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The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) poster
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The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

Drama, Romance • 1h 58m

Overview

Told in flashback form, the film traces the rise and fall of a tough, ambitious Hollywood producer, Jonathan Shields, as seen through the eyes of various acquaintances, including a writer, James Lee Bartlow; a star, Georgia Lorrison; and a director, Fred Amiel. He is a hard-driving, ambitious man who ruthlessly uses everyone on the way to becoming one of Hollywood's top movie makers.

Cast: Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell, Barry Sullivan, Gloria Grahame, Leo G. Carroll, Gilbert Roland, Paul Stewart, Vanessa Brown, Elaine Stewart, Sammy White, Ivan Triesault, Lucy Knoch, Jay Adler, Stanley Andrews, Del Armstrong, Ben Astar, Barbara Billingsley, Madge Blake, Marshall Bradford, Paul Bradley, Hadda Brooks, Ralph Brooks, Robert Burton, Francis X. Bushman, Louis Calhern, Marietta Canty, Robert Carson, Beulah Christian, Janet Comerford, James Conaty, Jonathan Cott, Lillian Culver, Alexis Davidoff, Bob Davis, Sandy Descher, Helen Dickson, Phil Dunham, Steve Dunhill, Franklyn Farnum, James Farrar, Bess Flowers, Charles Fogel, George Ford, Steve Forrest, Kathleen Freeman, Rudy Germane, Frank Gerstle, Joe Gilbert, Ned Glass, James Gonzalez, Phyllis Graffeo, Herschel Graham, A. Cameron Grant, Marion Gray, William E. Green, Dabbs Greer, Robert Haines, Sam Harris, Dick Johnstone, Ted Jordan, Joseph Keane, Kenner G. Kemp, Peggy King, Mike Lally, Louise Lane, George J. Lewis, Wilbur Mack, Paul Marion, Paul Maxey, May McAvoy, Harold Miller, Hans Moebus, Patrick J. Molyneaux, Roger Moore, Ellanora Needles, Richard Norris, William H. O'Brien, Pat O'Malley, Christopher Olsen, Dorothy Patrick, William Phillips, Murray Pollack, Paul Power, Kathy Qualen, Anthony Redondo, Jeff Richards, Loretta Russell, Jeffrey Sayre, Frank J. Scannell, Perry Sheehan, George Sherwood, Reginald Simpson, Mabel Smaney, Norman Stevans, William Tannen, Dee Turnell, Harry Tyler, Kaaren Verne, Ray Walker, Harte Wayne, Lawrence A. Williams, Eric Wilton, Wilson Wood, Douglas Yorke, Helen Young

Best English-Friendly Release

Best Video Release

Warner Archive, 2k + 4k scans

Format

1080p Blu-ray

Featured Lists

National Film Registry

Year of Induction: 2002

TSPDT

2026: #756
2025: #738
2024: #739
2023: #740
2022: #740

Length

118 mins

Type

Movie

Alternative Titles

Memorial to a Bad Man, Tribute to a Badman

Last Updated

a month ago

Contributors

Best English-Friendly Release
Best Video Release

Warner Archive, 2k + 4k scans

Format
1080p Blu-ray
Featured Lists
National Film Registry

Year of Induction: 2002

TSPDT
2026: #756
2025: #738
2024: #739
2023: #740
2022: #740
Length
118 mins
Type
Movie
Alternative Titles
Memorial to a Bad Man, Tribute to a Badman
Last Updated
a month ago
Contributors

Featured in National Film Registry

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