‘Valentine’s Day’ continues all-star cast tradition

Director Garry Marshall returned to a tried-and-true-formula -- the all-star cast vehicle -- with his latest film. As in the past, the formula paid off handsomely: The romantic comedy “Valentine’s Day,” featuring Julia Roberts, her niece Emma Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Anne Hathaway and more in a stellar lineup, took in a studio-estimated $52.4 million from Friday through Sunday in the U.S. and Canada.

Last Valentine’s Day, audiences grooved to another romantic comedy, “He’s Just Not That Into You.” That movie’s stars included Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston and Drew Barrymore; it eventually took in $94 million domestically.

Audiences like these kind of films because they bring together stars who don’t often act together; studios like them because they can market the A-list talent, who often work for a fraction of their usual salaries because they are part of a large ensemble cast so each role is relatively small.

The downside of many of these films is that their shelf life is short. The featured stars of the day may not endure the test of time.

Unless you’re a cinéaste, watching an ensemble film from years past can be puzzling -- for example, Marie Dressler, a huge star for MGM in the early 1930s who costarred in “Dinner at Eight,” an early all-star vehicle, is largely forgotten now. And truth be told, most of these films aren’t cinematic classics; they’re meant to showcase the stars, not the storytelling or moviemaking.

Still, there’s no denying their enduring popularity. With romantic comedies such as “Valentine’s Day,” melodramas such as “Grand Hotel” and disaster flicks such as “The Poseidon Adventure,” all-star films have a rich history in Hollywood. Here’s a look back.

In the beginning

“Grand Hotel”: Drew Barrymore’s grandfather John and his brother Lionel appeared in what is considered the first all-star film -- the lavish 1932 Oscar winner about guests at a swank Berlin Hotel. The cast also featured Greta Garbo, Wallace Beery and Joan Crawford.

“Dinner at Eight”: The following year, the Barrymore brothers headlined the MGM comedy “Dinner at Eight.” Directed by George Cukor, the film also featured such superstars of the era as Dressler, Beery and Jean Harlow.

The musical revue

“Star Spangled Rhythm”: Musical revues were a nifty way of bringing a studio’s stars together. A slight story line would be the starting point for numbers featuring the superstars of the day. Among the best was this 1942 Paramount production with Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Fred MacMurray.

Other all-star revues include 1945’s “Ziegfeld Follies,” which marked the first on-screen collaboration between Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.

Disaster films

“The High and the Mighty”: The first big, star-laden disaster film was William Wellman’s exciting 1954 thriller about a crippled airplane flying from Hawaii to San Francisco. John Wayne, Robert Stack, Claire Trevor, Jan Sterling and Robert Newton were among the passengers and crew.

“Airport”: An even bigger cast graced 1970’s nailbiter that earned a best picture Oscar nomination. Burt Lancaster, Maureen Stapleton, Dean Martin, Jacqueline Bisset, Helen Hayes, George Kennedy and Van Heflin were among the stars of this bomb-on-a-plane blockbuster.

“The Poseidon Adventure”: Producer Irwin Allen became the master of disaster flicks with this 1972 classic about the survivors of a capsized ocean liner trying to reach safety. He turned these all-star calamity flicks into an art form with 1974’s “The Towering Inferno,” but ran out of steam by 1978’s “The Swarm” and 1980’s “When Time Ran Out.”

The anthology

“If I Had a Million”: Numerous star-laden films fall into the anthology genre, with disparate characters and stories revolving around a main theme. In the case of this 1932 comedy-drama, a cranky dying millionaire decides to leave a cool million each to a group of people he selects from the telephone book, including one played by Gary Cooper.

“Tales of Manhattan”: In this 1942 comedy-drama, a formal tailcoat goes from owner to owner. Stars included Charles Boyer, Rita Hayworth, Henry Fonda and Paul Robeson.

The epic

“The Longest Day”: This 1962 war flick’s cast included Eddie Albert, Paul Anka, Red Buttons, Fabian Forte, Mel Ferrer, Henry Fonda, Jeffrey Hunter, Roddy McDowall, Sal Mineo, Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, George Segal, Rod Steiger, Robert Wagner, John Wayne, Richard Burton and Sean Connery.

The Altman factor

“Nashville”: Iconoclastic director Robert Altman was a master when it came to all-star ensemble films seamlessly juggling several story lines and characters in his 1975 film set in the country music capital, as well as 1978’s “A Wedding,” 1992’s “The Player” and 1993’s “Short Cuts.”

The champion

“Around the World in 80 Days”: David Niven, Cantinflas, Robert Newton and MacLaine were the “stars” of this 1956 Oscar-winning best film based on the Jules Verne classic. But the travelogue adventure is best known for its 40 cameo performances. The film, in fact, is credited with popularizing the term “cameo.”

Among those 40 stars popping up in comedic moments are Charles Boyer, Ronald Colman, Noel Coward, Marlene Dietrich, Buster Keaton, Peter Lorre, Edward R. Murrow, Frank Sinatra and Red Skelton.

susan.king@latimes.com