A Reel Retro Review: THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (1952)

With no new films to review for the foreseeable future, Reel Speak will randomly review a classic film from the TCM library every week. Not just for the sake of filling time, but to hopefully introduce some overlooked and perhaps forgotten screen gems from the past to those of us who may be unfamiliar or unawares of their existence. 

There are many genres for cinema to pull their stories from; sci-fi, fantasy, crime, action, the Old West…just to name a few. One genre that Hollywood has created on their own is the movie-about-a-movie; a story that pulls the silver screen back and reveals the stories behind the stories. Most of these films feature a lot of back-patting and adds more glamour to the perceived glamorous movie-star life, but others show no fear in showing just how rough it can be. One such example of the latter is THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. 

Jonathan Shields (Kirk Douglas), is a successful, Oscar-winning producer who has betrayed three of his closest colleagues on his way to becoming the head of his own studio; actress Georgia Lorrison (Lana Turner), writer James Bartlow (Dick Powell), and director Fred Amiel (Barry Sullivan). 

THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL unfolds in an unconventional way. In the very beginning, the damage has already been done, with Jonathan’s former friends and colleagues having already been chewed up and spit out by the Hollywood machine. They are summoned by movie producer Harry Pebbel (Walter Pidgeon), who is acting as a liason for Jonathan…who would like to work with his former friends one last time. What follows next are three extended flashbacks, as told by each former friend…which reveals Jonathan’s rise to the top and his eventual betrayal of all three. 

It’s a cynical look at Hollywood and moviemaking. Although great work is done by director Vincente Minnelli to show just how much work goes into putting a film together, it’s a story of how a person’s soul is destroyed rather than saved by the tinsel of the town. Each flashback and story reveals a little more about Jonathan, who was the son of a powerful Hollywood producer…providing a motivation for his eventual treachery. 

Acting is superb with the great Kirk Douglas leading the way. His character goes through a lot, and this film is one of his best examples of his range. The rest of the cast is equally outstanding. The show is stolen by Gloria Grahame, who as the wife of the writer, provides a shocking tragedy near the end of the film. 

THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL doesn’t paint the movie producer in the best light, which makes this 1952 film a unique entry in an era where giddy optimism was common. It’s not quite a downer of a film, but it does stand as a strong morality tale of what can happen under the glare of those Hollywood lights. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it. 

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Reel Facts: Actress Gloria Grahame appears in the film for less than 10 minutes but would win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. At the time it was the record for the shortest performance to win an Oscar. Overall the film would win five of its six nominations, and to this day holds the record for the most Oscars without being nominated for Best Picture.