Favorite Movies About Hollywood
Below is a list of my favorite movies about Hollywood (in chronological order):
FAVORITE MOVIES ABOUT HOLLYWOOD
1. "Bombshell" (1933) - Victor Fleming directed this excellent comedy about a Hollywood starlet struggling to change her sexy image, despite the scheming of her manipulative publicist. Jean Harlow and Lee Tracy starred.
2. "A Star Is Born" (1937) - William Wellman directed the first of four versions of a tale about an aspiring Hollywood actress and her relationship with an actor whose career and fame is fading. Janet Gaynor and Fredric March starred.
3. "Sunset Boulevard" (1950) - Billy Wilder directed and co-wrote with Charles Brackett this fascinating tale about a struggling screenwriter who develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return. William Holden and Gloria Swanson starred.
4. "Singin’ in the Rain" (1952) - Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen directed this delightful and funny musical about the depiction of a Hollywood studio as it experiences the transition from silent to talking films during the late 1920s. Kelly starred with Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds.
5. "The Scarlett O’Hara War" (1980) - Tony Curtis starred as producer David O. Selznick in this adaptation of Garson Kanin’s 1979 novel, "Moviola". The movie focused on Selznick’s search for the right actress to play Scarlett O'Hara in the much anticipated film adaptation of "Gone with the Wind". John Erman directed.
6. "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" (1988) - Robert Zemeckis directed this excellent but loose adaptation of Gary K. Wolf’s 1981 novel, "Who Censored Roger Rabbit?". The movie starred Bob Hoskins, Charles Fleischer, Kathleen Turner and Christopher Lloyd.
7. "The Rocketeer" (1991) - Joe Johnston directed this adaptation of Dave Stevens’ comic book series about a stunt pilot who stumbles across a prototype jetpack that allows him to become a high-flying masked hero in 1938 Los Angeles. Bill Campbell, Jennifer Connolly, Alan Arkin and Timothy Dalton starred.
8. "Get Shorty" (1995) - Barry Sonnenfeld directed this excellent adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s 1990 novel about a Miami loan shark who becomes involved in the movie business during a trip to Los Angeles. John Travolta, Rene Russo and Gene Hackman starred.
9. "Bowfinger" (1999) - Frank Oz directed this hilarious movie about a down-and-out filmmaker in Hollywood attempting to make a film on a small budget with a star who does not know that he is in the film. Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy starred.
10. "The Cat’s Meow" (2001) - Peter Bogdanovich directed this fictionalized account of William Randolph Hearst’s November 1924 weekend cruise celebrating Thomas Ince’s birthday. The movie starred Kirsten Dunst, Edward Hermann, Eddie Izzard and Cary Elwes.
11. "Saving Mr. Banks" (2013) - John Lee Hancock directed this superb and emotional tale about author P.L. Travers and producer Walt Disney’s tug-of-war over the development of the 1964 movie, "Mary Poppins". Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks starred.
12. "Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood" (2019) - Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed this excellent tale about a fading actor and his stunt double struggling to regain success in the film industry during the final year of Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles. Oscar nominee Leonardo Di Caprio, Oscar winner Brad Pitt and Oscar nominee Margot Robbie starred.