Overview
A ruthless Hollywood producer's ambition leads to both success and destruction, revealing the dark side of fame.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- cynical
- glamorous
- melancholic
- classic film night
- film history study
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as a powerful, exceptionally acted classic Hollywood drama, while some find its episodic structure and central producer overly schematic.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film uses the experiences of Georgia Lorrison, James Lee Bartlow, and Fred Amiel to expose the human costs of producer Jonathan Shields's methods.
Jonathan Shields advances careers and creates successful films while manipulating and using the writer, actress, and director around him.
Harry Pebbel brings three former associates together, and each recounts a distinct flashback perspective on Shields.
The black-and-white cinematography and heightened performances give the Hollywood setting a dramatic, psychologically charged appearance.
Films like The Bad and the Beautiful, and why
Sunset Boulevard
classic Hollywood drama centered on ambition, manipulation, and the corrosive machinery of filmmaking
The Player
self-reflexive Hollywood story combining industry satire, moral compromise, and retrospective storytelling
The Aviator
ensemble Hollywood drama about creative ambition, exploitation, and relationships shaped by the studio system
Movie Details
- Director
- Vincente Minnelli
- Release Date
- 1952-12-25
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (313)
Cast
- Lana Turner
- Kirk Douglas
- Walter Pidgeon
- Dick Powell
- Barry Sullivan
- Gloria Grahame
- Leo G. Carroll
- Gilbert Roland
- Paul Stewart
- Vanessa Brown
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Bad and the Beautiful about?
- A ruthless Hollywood producer’s former collaborators revisit the ambition, manipulation, and creative brilliance that made him impossible to forgive or forget.
- What is The Bad and the Beautiful like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Bad and the Beautiful as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Bad and the Beautiful violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Bad and the Beautiful.
- What did critics think of The Bad and the Beautiful?
- Critics broadly regard it as a powerful, exceptionally acted classic Hollywood drama, while some find its episodic structure and central producer overly schematic.
- Which films are like The Bad and the Beautiful?
- Films with a similar feel include Sunset Boulevard, The Player, and The Aviator.
- How long is The Bad and the Beautiful?
- The Bad and the Beautiful runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Bad and the Beautiful?
- In United States, The Bad and the Beautiful is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
