Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

Skunkyrate Gripping story with well-crafted characters

GazerRise Fantastic!

Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Movie Critic Dull and boring. A movie about the movie making world and what they will do to cover up scandals among their best actors.I found the drama about the actor's marriage far too scattered and uninteresting. This film is supposed to show that some studio owners were evil greedy men making their stars produce garbage meaningless movies for money--using corrupted directors (gee what a surprise!). Also that this unfufilling career (producing kitch) leads to infidelity and marriage problems and robs the souls of the poor actors.Personally I would rather watch 99 River Street any day than this boring thing--all the studios would have gone bankrupt if they only produced these pseudo-intellectual masterpieces of boredom. An ugly now very dated looking French painting is supposed to symbolize the studio owners and of course the high culture and intelligence of the actor or rather his wife who bought it. PSEUDO-INTELLECTUALITY DEFINED.It drags it goes no where. It is talky with endless unemotive dialogue--in fact the scream when his wife finds his body--is the first non droning dialogue you hear--it made me jump. Shelley Winters is the most memorable actor for her short part where she is hopelessly dense and annoying.Watch things like 77 River Street...that is entertainment when things try to become too meaningful or artsy they flop..Several reviews say they let the actors control this entire movie allowing too much hamming and over-rehearsed stops (scenes).One last thing the tinny jazz soundtrack for this thing it was so bad it became irritating.DO NOT RECOMMEND

oscar-35 *Spoiler/plot- The Big Knife, 1955. A ten year established contract actor at a major studio feels like he's being mishandled by his studio. He wants to quit acting, but his contract is coming due for another seven years. He is put in a dilemma of conscience. The studio head tries to manipulate him, his family, career, and friend in a negative way for the studio's monetary interest. The actor is pushed to breaking point.*Special Stars- Jack Palance, Ida Lupino, Rod Steiger, Everett Stone, Nick Cravat, Shelley Winters.*Theme- Contractual bondage for an idealist is a bad idea.*Trivia/location/goofs- Film Noir, Method Actors cast. The studio head role was patterned after Columbia and MGM studio heads, Cohen and Mayer. This film was blacklisted by all the major studios for it's anti-studio content. It came out during the 'contract actors' legal fight to break the studio system by Bettie Davis and other actors. Film plot supposedly based on a true story about secret collusion between studio heads(John Huston & Louis Mayer), media(Louella Parsons) against studio actors. Several possible examples are Thomas Ince's death aboard William Randolph Hearst's yacht, the death of Jean Harlow's husband, the beating death of Ted Healy (recent stories allege Wallace Beery was responsible) Burt Lancaster(played in a similar subject matter film 'Sweet Smell of Success' '57) turned down the male lead role and John Garfield accepted but died by heart attack before shooting started. Shelley Winters dedicated her role to Garfield.*Emotion- This was a un-entertaining too static Method Actor melodramatic mish-moss. Weird miscasting for lead roles didn't help. The film title is crazy, too. It's a harsh message movie indictment on the studio contract players and draconian studio system. I have no problems with the actor's performance in either. But the fact 'The Big Knife' was shot like a locked down stage performance in essentially one house interior set made this film too static. It suffered greatly by constant plot and script referrals to dramatic incidents and people off camera. Therefore not pushing the script forward enough to make it dramatic & interesting. 'Sweet Smell' was more of a watchable interesting feature movie with all of the good production trimmings. The Big Knife leaves you confused, bored, and let down due to the films harsh ending.*Based On- Clifford Odets play.

alexandre michel liberman (tmwest) A movie star is a money making machine, it is a big business, and the fear of something that would make the machine stop can become an obsession, and start ruling. Dignity and integrity on one side and weakness on the other.This is an ever present theme. Clifford Odets knew very well how to write about it and in this adaptation of his play, director Robert Aldrich was able not to make it like filmed theater, in great part due to the excellent cinematography of Ernest Laszlo. Jack Palance is Charlie Castle, the movie star , a torn man, driven by his fears. Ida Lupino is his wife Marion, trying to make him keep his integrity. Rod Steiger as Stanley Hoff, the movie mogul, gives an unforgettable performance. Shelley Winters is a drunk starlet, and Jean Hagen a sexy, unfaithful wife. The story builds up very well, great performances, a film worth seeing.

MarieGabrielle Clifford Odets covers it all here, with some memorable performances by Ida Lupino, Rod Steiger, Wendell Corey as studio PR and bag man "Smiley Coy". Jack Palance as the principal character, a troubled leading man Charlie "Cas" Castle, who is trying to maintain vestiges of his ethics and values in a soul-less profession. Also a few good cameos with Shelley Winters as the scandal scapegoat, and an annoying histrionic performance with a drunk Jean Hagen attempting to seduce Palance.Lupino is Castle's estranged wife, who wants him back if he will not sell his soul to the studio. There are some memorable scenes with her as the grounded spouse, seeing Castle destroyed by the system, and trying to pull him out of the mire. Hollywood in those times was something not easily detached from, as Castle is a major star and studio head "Uncle Hoff". Rod Steiger excels here in that role as narcissistic tyrant Hof. His monologue regarding his wife, her illnesses and survival of the fittest in Hollywood is indelible, and rings true.Lupino and Steiger alone can dominate the scenery, as she glowers at him while he is lecturing Castle. While a bit talky at times, the subject of stardom and Hollywood of those times is intriguing. As Marilyn Monroe once said, ..."Hollywood is a town where they give you a million for your body and a nickel for your soul"... Classic. 9/10.