florey conceived a film about an ordinary actor's dreams of becoming a star and his failure to realize his hopes.<ref>{{Harvnb|Taves|1987|p=80}}</ref> Florey's work as a publicist and journalist covering the film industry gave him a familiarity with the struggles of aspiring actors, and their disappointment at failing to achieve their dreams, which influenced the writing of ''A Hollywood Extra''.<ref name="Taves95">{{Harvnb|Taves|1998|p=95}}</ref> The final inspiration for the film, however, came after Florey attended a performance of [[George Gershwin]]'s ''[[Rhapsody in Blue]]''.<ref name="Taves95" /><ref name="Eagan141">{{Harvnb|Eagan|2010|p=141}}</ref><ref name="Weinberg866" /> Florey had been working in Hollywood for only a few months when he heard Gershwin's music, and it inspired him to incorporate its rhythms into a film.<ref name="Weinberg866" /> He later described the film as a "continuity in musical rhythm of the adventures of my extra in Hollywood, the movements and attitudes of which appeared to synchronize themselves with Gershwin's notes".<ref name="Taves95" /> Although most avant-garde films of the time emphasized mood over emotion, he wanted his script to be equal parts abstraction and narrative.<ref name="Taves94">{{Harvnb|Taves|1998|p=94}}</ref> Florey wrote it in precise detail, describing each shot relative to the length of film required (a budget necessity, due to the expense of film stock).<ref name="Taves95" />

===Development===
Florey did not own a camera at the time, and his efforts to obtain one were unsuccessful until he met Vorkapić.<ref name="Weinberg866" /><ref name="Taves96">{{Harvnb|Taves|1998|p=96}}</ref> Florey recalled, "I say to Slav, 'Slav, I have an idea but not much money. You have a camera and are a clever painter. Let's make the picture in collaboration and we split the benefit.{{'"}}<ref name="Taves96"/> According to Vorkapić, he said: "Florey, you get me $100 and I'll make you a picture in my own kitchen."<ref name="Zecevic11" /> Vorkapić allowed Florey to borrow a small [[box camera]] which he had bought with the proceeds from the sale of one of his oil paintings.<ref name="Weinberg866" /><ref name="Moritz216">{{Harvnb|Moritz|1996|p=216}}</ref> It was a DeVry camera with one lens, a type which Florey said was sold as a "toy".<ref name="Taves96" /> Florey had trouble obtaining film, since he found it too expensive to purchase [[Negative (photography)#Negative film|negative]] and [[Reversal film|positive film]] from film laboratories.<ref name="Weinberg866" /> Florey knew that film ends (scraps of leftover, unexposed film stock) were often discarded after shooting on big-budget Hollywood films, however, and he tried to persuade filmmakers to give them to him.<ref name="Eagan141" /><ref name="Weinberg866" /> Camerawork had just been completed on ''[[The Gaucho]]'' (1927), a film starring [[Douglas Fairbanks]], and Florey obtained more than 1,000 feet of film from the production in 10- and 20-foot strips.<ref name="Weinberg866" /> He then spliced the film ends together by hand (a process he found time-consuming and frustrating), which resulted in the equivalent of a full reel of negative film.<ref name="Weinberg866" /> Fairbanks (who had employed Florey to handle his European public relations) provided financial assistance,<ref name="Eagan141" /> gave Florey access to his editing rooms, and helped provide him with film ends.<ref name="Eagan141" /><ref name="NYT0415">{{cite news |work=The New York Times |title=Projection Jottings: Film Made for $94 Impresses Chaplin |date=April 15, 1928 |page=A119 |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A0CE0D7103CE33ABC4D52DFB2668383639EDE |access-date=November 13, 2015}}</ref>

The film was shot by [[Gregg Toland]] (credited simply as "Gregg"),<ref>{{Harvnb|Dixon|2015|p=97}}</ref> who was also working as an assistant to cinematographer [[George Barnes (cinematographer)|George Barnes]] at the [[Samuel Goldwyn Studio]].<ref name="Eagan141" /> It was one of Toland's first films,<ref>{{Harvnb|Merritt|2000|p=52}}</ref> and the cinematographer was later acclaimed for his work on ''[[The Grapes of Wrath (film)|The Grapes of Wrath]]'' (1939) and ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' (1941).<ref name="Moritz216" /><ref>{{Harvnb|Bawden|1976|p=694}}</ref><ref name="James43">{{Harvnb|James|2005|p=43}}</ref> ''The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra'' cost $97 (${{Inflation|US|97|1928|fmt=c}} today) to make,<ref name="Eagan141" /><ref name="Watson848">{{Harvnb|Watson|1929|p=848}}</ref><ref name="Weinberg879">{{Harvnb|Weinberg|1929|p=879}}</ref> paid entirely by Florey.<ref>{{Harvnb|Taves|1998|pp=95–96}}</ref> The budget consisted of $55 (${{Inflation|US|55|1928|fmt=c}} today) for development and printing, $25 (${{Inflation|US|25|1928|fmt=c}} today) for negatives, $14 (${{Inflation|US|14|1928|fmt=c}} today) for transportation, and $3 (${{Inflation|US|3|1928|fmt=c}} today) for store props (most of which cost five or ten cents apiece).<ref>{{Harvnb|Taves|1987|p=83}}</ref> Of the development costs, the salaries for everyone involved in the film totaled $3.<ref name="Zecevic11" /> Toland had the use of a [[Mitchell Camera|Mitchell camera]], which permitted some shots which would have been impossible with the DeVry camera (including about 300 feet of closeups).<ref name="Taves98">{{Harvnb|Taves|1998|p=98}}</ref> Additional camerawork was by Paul Ivano;<ref name="Taves97">{{Harvnb|Taves|1998|p=97}}</ref> according to Taves, Ivano was primarily responsible for much of the film's camerawork and Toland primarily handled the closeups.<ref name="James51" /> ''A Hollywood Extra'' was shot on [[35mm movie film|35mm film]],<ref name="James39" /> over a three-week period in late 1927,<ref name="Taves96" /> mainly on weekends.<ref name="James39" /> No subtitles are used in the film. Only two captions are used, each with one word ("Dreams" and "Success"); they were produced by reflecting a moving light through cardboard cutouts, creating words among the shadows.<ref name="Taves97" />

===Casting===
[[File:The Life and Death of 9413 a Hollywood Extra - Jules Raucourt.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A man wearing a suit jacket and tie stares forward with a shocked and confused facial expression, with the numbers "9413" written across his forehead.|Jules Raucourt played the protagonist, who is dehumanized after studio representatives make him a film extra and write the number 9413 on his forehead.]]
The extra 9413 was played by [[Cinema of Belgium|Belgian actor]] Jules Raucourt, who was credited in the film simply as "Raucourt". Although Raucourt began his career as a leading man in silent action films, he became a film extra himself after cinema transitioned to the [[Sound film|sound era]].<ref name="Slide48">{{Harvnb|Slide|2012|p=48}}</ref><ref name="James42">{{Harvnb|James|2005|p=42}}</ref> Raucourt later wrote a novel, using the title of the film.<ref name="Taves86" /> Extra 13 was played by Adriane Marsh, a film extra in real life<ref name="Slide48" /><ref name="James42" /> who never again had a credited film role.<ref name="James42" /> Extra 15 (who becomes a movie star) was played by Voya George, a friend of Vorkapić<ref name="Slide48" /><ref name="James42" /> who went on to a career in European films.<ref name="Zecevic11" /> Florey appears in the film as a casting director,<ref name="Taves86">{{Harvnb|Taves|1987|p=86}}</ref><ref name="Moritz216" /> although only his disembodied mouth and hand are visible as he shakes his finger at the protagonist.<ref name="Taves86" /> Vorkapić also had a brief role in the film, as the man endlessly climbing the staircase to "Success".<ref name="Zecevic11" />

===Filming===
Since the filmmakers had no access to a studio,<ref name="Weinberg879" /> the film was shot at their homes; walls were painted black, to provide a background.<ref name="Weinberg879" /> According to ''Movie Makers'' writer [[Herman G. Weinberg]] and Jack Spears of ''Films in Review'', it was filmed primarily at Florey's house;<ref name="Weinberg879" /><ref name="Spears216">{{Harvnb|Spears|1960|p=216}}</ref> however, film historian David E. James said that it was filmed in Vorkapić's kitchen.<ref name="James39" /> In an interview, Florey said that filming was done in his kitchen and in Vorkapić's living room.<ref name="Zecevic11" /> Some scenes were filmed in Toland's garage.<ref name="Spears216" /><ref name="Taves84">{{Harvnb|Taves|1987|p=84}}</ref> The film has three basic types of composition: miniature sets, close-ups of live actors, and newsreel-like scenes of Hollywood and film studios. It includes abrupt cuts, rapid camera movement, extensive superimposition, dim lighting, and twisted shapes and forms at disorienting angles. The film has elements of [[German expressionist cinema|German Expressionism]],<ref name="Taves97" /><ref name="James40" /><ref name="Jacobs9">{{Harvnb|Jacobs|2002|p=9}}</ref> echoing ''[[The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari]]'' (1920);<ref name="Jacobs9" /><ref>{{Harvnb|Taves|1987|p=89}}</ref> its opening credits, in particular, are angular and expressionistic.<ref name="James39" /> A single 400-watt lamp was used as lighting for the film;<ref name="Watson848" /><ref name="Taves97" /> two lamps were originally planned, but one burned out before filming began.<ref name="Zecevic11" /> During closeups, the actors would hold the light bulb in their hands to light their faces. When an actor changed position, they would switch the bulb from one hand to another.<ref name="Weinberg879" /><ref name="Taves98" /> The actors' faces are often in partial shadow as a result, their features obscured.<ref name="Taves97" /> Toland also used small reflectors which he borrowed from film studios, which included a light bulb hung inside a cone-shaped mirror.<ref name="Zecevic11" /> The film's acting is abstract and stylized, with the actors mouthing gibberish instead of speaking words.<ref name="Moritz216" /><ref name="Jacobs9" /> A recording of ''Rhapsody in Blue'' was played constantly during filming, so that the actors would (in Florey's words) become "saturated" with the rhythm of the "blues". This was a source of annoyance for his neighbors and landlord.<ref name="Taves86" />

{{multiple image|caption_align=center|header_align=center
 | align = left
 | direction = vertical
 | width = 200
 | header =
 | image1 = The Life and Death of 9413 a Hollywood Extra - Hollywood set.jpg
 | caption1 =
 | alt1 = A series of slanted and curving girders representing an abstract city landscape are set in front of a hazy white backdrop. A slanted black sign appears in the foreground with the words "CASTING TODAY" written in jagged white text.
 | image2 = The Life and Death of 9413 a Hollywood Extra - Heaven set.jpg
 | caption2  = Scenes of Hollywood cityscapes ''(top)'' and of heaven at the end of the film ''(bottom)'' were achieved with miniature sets made from paper cubes, tin cans, cigar boxes, toy trains and an Erector Set.
 | alt2 = A silhouette of a man holding his arms in the air stands atop a wheeled platform ascending a diagonal girder. The backdrop is foggy and white, with silhouettes of curving trees and shapes visible.
}}
Scenes of Hollywood cityscapes and shots of heaven at the end of the film were achieved with miniature sets which were filmed in [[long shot]]s to appear large and expansive.<ref name="Weinberg867" /><ref name="Watson887">{{Harvnb|Watson|1929|p=887}}</ref> A total of 45 sets were built, none larger than about two square feet and the most expensive costing $1.67. It took days to prepare the sets; Florey removed cardboard from laundered shirts and cut them into squares, which Vorkapić painted impressionistically to resemble buildings.<ref name="Taves84" /> The elevated trains in the cityscapes were toy trains which Florey purchased and mounted on [[Card stock|pasteboard]] runways; he pulled them along the track on a string with one hand, and shot the scene with the other.<ref name="Weinberg867" /> Movement on the miniature sets was simulated by moving lamps and casting shadows.<ref name="Watson887" /> To make the sets look more realistic (and to conceal defects), prisms and kaleidoscopes were placed in front of the camera lens and moved during filming; a [[cylindrical lens]] was rotated during filming to magnify an image to the desired diameter. According to Florey, this was useful in "giving the scenes the rhythms which we thought they required".<ref name="Watson888">{{Harvnb|Watson|1929|p=888}}</ref>

Skyscrapers were oblong cubes filmed from an angle which exaggerated their height. To create the effect of sunlight reflecting from  buildings, one person would stand on one side of the cubes with a mirror; another would stand on the opposite side with a light bulb and swing it back and forth. The mirror would catch the reflection of the swinging light and throw it back onto the skyscrapers.<ref name="Weinberg867" /> To create the excitement surrounding an opening night, a skyscraper was photographed with the camera swinging quickly up and down and side to side.<ref name="Weinberg867" /> Although the scenes of the miniature sets were long shots, the actors were filmed entirely in closeups<ref name="Watson887" /> (about 300 feet of the final film reel).<ref name="Taves84" /> Instead of trying to place an actor into the miniature backgrounds with trick photography, the scenes were cut rapidly and successively: the viewer first sees the actor and then the set, creating the impression they are in the same place.<ref name="Watson887" /> Sets involving actors were minimalistic; some consisted of only a few elements, such as a table, telephone, two chairs, and a cigar.<ref name="Eagan141" />

A film-studio set was created by photographing several reel spools with strips of film dangling against a background of blinking lights. The casting office was created by silhouetting strips of cardboard against a white background.<ref name="Weinberg867" /> To depict the protagonist's mental anguish, strips of paper were cut into twisted trees, which were silhouetted against a background of moving shadows and set in motion with an electric fan.<ref name="Weinberg867" /> To create a scene near the end of the film when the protagonist becomes delirious, the camera moves through a maze of different-sized cubes (with geometric designs inside them) on a flat, shiny surface.<ref name="Weinberg867" /> Heaven was a miniature set created from paper cubes, tin cans, cigar boxes, toy trains, and a motorized [[Erector Set]].<ref name="Spears216" /><ref name="Weinberg867" /><ref name="Allen12">{{Harvnb|Allen|1983|p=12}}</ref> Although no still photos were taken for the film, illustrations of prismatic and kaleidoscopic effects have been obtained by enlarging frames of negative film. The paper prints were considerably softer than the movie print, to avoid graininess.<ref name="Watson888" />{{clarify|date=February 2020|reason=What paper prints?}} The final film was edited to a one-reel length of 1,200 feet of [[filmstrip]],<ref name="James39" /><ref name="Taves98" /> with about 150 scenes;<ref name="Taves86" /> according to Florey, it had the same number of [[camera angle]]s as contemporary full-length feature films.<ref name="Zecevic11" /> Although the film was carefully edited for [[synchronization]] with ''Rhapsody in Blue'', much of its original, lyrical quality has been lost in modified versions.<ref name="Taves98" /><ref name="Spears216" />

==<span id="Themes and interpretations"></span>Themes and interpretation==
The film is a satire of the social conditions, dominant practices, and ideologies of Hollywood, and the film industry's mistreatment of actors.<ref name="James39" /><ref name="Zimmermann88">{{Harvnb|Zimmerman|1995|p=88}}</ref> Filmmaking was becoming more expensive and required greater technical resources (particularly with the rise of sound production), making it increasingly difficult for amateur filmmakers to enter the profession. This deepened a divide between amateurs and Hollywood professionals; as a result, a growing number of amateurs began lampooning Hollywood.<ref name="Zimmermann88" /> The film is about an extra who starts his Hollywood career with hopes and dreams but finds himself used and discarded by the industry, his artistic ambitions destroyed.<ref name="Weinberg866">{{Harvnb|Weinberg|1929|p=866}}</ref> When it begins, the protagonist has a name (Mr. Jones) and a letter of recommendation outlining his talents; they are ignored and he is reduced to a number, symbolizing his dehumanization.<ref name="James39" /><ref>{{Harvnb|Slide|2012|pp=48–49}}</ref>

[[File:The Life and Death of 9413 a Hollywood Extra - Audience.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A photo from a low angle of three men looking ahead, clapping their hands and opening their mouths widely.|Applause for a performance by Voya George's character]]
The movie star inspires hero worship in American culture, and the painted masks he dons represent his performances.<ref name="Slide49">{{Harvnb|Slide|2012|p=49}}</ref> Actors and audience are depicted as unintelligent automatons, their mouths yapping senselessly as they respond to Hollywood films or hand signals from film directors.<ref name="Weinberg866" /><ref name="James40">{{Harvnb|James|2005|p=40}}</ref> One scene loops a shot of a man climbing a staircase toward the word "Success", representing an actor's vain attempt to achieve fulfillment and advancement in his career. Film historians [[William Moritz]] and David E. James have compared this to a similar scene with a washerwoman in the [[Dadaism|Dadaist]], post-[[Cubism|Cubist]] film ''[[Ballet Mécanique]]'' (1924).<ref name="Moritz216" /><ref name="James40" /> Other scenes in ''A Hollywood Extra'' are frequently repeated, such as views of the city lights and shots of "Hollywood" and "No Casting" signs, which exemplify the protagonist's constant struggle to succeed in Hollywood.<ref>{{Harvnb|James|2005|pp=40–41}}</ref>

The film's abrupt cuts, artificial scenery, extreme closeups, and twisted angles metaphorically amplify its somber narrative.<ref name="James40" /> Film producers and critics in ''A Hollywood Extra'' are shot from low angles with dark backdrops, giving the characters a powerful, foreboding appearance. Gregg Toland later used similar camera techniques in ''Citizen Kane''.<ref name="Moritz216" /> Closeups of the actors' faces are often shadowed, partially shrouding their features and depriving the characters of wholeness.<ref name="Taves97" /> The all-black backdrops in the closeups remove a real-world presence from the film.<ref name="James40" /> When the protagonist is waiting for phone calls with casting decisions, a telephone is superimposed on the actor's forehead to symbolize his growing desperation.<ref name="Moritz216" /> His failure follows him to the grave (where the words "No Casting Today" appear next to his tombstone),<ref name="James40" /> and his death is symbolized by a pair of scissors cutting a strip of film.<ref name="Taves96" /><ref name="James40" />

Although the film depicts the protagonist's experience expressionistically, the glamour of Hollywood is portrayed more objectively. According to Taves, by reversing conventional expectations it invites the audience to interpret this version of Hollywood as "the material of dreams" and "an unreal paradise of cruelty and failure".<ref>{{Harvnb|Taves|1987|p=91}}</ref> Hollywood street scenes were filmed with a wildly-moving camera from tilted angles, edited into rapid juxtapositions to reflect the falsity and excess of the film industry.<ref name="Taves97" /> The protagonist's trip to heaven at the end of the film is both a satisfying conclusion and a satire of Hollywood's desire for happy endings.<ref name="Taves96" /><ref name="Spears216" /><ref name="Jacobs10">{{Harvnb|Jacobs|2002|p=10}}</ref> Heaven is in the opposite direction from Hollywood, another poke at the industry.<ref name="Taves96" /> James wrote that the image of heaven as an escape from film-industry brutality "figures the avant-garde's recurrent utopian aspirations".<ref name="James41">{{Harvnb|James|2005|p=41}}</ref>

''A Hollywood Extra'' also touches on the mistreatment of women. Although the actors wear masks—symbolizing their ability to act—the female extra #13 does not; she is expected to simply obey the (male) filmmakers, and her only role is as an object for men to look at.<ref name="Allen12" /> Her success in this simple role, contrasted with the protagonist's inability to succeed despite hard work, reveals how differently the film industry views male and female actors.<ref name="Allen12" />

==Release==
[[File:The Life and Death of 9413 a Hollywood Extra (1928).webm|thumb|thumbtime=85|alt=Link to the film|''The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra'' (1928)]]
Most commonly known by its proper title, ''The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra'' has been released and advertised as ''Hollywood Extra 9413'' and ''$97'' (a reference to the film's budget).<ref>{{Harvnb|Taves|2001|p=103}}</ref> Other titles include ''The Rhapsody of Hollywood''<ref name="NYT0415" /><ref name="Eagan142" /><ref name="Glassgold290">{{Harvnb|Glassgold|1928|p=290}}</ref> (a name suggested by [[Charlie Chaplin]])<ref name="NYT0415" /><ref name="TavesThesis">{{Harvnb|Taves|1984|p=19}}</ref> and ''The Suicide of a Hollywood Extra'',<ref name="Eagan142">{{Harvnb|Eagan|2010|p=142}}</ref> a misnomer created by distributor [[Film Booking Offices of America|FBO Pictures Corporation]].<ref name="TavesThesis" /> Although many experimental films from the period were screened in the filmmakers' homes to audiences of families and friends, ''A Hollywood Extra'' had a wide release.<ref>{{Harvnb|Posner|2001|p=39}}</ref> Florey described the film at the time:<ref name="Slide49" />

{{blockquote|It is not much. Just about a man who is a fine actor in Iowa or somewhere and who comes to Hollywood and expects to conquer it overnight.&nbsp;... The would-be idol goes to the studios.&nbsp;... The casting director, he is merely a hand that rejects or selects.&nbsp;... And the rest just tells how he loses out all around.}}

Sources differ about when and where the film premiered. According to film critic Daniel Eagan, Florey premiered the film in a movie club in Los Angeles;<ref name="Eagan142" /> according to [[Anthony Slide]], it opened at [[New York City]]'s Cameo Theatre on June 17, 1928.<ref name="Slide49" /> David E. James said that the film had its true premiere at Charlie Chaplin's Beverly Hills villa.<ref name="James43" /> Chaplin, who had become disenchanted with many aspects of Hollywood filmmaking,<ref name="Eagan142" /> was so impressed with the film that he watched it five times<ref name="James43" /><ref name="Taves98" /> and screened it for guests at his home. His audience included film-industry elites<ref name="James43" /><ref name="Taves98" /><ref name="Eagan142" /> including Douglas Fairbanks, [[John Considine (impresario)|John Considine]], [[Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast|Harry d'Arrast]], [[D. W. Griffith]], [[Jesse L. Lasky]], [[Ernst Lubitsch]], [[Lewis Milestone]], [[Mary Pickford]], [[Joseph M. Schenck]], [[Norma Talmadge]], [[Josef von Sternberg]], and [[King Vidor]].<ref name="Zecevic12">{{Harvnb|Zecević|1983|p=12}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|James|2001|p=47}}</ref> Chaplin's screening was accompanied by a record of ''Rhapsody in Blue'' and the comedian playing the organ.<ref name="Zecevic12" /> Florey was so concerned about a negative reaction to the film's satire of Hollywood that he removed his name from the credits and hid in the projection room during the screening. Although the audience originally expected it to be one of Chaplin's gags,<ref name="Taves88" /><ref name="Zecevic12" /> they were impressed with the film<ref name="Taves98" /><ref name="Eagan142" /><ref name="Zecevic12" /> and Schenck arranged for it to begin screening at a [[Regal Cinemas|United Artists theater]] on [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] on March 21, 1928.<ref name="James43" /><ref name="Spears216" /><ref name="Taves99">{{Harvnb|Taves|1998|p=99}}</ref> A musical score, based on ''Rhapsody in Blue'' and played by a live orchestra (featuring the [[saxophone]]), was prepared by [[Hugo Riesenfeld]] for the showing.<ref name="Zecevic12" /><ref name="Taves99" /> With a presentation usually reserved for bigger-budget films, it played twice nightly with the [[Gloria Swanson]] film ''[[Sadie Thompson (film)|Sadie Thompson]]'' and was billed as "the first of the impressionistic photoplays to be made in America".<ref name="Taves99" />

The film was heavily publicized,<ref>{{Harvnb|Moritz|1996|p=217}}</ref> with many media reports emphasizing its $97 budget.<ref name="Zecevic12" /> It received enough notice to be picked up for distribution by FBO Pictures Corporation,<ref name="Jacobs9" /><ref name="Eagan142" /><ref name="Taves99" /> which eventually became part of [[RKO Pictures]].<ref name="Eagan142" /><ref name="Taves99" /> The company released ''A Hollywood Extra'' to more than 700 theaters in North America and Europe.<ref name="Jacobs9" /><ref name="Zecevic12" /> In North America, it was shown in New York, Hollywood, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Montreal, and Washington, D.C.<ref name="Taves99" /> The film played in Philadelphia with ''[[Prem Sanyas]]'' (1925), receiving more praise than the main attraction and earning $32 in one week.<ref name="Taves117">{{Harvnb|Taves|1998|p=117}}</ref> ''A Hollywood Extra'' became one of the first widely-seen American avant-garde films in the United States, the Soviet Union, and Europe<ref name="James41" /><ref name="Taves113">{{Harvnb|Taves|1998|p=113}}</ref> (England, France, Germany, and Italy).<ref name="Taves113" /> The French rights for the film and Florey's ''The Love of Zero'' (1928) were sold for $390.<ref name="Taves117" />

Although ''A Hollywood Extra'' avoided conventional filmmaking, it was embraced by Hollywood<ref name="James41" /><ref name="Taves93">{{Harvnb|Taves|1998|p=93}}</ref> and aided Florey, Vorkapić, and Toland's careers;<ref name="James43" /><ref name="Taves93" /> Vorkapić was offered a special-effects position at [[Paramount Pictures]] shortly after the film's release.<ref name="James43" /> Paramount wanted to hire Florey for the position, but after Josef von Sternberg said that Vorkapić was primarily responsible for ''A Hollywood Extra''{{'}}s special effects they offered him the job instead.<ref name="Zecevic12" /> Film [[production designer]] [[William Cameron Menzies]] wanted to work with Florey after seeing ''A Hollywood Extra'', so they collaborated on ''The Love of Zero''; Florey directed, and Menzies designed the sets.<ref name="Taves 1998 116"/><ref name="Taves193">{{Harvnb|Taves|1987|p=193}}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Quote box |bgcolor=#FFFFF0 |salign=center |width=225px |align=right | quote  = To the extent that ''The Life and Death of 9413: A Hollywood Extra'' dramatizes the condition of human life enthralled by and ruined by the entertainment industry, the all-pervading, massively powerful imagery of capital itself, it is the prototypical 20th century avant-garde film. | source = David E. James, film historian<ref name="James47" />}}
The film was well received by contemporary and present-day critics.<ref name="James41" /><ref name="Taves113" /> According to one reviewer, it ranked in cinema "where [[Gertrude Stein]] ranks in poetry";<ref name="James41" /> another called Florey "the [[Eugene O'Neill]] of the cinema".<ref name="Taves88" /> A 1929 edition of ''Movie Makers'', the official publication of the Amateur Cinema League, called it a triumph of amateur experimentation and an imaginative use of limited resources.<ref name="Zimmermann88" /> In a separate ''Movie Makers'' article, Herman G. Weinberg called its scenery "a fantastically beautiful vision of a dream metropolis, done in the expressionistic manner, but done with a fine eye for the camera and the context of the piece".<ref name="Weinberg867">{{Harvnb|Weinberg|1929|p=867}}</ref> C. Adolph Glassgold, contributing editor of the journal ''The Arts'', called ''A Hollywood Extra'' "a truly tremendous picture" and said that Florey could become "the eventual leader of cinematic art": "It has movement, tempo, form, intensity of feeling, highly dramatic moments; in short, it is a real motion picture."<ref name="Glassgold290" /> In a ''Film Mercury'' review, Anabel Lane predicted that Florey would "one day hold a position of one of the bigger film directors": "If this production had been made in Europe and heralded as a hit, it would&nbsp;... have been called a masterpiece."<ref name="Taves88" /> A ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reviewer wondered if ''A Hollywood Extra'' was "an unannounced foreign-made short", given its stylistic similarity to European art films.<ref name="James41" /><ref name="Taves113" /> Film director [[Henry King (director)|Henry King]] called it "way ahead of its time" and "a stroke of genius": "It was the most original thought I ever saw".<ref name="Taves98" />

''A Hollywood Extra'' has been praised by modern film historians and critics, who often include it on lists of prominent experimental films.<ref name="James41" /> Brian Taves called it a "landmark" of avant-garde film:<ref name="Taves94" /> "''A Hollywood Extra'' was something entirely new, in both style and substance; more than any other American film, it initiated the avant-garde in this country."<ref name="Taves114">{{Harvnb|Taves|1998|p=114}}</ref> Film historian William Moritz called it "a genuine little masterpiece"<ref name="Moritz216" /> and "perhaps the most famous American experimental film of the 1920s".<ref>{{Harvnb|Moritz|1996|p=214}}</ref> [[Colorado State University]] film professor Hye Seung Chung called the film an "early American avant-garde masterpiece", and described Florey as "one of the most undeservingly neglected B film auteurs".<ref>{{Harvnb|Chung|2006|p=67}}</ref> David E. James described it as the "prototypical 20th-century avant-garde film",<ref name="James47">{{Harvnb|James|2005|p=47}}</ref> and ''A Hollywood Extra''{{'s}} commercial success indicates that experimental films were acceptable to contemporary popular viewers "rather than only an elite or mandarin audience".<ref name="James43" /> Director and author [[Lewis Jacobs]] wrote, "Its style, broad and impressionistic, disclosed a remarkable sensitivity and resourcefulness in the use of props, painting, camera, and editing."<ref name="Jacobs9" />

The full, original film has not survived.<ref name="Slide48" />{{Disputed inline|talk=Talk:The_Life_and_Death_of_9413:_a_Hollywood_Extra#"The_full,_original_film_has_not_survived"?|for=conflicts between length listings|date=March 2024}} In 1997, however, it was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{cite web |title=New to the National Film Registry |publisher=Library of Congress |date=December 1997 |url=https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9712/nfr.html |access-date=November 14, 2015}}</ref> ''A Hollywood Extra'' has been restored and released on two DVD collections: ''Unseen Cinema: Early American Avant Garde Film 1894–1941'' (by [[Image Entertainment]])<ref>{{Harvnb|Krinsky|2005}}</ref> and ''Avant-Garde: Experimental Cinema of the 1920s and '30s'', by [[Kino International (company)|Kino International]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Erickson|2005}}</ref> The [[British Film Institute]] commissioned [[David Sawer]] to compose a score in 1996; it was first performed by the Matrix Ensemble, conducted by Robert Ziegler. The score, ''Hollywood Extra'', was written for eight musicians and published by [[Universal Edition]].<ref>{{cite web |title=David Sawer: Hollywood Extra |publisher=Universal Edition|url=https://www.universaledition.com/david-sawer-632/works/hollywood-extra-2757 |access-date=November 14, 2015}}</ref>

==Remake==
{{main|Hollywood Boulevard (1936 film)}}
''The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra'' was remade as ''Hollywood Boulevard'', a 1936 film co-written and directed by Florey.<ref name="Taves99" /><ref>{{Harvnb|Posner|2001|p=19}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Giovacchini|2001|p=23}}</ref> Like ''A Hollywood Extra'', its central character is an actor seeking a job in Hollywood who experiences the cruelty of the film industry and the whims of producers and studio executives.<ref name="Taves99" /><ref name="Taves198">{{Harvnb|Taves|1987|p=198}}</ref> ''Hollywood Boulevard'' has visual similarities to the original film, such as unusual angles which reflect Hollywood's disordered nature.<ref name="Taves99" /> It includes several subplots which extend its running time and appeal to mass audiences<ref name="Taves193" /><ref name="Taves198" />—but, Brian Taves said, "tend to diminish the importance of the central characterization, depriving ''Hollywood Boulevard'' of the singleness of purpose that made ''A Hollywood Extra'' so unforgettable".<ref name="Taves198" />

==References==

===Footnotes===
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite journal |last=Allen |first=Richard |title=The Life and Death of 9413, a Hollywood Extra |journal=Framework: The Journal of Cinema & Media |year=1983 |volume=21 |publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |location=Detroit]|url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/entertainment-reviews/31170659/archeology-film-theory-7-slavko-vorkapich-hollywood-extra-1927 }}{{dead link|date=November 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Bawden |editor-first=Liz-Anne |title=The Oxford Companion to Film |year=1976 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=[[Oxford]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nYIYAAAAIAAJ |isbn=0192115413 }}
* {{cite book |last=Chung |first=Hye Seung |title=Hollywood Asian: Philip Ahn and the Politics of Cross-Ethnic Performance |year=2006 |publisher=[[Temple University Press]] |location=Philadelphia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OZzweQ9L8dsC |isbn=1592135161 }}
* {{cite book |last=Dixon |first=Wheeler Winston |title=Black and White Cinema: A Short History |year=2015 |chapter=The 1940s: A Black-and-White World |publisher=[[Rutgers University Press]] |location=[[New Brunswick, New Jersey]] |isbn=978-0813572413 }}
* {{cite book |last=Eagan |first=Daniel |title=America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry |year=2010 |publisher=[[Continuum International Publishing Group]] |location=London |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=deq3xI8OmCkC |isbn=978-0826429773 }}
* {{cite web |last=Erickson |first=Glenn |title=Avant Garde – Experimental Cinema of the 1920s & 1930s |publisher=[[DVD Talk]] |date=June 29, 2005 |url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/16585/avant-garde-experimental-cinema-of-the-1920s-1930s/ |access-date=November 14, 2015 }}
* {{cite journal |last=Glassgold |first=C. Adolph |journal=The Arts |title=9413 |year=1928 |publisher=The Arts Publishing Corporation |location=New York City }}
* {{cite book |last=Giovacchini |first=Saverio |title=Hollywood Modernism: Film and Politics in the Age of the New Deal |year=2001 |chapter=Modernism, Intellectual Immigrants, and the Rebirth of Hollywood |publisher=[[Temple University Press]] |location=Philadelphia |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qh9AvqM501AC&q=%22The+Life+and+Death+of+9413:+a+Hollywood+Extra%22&pg=PR9 |isbn=1566398630 }}
* {{cite book |last=Jacobs |first=Lewis |author-link=Lewis Jacobs |title=Hollywood Quarterly: Film Culture in Postwar America, 1945–1957 |year=2002 |chapter=Experimental Cinema in America: Part One: 1921–1941 |editor1-last=Smoodin |editor1-first=Eric |editor2-last=Martin |editor2-first=Ann |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |location=[[Oakland, California]] |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R-Fs0Vwa_nQC&pg=PA9 |isbn=0520232747 }}
* {{cite book |last=James |first=David E. |title=Unseen Cinema: Early American Avant-Garde Film 1893–1941 |year=2001 |chapter=Hollywood Extras: One Tradition of "Avant-Garde" Film in Los Angeles |editor-first=Bruce Charles |editor-last=Posner |publisher=[[Anthology Film Archives]] |location=New York City |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ENljuNjmehYC&pg=PA45 |isbn=0962818178 }}
* {{cite book |last=James |first=David E. |title=The Most Typical Avant-Garde: History and Geography of Minor Cinemas in Los Angeles |year=2005 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |location=Oakland, California |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n0mkbWQ6hIcC&pg=PA39 |isbn=0520242580 }}
* {{cite web |last=Krinsky |first=Tamara |title='Unseen Cinema' Unveiled: Seven-DVD Set of Early Avant-Garde Rarities Released Through Image Entertainment |publisher=[[International Documentary Association]] |date=November 30, 2005 |url=http://www.documentary.org/magazine/unseen-cinema-unveiled-seven-dvd-set-early-avant-garde-rarities-released-through-image-ente |access-date=November 14, 2015 }}
* {{cite book |last=Merritt |first=Greg |title=Celluloid Mavericks: A History of American Independent Film Making |year=2000 |publisher=[[Perseus Books Group|Thunder's Mouth Press]] |location=New York City |isbn=1560252324 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/celluloidmaveric00merr }}
* {{cite book |last=Moritz |first=William |author-link=William Moritz |title=On the Edge of America: California Modernist Art, 1900–1950 |chapter=Visual Music and Film-as-an-Art before 1950 |year=1996 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |location=Oakland, California |isbn=0520088506 }}
* {{cite book |last=Posner |first=Bruce |title=Unseen Cinema: Early American Avant-Garde Film 1893–1941 |year=2001 |publisher=[[Anthology Film Archives]] |location=New York City |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ENljuNjmehYC&pg=PA103 |isbn=0962818178 }}
* {{cite book |last=Slide |first=Anthony |author-link=Anthony Slide |title=Hollywood Unknowns: A History of Extras, Bit Players, and Stand-Ins |year=2012 |publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]] |location=Jackson |isbn=978-1617034749 }}
* {{cite journal |last=Spears |first=Jack |journal=Films in Review |title=Robert Florey |date=April 1960 |volume=11 |publisher=[[National Board of Review|National Board of Review of Motion Pictures]] |location=New York City }}
* {{cite thesis|last=Taves |first=Brian |date=May 1984 |title=Robert Florey: The French Expressionist: A Critical Biography |type=Thesis |chapter=Early Years, 1900–1928 |publisher=[[University of Southern California]] |docket=Cin '84 T234 3075H3.63 |chapter-url=http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15799coll20/id/38487 |access-date=November 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194758/http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15799coll20/id/38487 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite book |last=Taves |first=Brian |title=Robert Florey: The French Expressionist |year=1987 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield|Scarecrow Press]] |location=[[Lanham, Maryland]] |isbn=0810819295 }}
* {{cite book |last=Taves |first=Brian |title=Lovers of Cinema: The First American Film Avant-Garde, 1919–1945 |chapter=Robert Florey and the Hollywood Avant-Garde |year=1998 |publisher=[[University of Wisconsin Press]] |location=Madison|isbn=0299146847 }}
* {{cite book |last=Taves |first=Brian |title=Unseen Cinema: Early American Avant-Garde Film 1893–1941 |year=2001 |chapter=Robert Florey and the Hollywood Avant-Garde |publisher=[[Anthology Film Archives]] |location=New York City |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ENljuNjmehYC&pg=PA103 |isbn=0962818178 }}
* {{cite journal |last=Watson |first=J. S. Jr.|title=The Amateur Takes Leadership: How Experimenters, in Circumventing Production Difficulties, Have Achieved the Greatest Cinematic Advance Since 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' |journal=Movie Makers |date=January 1929 |volume=4 |number=1 |publisher=Amateur Cinema League Inc. |location=New York City}}
* {{cite journal |last=Weinberg |first=Herman G. |title=A Paradox of the Photoplay: A Professional Turns Amateur and Wins Professional Status |journal=Movie Makers |date=January 1929 |volume=4 |number=1 |publisher=Amateur Cinema League Inc. |location=New York City}}
* {{cite journal |last=Zecević |first=Bozidar |title=Archeology of a Film Extra: Slavko Vorkapich: A Hollywood Extra |journal=Framework: The Journal of Cinema & Media |year=1983 |issue=21 |publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |location=Detroit |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/entertainment-reviews/31170659/archeology-film-theory-7-slavko-vorkapich-hollywood-extra-1927 }}{{dead link|date=November 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
* {{cite book |last=Zimmerman |first=Patricia R. |title=Reel Families: A Social History of Amateur Film |year=1995 |publisher=[[Indiana University Press]] |location=Bloomington |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kUlZzGpz_zEC |isbn=0253209447 }}

==External links==
* [https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/hollywood_extra.pdf ''The Life and Death of 9413: A Hollywood Extra''] by Brian Taves on the [[National Film Registry]] website
* {{IMDb title|0131461}}
* {{Internet Archive film|the-life-and-death-of-9413-a-hollywood-extra_1928|title = The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra}}
* [http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/L/LifeAndDeathOfNineFour1928.html ''The Life and Death of 9413: A Hollywood Extra''] on SilentEra.com
* {{youTube|_sDgeBZCf7g|The life and death of 9413 a Hollywood extra / with original music}}
{{Robert Florey}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Life And Death Of 9413--A Hollywood Extra, The}}
[[Category:1928 films]]
[[Category:1928 short films]]
[[Category:1920s avant-garde and experimental films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:American silent short films]]
[[Category:American avant-garde and experimental films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Films about actors]]
[[Category:Films directed by Robert Florey]]
[[Category:Films directed by Slavko Vorkapić]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:1920s American films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Robert Florey]]
[[Category:Films about Hollywood, Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films produced by Robert Florey]]
[[Category:1928 independent films]]