Classic Film Guide

Bad and the Beautiful, The (1952)

A must-see, told through a series of three flashbacks, it's the story of a couple of young film-makers, their rise to power & its corrupting influence, those they help & those they "step on" along the way, and the aftermath for those involved. Kirk Douglas plays the producer, who along with his director (Walter Pidgeon), found the way to the top of their industry. The lives he affects include an actress (Lana Turner), a writer (Dick Powell) and his sexy, Southern belle wife, played by Gloria Grahame, who won her only Oscar on her second and last Best Supporting Actress nomination (the other was for Crossfire (1947)). Douglas's driven, unscrupulous character, who dominates his initial, weaker partner (Pidgeon) earned him one of his three Oscar-less Best Actor nominations. Charles Schnee's Screenplay won the Oscar, as did its B&W Cinematography, Art Direction, & Costume Design. Directed by Vincent Minnelli. Leo G. Carroll and Paul Stewart also appear. Added to the National Film Registry in 2002.

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