HOLLYWOODLAND
US, 2006, 126 minutes, Colour.
Adrien Brody, Diane Lane, Ben Affleck, Bob Hoskins, Robin Tunney, Larry Cedar, Lois Smith, Dash Mihik. Jeffrey de Munn.
Directed by Alan Coulter.
Hollywoodland used to be the full word on that famous ‘Hollywood’ sign proclaiming itself all over Los Angeles. It is now the title of a very interesting and effective Hollywood story.
It was released at the same time as Brian de Palma’s take on James Ellroy’s portrait of 1940s Los Angeles, crime and police, The Black Dahlia. This is altogether a sunnier story even though it tracks over the same kind of ground. Part of the sunniness is the change of status in the LA private eye. This is post-Chandler, post-Hammet territory. No longer is the detective the tough individualist in a seedy office who probes the dark side of the city (that is so 30s and 40s!). Here is the 1950s, the late 50s, the end of the Eisenhower administration, the nice era of ‘Back to the Future’. The private eye lives in suburbia, has an ex-wife, is devoted to his children – but still probes the seamy side.
The focus is the suicide of actor George Reeves who had appeared in Gone With the Wind and a number of 40s movies, who had fallen on hard times despite his charm and self-promotion and who had taken on the role of Superman in a series of minus-B movies and a television series and found himself the centre of adulation especially from his children fans. Everybody had to go home and watch Superman.
In the meantime, he had begun a liaison with the wife of an MGM executive which lasted several years until he took up with a model. He was depressive and shot himself. At least that is what the history says.
The interesting part of Hollywoodland, besides the career and spiral of Reeves, is the parallel story of the private eye investigation into his death. As with The Black Dahlia, we are treated to some hypotheses, plausible enough, of what might have been.
Did Reeves simply commit suicide? Could the tough executive with a Mafia background have organised his death? What about the model and her wanting his money? The screenplay shows us all these possibilities and leaves us with them.
The paralleling of the stories makes for an involving screenplay. The world of the private eye centres on Adrien Brody in an effective performance, partly an ambulance chasing detective who wants celebrity, partly a man who would like to have his family back, partly a man who is intrigued by the different dimensions of the story, the characters and stirring up trouble and revelations of a murky world (in the vein of Chinatown).
Reeves is portrayed by Ben Affleck in one of his best performances (winning the Best Actor award in Venice). And there is a topnotch performance from Diane Lane as the older woman he takes up with.
Bob Hoskins is her husband.
This is intelligent adult drama that immerses us in 1950s Hollywoodland.
1.Interesting and entertaining? Its part in the Hollywood genre? Based on facts, elaborated with speculation, what might have been? Three theories for the death of George Reeves?
2.The quality of the screenplay, verbal, structure, the two worlds, the intercutting, the momentum of each, each throwing light on the other?
3.The film working on several levels and themes: the United States in the 1950s, the American dream, the Hollywood dream, celebrities, images and fans, relationships, Hollywood corruption?
4.The private eye genre – the post-Chandler, post-Hammett private eye? The private eye of the 50s? Tough, the cases, but a different life and lifestyle, more ordinary, fallible, marriage and break-up, children, suburbia?
5.Audiences and their knowledge of George Reeves and his career? Boxer and actor, appearing in Gone With The Wind, films, television, Superman, Sir Galahad? His achievement, sense of failure? Potential for a career? His depression? Killing himself?
6.The image of Superman over the decades, the comic strips, the radio serials, the films and television series? Louis’ son Evan and his grief at Reeves’ death? The announcing of Superman’s death? The film showing the television series, families hurrying to watch it, Kellogg’s sponsoring it? George’s audition, his being accepted, the filming of the various sequences, the costume, the different colour for black and white photography, his fall and his reaction? His feeling that it was a nothing career? Two years and it not being screened, the sponsorship, the colour filming? His continued working over the years as Superman? His meetings with children, the theme park style of action, the child wanting to fire the gun at him to see if the bullets would bounce off him, his shrewdness in saying bouncing bullets could hurt others? The effect on his film career, the preview of From Here to Eternity, the catcalls and the questions about Lois Lane?
7.George Reeves in himself, his age and experience, his relationship with his mother, her lies about his conception, about his father’s suicide? His anger with her? The reality of the father not committing suicide and visiting? In Hollywood, his friends, drinks, getting his friends to pay, his self-promotion, photos in the nightclubs, in the papers? Aiding his career, meeting people who would help him? Turning his charm on Toni, going off with her, the night together, the discovery of who she was? The impact of the truth, his continuing with her, the very long affair? His love for her, her love for him? Her buying things for him, especially the house, the watch? Getting a gun for him? Always together, her going to the studios to watch the filming of Superman? Going to the meal with Eddie Mannix and his mistress, the irony of the Japanese woman not talking? The passing of the years, the differences in his career from what he expected? Eventually breaking with Toni, new hopes, going to New York, the meeting with Leonore, the parties, the disagreements with Leonore, whether he had broken the engagement or not? The parties at home, singing the Mexican songs? His singing being an entrée in the past into company and parties? His bond with his agent, a good friend and support? The audition tape for the wrestling show? The final night, despondent, singing, shooting himself
8.Toni Mannix, the background of her being a showgirl, her relationship with Mannix, mistress to marriage? Her social life, wealth? At the clubs, photo opportunities? Charmed by George, the age difference, the night with him? The truth, buying the house? Their long affair? Going out together? With her husband, his tolerance? Her tolerance of his affairs? Her life, gifts, the break and George’s going to New York, her telling him the truth about himself and his career? Her grief? The impact of his death, seclusion, the anniversary of her marriage and the pressure on her to come to the party?
9.Eddie Mannix, his New Jersey gangster background, work in the studios, solving problems? A studio boss, money, control? His files? His PR man, Howard Strickling and solving all the problems at the studio? His pressure on private detective companies and their doing work for him, for the police? At dinner and meeting George? Work at the studio, Louis Cimo confronting him, his pushing his weight around? The end, protecting Toni, wanting her to come down to the party?
10.MGM as a studio, Howard Strickling, his expert manner, threats, pay-offs, tough stances, confrontations with George?
11.The police, at the scene of George’s death, Patterson and his detective work? The pressures on the police, the files? Patterson finally handing them over to Louis? The Sinclair story, Sinclair murdering his wife, the police and Louis at that scene of the crime? The interconnection?
12.The glimpse of Hollywood, Hollywoodland, its glamour, tough, hard work, betrayals? An isolated world?
13.Art as an agent, a good man, decent, his friendship with George, supporting him, the funeral, his discussions with Louis?
14.The Sinclair story, showing Louis in action, his paranoia, Kit and her work with Louis? The photographing Sinclair’s wife, the wife talking to Louis and warning him off? Kit and her work, getting information for him, her other relationship and his sacking her?
15.Louis and his story, the five thousand dollars for the revelation? His estrangement from his wife, from his son? The visits, his wife and her new boyfriend, her exasperation with him? The Superman headlines, the private eye firm giving him the clues, urging him to investigate? His seeing himself as a private eye, his surly manner? His going home, his wife asking him to help with Evan, Evan and his concern about Superman’s death? His father’s gifts, his reactions? His spurning the gift? Louis turning up at school, his drinking, the end?
16.Louis’ wife, her relationship with Russ, Russ as a decent man, their discussions, Louis watching the home movies with their memories?
17.Louis in himself, integrity, ambiguous, the money, the Sinclair case, the photographs, neglecting it, confrontation by the wife, Sinclair and his growing paranoia? The death of the wife, his feeling guilty, Patterson offering to help?
18.The investigation into the death of George Reeves, the tip-off, the headlines, his work, meeting George’s mother, her retaining him, her motivations? Her not believing her son would die? His visit to Leonore, overhearing the information about the will, leaking it to the press? Leonore being vicious, later finding her in the house, her phoning him and the proposition? Her friend, her friend’s husband, working in the garden, his tip about the case? Building up the scenario that Leonore could have killed George Reeves?
19.Louis being bashed at home, the cigar, realising it was the private detective company? The pressures from MGM? Buying off George’s mother? His not having access to Toni, his meeting Mannix – and the scenario that Mannix could have ordered a hit man to kill Reeves?
20.The picture of the police, the newspapers, the stories, the will? Louis and his giving stories to the press? The story of the brakes in the car and Reeves drunk? A go-getting private eye, the bashing and its effect, his wanting to see Toni, failing, Kit and her betrayal, the going back to the cigarettes and the drinking?
21.The various pieces, going to Toni, talking with her, being kicked out?
22.The end, his focus, the panning to his standing outside the house while the film recreated the final night, George singing, going upstairs, ready for bed, depressed, shooting himself and panning back to Louis?
23.American themes, the American dream and failure, the loner detective who becomes hero, social corruption, authority figures and corruption? Speculations and possibilities about the case?
