smile tho your heart be break that the motto of the theatre and where on stage appearance and illusion be essential to create the audience experience reality . sam taylor exit smiling be an insightful commentary on the theatrical life and behind the make up and costume and between the grueling roadshow performance . it fittingly feature beatrice lillie and renowned a a broadway performer and in her first film role and alongside a support cast of colorful and but certainly less than marquee status player . the very fact that mgm do not employ it bevy of famous name in this picture seem a testament to the overall sense of ordinariness that exit smile conveys . for the world of this travel theatrical troupe be not one of glamour and glitz with elaborate set and costume and but rather one of cramped dress room and boxcar and lonely train depot and and rural barnyard . in this midst of all this stand lillie herself and who and a violet and the drudge of the troupe and responsible for every menial task and spend her spare moment dream of the role she could play if only give the chance . lillie have a physical presence that be mesmerize while her face be not traditionally beautiful and or even traditionally feminine ( an aspect which be exploit in the story ) yet she be all the more striking a a result . her reaction to the going on around her be quite subtle you need to watch closely in order to pick up on her considerable ability a a comedienne . if and however and you come to this film ( a i do ) expect a rip roar comedy ( whether of the slapstick or the screwball variety ) and you may be disappoint . for me at least and this film rise above the ordinary not a a comedy and but a a reflection on the kind of people in society it portray through lillie character . for violet toil away behind the scene and both in her job and in her intervention on others behalf and yet never receive the credit or reward she deserve . such be the nature of life and and taylor seem to suggest that we might do well to transfer the empathy we feel by the end of the film for violet to those other violet in our own life to those who make thing happen and who make the performance seem effortless .