THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

US, 1952, 118 minutes, Back and white.
Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell, Barry Sullivan, Gloria Grahame, Gilbert Roland, Leo G. Carroll, Paul Stewart, Elaine Stewart, Kathleen Freeman.
Directed by Vincent Minnelli

The Bad and the Beautiful is considered one of the best films about film-making in Hollywood. It is grim, focuses on the dark side of film production and the studios. It is said to have many of its scenes based on the life of producer David O. Selznick (Gone with the Wind) and Kathleen Freeman’s role is parallel to that of Alfred Hitchcock’s wife, Alma Revell. Leo G. Carroll is considered to be a director not unlike Hitchcock.

The film’s focus is on an unscrupulous director who came from B films to the top. He is played with successful ruthlessness by Kirk Douglas. The femme fatale, star, is Lana Turner. There are strong character performances by the supporting cast with Gloria Grahame winning an Oscar for best supporting actress. She also won the Golden Globe in this category and Gilbert Roland won for best supporting actor. The film won a number of Oscars including cinematography for black and white film, costume design for black and white film and screenplay for Charles Schnee.

The film was made fifty-five years or so after the invention of cinema. By looking at this film, one can see the development in film-making and techniques but also on the hold that cinema and movie-making had on those involved, the ruthlessness, the obsessions.

Vincente Minnelli had directed a number of very successful musicals including Meet Me At St Louis and a number of dramas including The Big Clock. He would ultimately win the Oscar for a musical, Gigi, but also continued to make a range of films including the biography of Van Gogh, Lust for Life, with Kirk Douglas, as well as Two Weeks in Another Town, another film about Hollywood, also starring Kirk Douglas.

1. This is considered the best of the films about Hollywood. Why? Its strengths and its weaknesses? Its homage to Hollywood, its parody, irony, insight?

2. The significance of the title, its ironies, its references to the main characters?

3. The quality of the black and white photography and special effects, the strength of the screenplay, the sets? The Oscar awards, did the film merit them? sets and photography, the way of shooting films, the tableau of the three at the end on the phone...?

4. The importance of the structure of the film: the question about Jonathan Shields, the nature of the flashbacks, the momentum of moving from one story to the other, the three commentaries on Shields, audience antipathy, the crisis, an awareness of hate and love? The final area of decisions? Hardness and a refusal, yet the hold of Jonathan Shields over the three characters in the light of what they had remembered? The overall impact of Shields's character and the meaning of his hold?

5. The presentation of Hollywood as a place, its ethos and mystique its good qualities and its bad, the achievement in cinema, the ruthlessness? What was bad and what was beautiful? The effect of Hollywood, and its people, on the main characters? Audience presuppositions about the nature of Hollywood?

6. The focus on the character of Jonathan Shields? The influence of his father, in terms of his arrangements for the funeral, his father's achievement and his wanting to achieve? The strengths of his ambitions? The loner who took others with him and then dropped them? The significance of the funeral and the clash with Fred? The friendship with Fred and their achievement in minor films? The details of Jonathan's involvement in this? The horror film, etc.? Fred's dreams and achievement? Shields easily selling him out? The use of Georgia? For his ambitions without regard to her? His pretence and coldness? His using of James Lee and his wife? Manipulating him? Sacrificing his wife? Shields as a man of inspiration? And yet a man who lost? How rounded the picture of Shields's character? His strengths and his weaknesses? His understanding of himself?

7. Pride before his fall? The significance of his crash? Directing his own film? His art and the shelving of the film and its effect on him? His final desperation and plea to his enemies? Would it all happen again?

8. His role in the film? As the man questioning Shields's enemies? The portrayal of the producer, films, typical Hollywood man, the business side and the bravo attitude? His attitude towards Shields and letting him fail? His working for Shields and supporting him? As a boss and as a subordinate? As a support and a Hollywood type? His support of Shields in his financial worries?

9. Sid as a Press Agent, his work with the stars and with the authors, for example James Lee? His loyalty to Shields?

10. How well delineated was the character of Prod? His cynical attitude at the funeral,~ his sharing of aims with Shields, their work together on 'B' pictures, their Cat Man horror film, success, his family and his dream of directing a great film? His being ditched, his hatred? His being made to stand on his own feet as Prod pointed out? The effect of Jonathan Shields on him?

11. How well delineated was the character of Georgia? First seeing her in the dark, the build-up about her father and his house, the daughter of her father, self-pity and drink, suicide? Her role in the screen tent when drunk? Her being seen, Jonathan's faith in her, her wooden screen test and yet people focused on her? Her fear, involvement in the rehearsals, being built up by Jonathan, depending on his love? Believing in his love? Her running away before the shooting? The details of her acting? The emotion in her death scene? The importance of her disillusionment scene? Her running away in the car and the emotional hysteria in the car? What had she achieved by the influence of Jonathan on her? Independence and stardom? What insight into the rise of a Hollywood star?

12. How well was the character of James Lee delineated? As a writer, a Southern man, the society of Virginia? His sour outlook? His love for his wife? Cynical attitude towards Hollywood? Despising Shields, working on the book, growing enthusiasm? Being inspired to work by Shields? His participation in the film, even though it was Shields's failure? His disillusionment in learning the truth? How was he affected by Shields? Writing a prize-winning book on his wife?

13. The importance of the character of Rosemary? A Southern belle, flighty, her love for James Lee, her giving papers to the group, her fascination with Hollywood, with Gaucho, her ambitions? Wondering whether she had changed for the better? The irony of her death and its effect on James Lee?

14. The character of Gaucho? Their initial hiring of him, the outing and his attitude towards Shields? His support of him over the years? The irony of his death with Rosemary?

15. How interesting was the film in its presentation of the detail of film production, the shooting of films, editing? The shelving of a failure?

16. What major themes were explored in the film: human themes, cinema themes, American themes?

17. The significance of the ending? The bitterness and cynicism, the fascination of a personality, the optimism? The final tableau of the three characters who had been influenced by Shields?