On B List of Movie Reviews

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The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

Rate: 9
Viewed: 3/14

TheBB
3/14: The Bad and the Beautiful is among best pictures of the behind-the-scenes showbiz genre.

So many films such as The Player, An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn, and Swimming with Sharks have failed to capture the essence of Hollywood's cutthroat business, but this one gets it right.

Obviously, Kirk Douglas has star quality written all over his face, and it shows in The Bad and the Beautiful. Without question, he's a scene-stealer. Lana Turner gives a good but not believable performance because she's a star, not an actress. So, I don't buy it for a second. It's not her best work anyway.

Gloria Grahame won the Oscar for her overrated supporting performance. Did she sleep with the Academy voters? The worst and most unbearable of the cast is Dick Powell. Nobody acts like that in real life. Meanwhile, the story is interesting to follow, but who cares? A glaring omission is the casting couch which was made to good use by many famous stars. Even for both genders, having sex with those in power was usually the only way to appear in movies.

All in all, The Bad and the Beautiful has it all: story, acting, dialogue, and, for good or bad, the classic touch of Hollywood.