This film truly is a Hollywood story, employing real actors from the silent period and filmed on real locations throughout Hollywood and Los Angeles. There are views of buildings up and down Hollywood Blvd., including Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Roosevelt Hotel, Charlie Chaplin Studios on La Brea Ave., the Sunset Strip, Universal Studios, and the Hollywood Christmas Parade. It appears that more silent film stars shot cameos than actually made it into the film, but it still salutes and highlights the early days of Hollywood. Art direction is top notch, the acting is fine, and the story is really entertaining. The mystery is well thought out and keeps you guessing until the end. This is much more serious and top notch than the typical William Castle film.
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marymal25 September 2009
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boblipton20 July 2020Producer Richard Conte comes to Hollywood to make his next picture. While he's figuring out a subject, he rents an old studio. The guard tells him about a director murdered at the dawn of sound, still unsolved. Conte decides that will make a terrific picture. High school friend and now Hollywood agent Jim Backus hates the idea, as does Conte's partner Fred Clark. Julia Adams, the daughter of a movie star with whom the dead man was linked, asks him to drop it. Even police detective Richard Egan comes by to quiz Conte and tell him it's a terrible idea. conte persists, even hiring the dead director's washed-up screenwriter, Henry Hull. Then there is another murder...
It's a canny, nostalgic movie directed by William Castle, who knows how to evoke old Hollywood without getting trapped in antiques. The studio that Conte rents is Chaplin's studio, and there cameos for a Betty Blythe, a Francis X. Bushman, and William Farnum. The mystery, although far from the William Desmond Taylor murder that inspired it, is nicely constructed, with some decent red herrings. It's a fine example of the unassuming picture that does everything you so right that that it becomes a minor masterpiece. -
bensonmum223 July 2021Supposedly based on a real unsolved Hollywood murder, Hollywood Story tells the story of film director Larry O'Brien (Richard Conte), who's leases on old, abandoned studio for his next movie. The studio was the scene of an unsolved murder and O'Brien decides the story would make a good film. As he starts poking around and asking questions about the murder, it becomes apparent that someone doesn't want the film made. After a couple of attempts on his life, O'Brien realizes that he's on the right track to actually unmasking a killer.
Overall, I found Hollywood Story to be an entertaining film with an interesting plot, good acting, and nice production values. More of a mystery than a true film noir, there are plenty of plot twists to keep things interesting throughout the 77 minute runtime. The "old" Hollywood locations are a nice touch and add to the film's authentic feel. As expected, Richard Conte is rock solid in the lead. It was great seeing him play the good guy for a change. It was also nice seeing Julie Adams in a film where she's not being stalked underwater. As much as I love her in Creature from the Black Lagoon, it's odd I can't remember seeing Adams in much else. The supporting cast (Jim Backus, Richard Egan, Fred Clark) add a lot to the experience. And special mention to the cast, particularly cinematographer Carl Guthrie. I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but these Universal films from the 1940s look so good. Absolutely beautiful.
Finally, I need to mention director William Castle. Until just recently, I only knew Castle from his 1960s era horror output. I really enjoy many of these movies like House on Haunted Hill, Homicidal, and I Saw What You Did. But, as I'm learning after watching Hollywood Story and Undertow, there's so much more to Castle than I imagined. He made a load of films prior to the 60s just waiting for me to discover. How fun is that!
7/10. -
jotix1002 August 2012"Hollywood Story" directed by William Castle takes a fond look at the not too distant past as movies were evolving from silent to talkies. Written by Frederick Kohner and Frederick Brady, the film centers around a famous unsolved murder of a producer Franklin Ferrara, found dead in the bungalow that served as his office in 1929.
Larry O'Brian, a successful producer comes to Hollywood hoping to start a few projects. He is shown around the old vacant studio owned by Ferrara as a possible venue where to shoot a film. He hears the story about the murder in the place where it happened and gets intrigued to make a film that might shed some insight in what really happened. As he works in the production, figures from the past start to emerge. The situation gets complicated as the film is being put together, but O'Brian manages to get to the bottom of the mystery, solving the crime by examining the evidence with a careful eye.
Richard Conte, usually seen as a heavy, appears as Larry O'Brian the man who stumbles on a puzzle some twenty years after the actual murder occurred. The supporting cast includes reliable figures of that era: Fred Ward, Jim Backus, Richard Egan, Julie Adams, Henry Hull, and Paul Cavanagh among them. There are also some silent stars in cameo roles like Francis Bushman, Betty Blythe, Helen Gibson, and William Farnum in a well deserved tribute to them. Joel McCrea appears briefly in a film being shot at a studio.
The Los Angeles of the early 1950s is given a wonderful look by cinematographer Carl Guthrie who follows the action in different parts of the city that are long gone. The music score is credited to Frank Skinner. William Castle shows he was one of the best among directors. -
Saw this movie as a kid, watching " The Late Show, " which was always a great old b/w movie. Years later, read about the murder of William Desmond Taylor and thought this hit awfully close to home. Taylor was a director of some note in early Hollywood, but also known to be quite the ladies' man. He was murdered in his apartment and the case was never officially solved. After his murder, the career of Mary Miles Minter, a well known Hollywood starlet was pretty much in ruins, due to several pieces of her personal belongings found at the scene of the crime, which is interesting, as studio bigwigs were called to the apartment before the police were called. Also interesting was the rumor that his now missing valet / butler / chauffeur was in reality his brother. The deceased Tayor was not who he appeared to be - he had long before abandoned a wife and child and re-invented himself. Years later, the famed Hollywood director King Vidor became interested in the mystery and worked on it for some years. His efforts were detailed in a book called " A Cast Of Killers, " well worth the read.
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My position is exactly the same as that of bsnmsn. I saw this on "The Late Show" (for me, a locally-operated movie slot following the post-prime time news), where I saw numerous great, old films. Then, years later I learned about the William Desmond Taylor murder and recognized the parallels to this movie. Just couldn't be coincidence. I think I've seen "Hollywood Story" once since then, either on local TV in the late 70s to early 80s, or on a cable channel (TBS, WGN, WOR) in the early 80s. I keep scouring the listings of Turner Classic Movies for it, but so far no luck. BTW, I gave it a 7 out of 10, dropping a little because I remember it as looking somewhat low-budget; it IS an early William Castle effort.
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blanche-212 August 2021"Hollywood Story" from 1951 stars Richard Conte, Julia Adams, Richard Egan, Henry Hull, Jim Backus, Paul Cavanagh, with appearances by Francis X. Bushman, Betty Blythe, William Farnum, and Helen Gibson from the silent film era, as well as Joel McCrea.
Directed by William Castle, Conte plays Larry O'Brien, an independent producer who comes to Hollywood and becomes interested in the mysterious death of a silent film director, Franklin Ferrara, a murder victim. The case has never been solved. This is based on the real-life William Desmond Taylor murder.
O'Brien rents an old studio building and spends time in Ferrara's bungalow, where he was murdered. He starts talking to people, and it becomes apparent that someone doesn't want him to make the film. At one point, he is in the bungalow and someone takes a shot at him. O'Brien ducks the bullet, then goes outside and starts wandering around. Just what I would have done with someone trying to shoot me.
This was an okay mystery with wonderful location shots of LA and great atmosphere.
There was one huge mistake (to my mind, though it doesn't seem like anyone else noticed). Here goes:
************************************************************************************ SPOILER:
When the Conte character is shot at, he goes to the phone and immediately calls a police inspector, Bud Lenox (Egan), whom he met earlier. Egan isn't there, so he leaves a message with his phone number - GR 1466.
Later, an old-timer named Romero contacts O'Brien and says he knows the identity of the Ferrara murderer. He will not come to O'Brien's office, so O'Brien has to go to his place. When he gets there, Romero is dead, a piece of paper beside him. On it is the phone number GR 1466. This makes sense, since he contacted O'Brien, who was at that number.
However, O'Brien gives the piece of paper to Lenox and wants the identity of the caller. Turns out it was an old number Romero had that had been reassigned to someone not involved in the case. Lenox discovers that in 1929, the phone number belonged to O'Brien's money man, Sam Clark, who knew Ferrara.
Well, hello, it's the identical phone number to O'Brien's. It looks as if O'Brien set up an office in Ferrara's old bungalow. If he did, that's one thing. It's quite another if he's just hanging out in the bungalow because why is there even a phone there, the place hasn't been used since 1929. Not to mention, why does the phone have that number since it didn't belong to Ferrara in 1929, but to Clark.
Sloppy writing. -
gltroup18 October 2017Watched a pretty good HD version of this. I am no expert, just like to watch old films. But I wouldn't call it film noir. It is quite an enjoyable mystery and it's interesting to see 50s LA and Hollywood. I'm not familiar with silent era actors who appeared in this movie but was pleasantly surprised when Joel McCrae appeared. Recommend it for sure and hope it gets more exposure.
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I got this film because I like 40s/50s mysteries, because I like Richard Conte, and because it was directed by William Castle and thus HAD to be interesting. Actually, it is an excellent little mystery. New York-based producer Conte comes out to LA to make some films and rents an old studio building that hasn't been used since the silent era (which was only 22 years ago at the time of this film). The last year of silents, 1929, a major silent director was killed at the studio, and the case has never been solved. Conte decides to research the director and the murder for a film plot--he digs up a few of the people who worked at the studio and learns more about the mystery... while a new mystery starts to develop and the guilty party from 1929 starts to cause trouble again. It's as cleverly plotted as the best Columbo or Perry Mason episode, and Conte as always is powerful and sympathetic. He was one of the great post-WWII stars and his work should be revived today--watch THE BROTHERS RICO sometime! Great supporting cast with Jim Backus, Richard Egan, the lovely Julie Adams, and silent star and 30s independent-film regular William Farnum. It's always good to be pleasantly surprised by a film that delivers much more than you expected, and this is such a nice little mystery. It's not on video or DVD, but keep your eye out for it.
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Just because certain actors are forgotten doesn't mean that they weren't one stars or deserving of rediscovery. and just because someone is a character actor best known for a certain type of role doesn't mean that they always played that role. Don't expect Mr. Magoo or Mr. Howell in agent Jim Backus who narrates the film from the very beginning, bringing writer Richard Conte to Hollywood to utilize him for ideas. While roaming around the boulevards of broken dreams, Conti learns about a murder of a Hollywood director that took place as the silent films were transitioning to sound. With the murder unsolved, he thinks it is a perfect way to break into film, unaware that the killer is still at large and that the police have not closed the case.
At first, Backus doesn't think that this is a good idea for a subject for a film, and police detective Richard Egan agrees. But Conte interviews many of the people who knew the deceased director, as well as the daughter (Julie Adams) of one of his big stars. she objects to the picture because she believes it might bring out secrets from her parents past but Contei reassures her that it will be dignified. There's also Henry Hull as a legendary screenwriter who disappeared into obscurity, Fred Clark who was a young producer at the time, and a variety of silent actors playing themselves, among them Francis X. Bushman.
This is a well-crafted and neatly plotted murder mystery, not a big studio film, but ripped with talent, great vintage Hollywood locations and fun character performances doing their best with an awesome screenplay. Conte is one of the great unsung leading men of Hollywood's golden age, great weather playing gangsters or heroes. Julie Adams, one of the great unsung beauties of the 1950's, was also a very good actress as well, and her character is surrounded by mystery as well. While there are no ghosts in the story, the film is haunted by spirits from the silent era, and it is a great nostalgic view with a murder mystery twist to make it intriguing and a lot of fun. -
tony-70-66792013 February 2021This is another film I think is incorrectly billed by YouTube as a film noir. In fact it's an intriguing, well-made mystery, made by William Castle in the first phase of his career. From 1943 to 1956 he made a string of B movies: having seen this one and "When Strangers Meet" (1944, with a young Robert Mitchum) I'm keen to see more. After a couple of years in TV Castle made "Macabre", the first of the horror films which he advertised using outlandish marketing techniques, and it's for these, and his producing of "Rosemary's Baby" that he's best known.
"Hollywood Story" was made the year after "Sunset Boulevard", which had revived interest in the silent era. While Gloria Swanson and von Stroheim had leading roles in "Sunset" the old stars who appeared in "Story" (I confess I'd only heard of Francis X. Bushman) had the briefest of walk-ons, as themselves. While the screenwriter in "Sunset" was handsome young William Holden, the one in "Story" is played by Henry Hull as a drunken wreck, living in squalor, who hasn't written a film since the coming of sound, so has never written dialogue, which makes you wonder why the hero hired him. Fred Clark, BTW, was in both films, and Swanson's character was called Norma Desmond, combining the names of silent movie director William Desmond Taylor and his lover Mabel Normand, one of several people suspected of his murder in 1922, which remains unsolved to this day.
Independent producer Larry O'Brien arrives to make his first Hollywood film and on a tour of the old studio he plans to use becomes fascinated by the story of the murder of a silent movie director called Franklin Farrara who was killed in a bungalow on the lot. He wants to film the story, but to do that he must solve the mystery. People try to dissuade him, including one who takes a shot at him. Richard Conte may be ethnically incorrect casting as Larry O'Brien (Edmond O'Brien, also big in 1951, would have been more appropriate) but he makes a very personable hero, and Richard Egan is wonderfully laid-back as a sympathetic cop: in those days actors playing cops worked hard at being tough and unsmiling. There's admirable support from Clark, Hull, Jim Backus and Houseley Stevenson, and the photography is excellent.
All in all a most enjoyable film. A bit naughty, though, to pretend that the fictional Farrara directed the 1925 Lon Chaney "Phantom of the Opera" and that the heroine's mum was Chaney's co-star. Still, Rupert Julian was dead and Nora Philbin had been a recluse ever since the coming of sound and probably never saw "Hollywood Story." -
This movie is a double tribute to the old silent Hollywood era. First because the topic is a mystery oriented scheme and looks very like many late twenties and early thirties movies. There were many mystery tales during this period, the early talkies. The second element that makes me say this film is a tribute to the old Hollywood is the topic itself, concerning a crime commited in 1929 when the movie takes place in the fifties. You see the old shooting lots, old stars such as William Farnum and a couple of other silent era stars as cameo appearances. This kind of movie in the early fifties is rare,but in the seventies, there were some TV movies also evoking old stars in the SUNSET BOULEVARD scheme, and unsolved murder mysteries. A good unusual and brilliant topic for an Universal Studios production, with for once Richard Conte in a non gangster nor hard tough cop role.
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Anyone want to see Richard Conte as the good guy? There aren't too many movies to fit the bill, so you might want to rent Hollywood Story if you're a fan of his. He stars as a movie producer interested in making a movie about a real-life Hollywood scandal. Back in the silent era, an unsolved murder stopped the careers of an actress, a director, and a writer. Richard actually hires the writer, now unemployed and living in squalor, to create the screenplay!
Henry Hull, the writer, is very funny in this movie. He starts off unshaven, broke, and sleeping in a hammock, but when he thinks his career has been revived, he dresses to the nines and changes to an affected accent. Director Fred Clark isn't too keen on making the movie, and neither is policeman Richard Egan. With so many obstacles in the way, Richard soon finds himself the target of danger as he learns too much.
Yes, this is a bit of a knock-off of Sunset Blvd., especially since there are a few cameos from real movie stars playing themselves (Francis Bushman, Betty Blythe, William Farnum, Helen Gibson, and Joel McCrea). It's not the greatest mystery movie you'll ever watch, so you'd better be devoted to the cast in order to enjoy it. -
michaelprescott-0054730 April 2023This sleep-inducing by-the-numbers programmer offers a few mildly interesting glimpses of Charlie Chaplin's old studio and pleasant cameos by some silent film stars, notably Francis X Bushman.
Other than that, there's just nothing here. The story is boring and predictable, the narration by Jim Backus is unnecessary and overdone, and there's zero suspense. The directing is particularly uninspired; for example, a scene where our hero gets conked on the head is filmed in the most boring way possible, as a static medium long shot with flat lighting. Even the old Perry Mason show would've come up with something better than that.
Richard Conte is always good, and it's interesting to see Julie Adams before she went swimming with the Creature from the Black Lagoon, but a decent cast can't save a movie that's so lifeless and dull. Sunset Boulevard it most definitely is not. -
Richard Conte plays Larry O'Brien, a New York-based film producer who moves to California to make his first L. A. picture. There, he becomes obsessed with the legend of an unsolved murder. Silent film director Franklin Ferrara was killed in his studio bungalow, and over 20 years later, the culprit remains unrevealed. Larry hopes that by producing a film on the subject, he can bring this cold case back into the light.
With a top supporting cast including the lovely Julie Adams, Richard Egan, Henry Hull, Fred Clark, Jim Backus (whose agent character also narrates the story), Houseley Stevenson, Paul Cavanagh, Peter Brocco, and Katherine Meskill, this Tinseltown mystery is no great shakes, but it entertains quite well for a decently paced 77 minutes. It offers no major surprises, up to and including the identity of the killer, but it keeps the viewer engrossed, and director William Castle does a fine job of creating that classic Hollywood feel. That's complete with brief cameo appearances by Francis X. Bushman, Betty Blythe, William Farnum, Helen Gibson, and Joel McCrea, who all play themselves.
Overall, the movie is a nice, atmospheric mix of nostalgia & suspense, and is sure to entertain audiences who favor this "Old Hollywood" era. Conte makes for a personable lead, playing a savvy, stubborn (he's not to be deterred from his mission) man with deductive abilities to rival that of the actual detective on the case (Egan). Good fun.
Seven out of 10. -
On arriving in Hollywood a movie producer sniffs out an old showbiz murder for his first project, but not everyone wants the story told.
Satisfying murder mystery that clips along at a good pace. The establishing scenes are efficient, the dialogue doesn't waste time, and the performances are all strong. This director really knew what he was doing, and in one scene there's an unspoken question why the old-timer watchman didn't hear a gunshot, which is simply answered by him raising a hand to his ear when spoken to.
The story is on an Agatha Christie level of complexity, with all the elements of Marlowe thrown in, but none of the lines live up to Chandler. The solution is a bit pat, and the drama of the love-interest's mother and of the mysterious beautiful nun turn out red herrings, when they should have been the real leads to the truth, drawing us into complex emotions. And so we end up with a short run time.
Music is unremarkable. A lot of interest in the shots of contemporary Holywood. -
A Fictional 1929 Silent-Era Murder of a Hollywood Film-Director (loosely based on a real-story from 1922), Open this William Castle B-Picture.
Film-Maker Richard Conti comes to Hollywood in 1951, Discovers the Case and is Intrigued and Considered it as a Story For His 1st Movie There. Even Going so Far as to Rent the Studio and Actual Building where the Murder Took Place.
An Off-Beat "B" from the Prolific William Castle, has Conti Slightly Miscast, but Brings Along a Number of "Old Timers" (mostly for Cameos), and Concocts a Dreary 20 Year Old Sensational Crime Juxtaposed to Contemporary Times.
Dredging Up Folks who Worked or Knew the Murder-Victim, Like Co-Workers (Henry Hull) and His Lover's Family and Acquaintances (Julie Adams and Paul Cavanaugh), along with some Others Around at the Time.
Conti Begins Making the Movie, when the Local Police Show Up as the Word Gets Out by Way of Scuttlebutt, in the Form of Richard Egan ("an unsolved murder case is never closed.").
It's a Somewhat Interesting "Who Done It?" with Hollywood a the Backdrop, with some Dark Norish Exposure, Red Herrings, and a Good Cast.
But the Film Ends Up Rather Flat, Considering, with a Melancholy Presentation and Motivations and Machinations of the Plot a bit Standard and Precautionary, with Very Little Style usually Found in This Type of Thing, a "B"-Crime-Mystery-Noir.
Also With Jim Backus and Cameos from Francis X. Bushman, Joel McCrea, and Other Walk-Ons and some who Appear in Old Movie Screenings.
Overall, Different, Intriguing, but Not Very Stylish, with a Flat and Unimpressive Look.
Still, for Movie-Buffs, it's Somewhat a Treat and Others Might Find it...
Worth a Watch. -
The iconic filmmaker William Castle made everything before be labeled as master of low-budge horror pictures something alike Roger Corman, he proved be a prolific director in this small Noir fulfilled for a fine casting in early fifties, about a unsolved murder took place in Hollywood during silent movies era, the story is narrated in the third person by his friend talent scout Mitch Davis (Jim Backus) when his old buddy and independent producer Larry O'Brien (Richard Conte) arrives in Hollywood, thus they rent an old studio where in the past was closed by a strange murder carried out there.
Larry foresees in this story enough elements to put it on big screen, it somehow triggers many complains from everybody for Larry tries lift a carpet where underneath lies a dust which weren't wholesome to anyone by open the pandora's box, certainly it will ruins many reputations over a buried case, even so Larry carries on, then came up some corpse from someone linked with the past case, also a daughter Sally Rousseau (Julie Adam) of old actress that may was the key of murder, further involving the police department interested in this old case leading by the Lt. Bud Lennox (Richard Egan), for worst Larry hires an old acquaintance to make the screenplay Vincent St. Clair (Henry Hull).
Engaging thriller on average production, has some holes as usually, many casuistic events on purpose to enrich the story, a bit corny as well, however let it see easily to those less demanding viewers, no femme fatale or trashy girls whatsoever, I've found it a slight disappoint offering.
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First watch: 2024 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7. -
kidboots9 August 2012On February 2nd, 1922, William Desmond Taylor, a top Paramount director, was found dead of a gunshot wound in his Hollywood bungalow - a murder that has never been solved. A couple of witnesses saw a man or a woman dressed in men's clothing flee the scene but the studio was called before the police and in an effort to save careers and reputations a lot of evidence was destroyed or tampered with. "Hollywood Story" was purported to ride on the coat tails of "Sunset Boulevard" of the year before but I thought it had more in common with "The Preview Murder Mystery", a Paramount quickie of 1935, which told of the mysterious disappearance of a silent matinée idol.
Larry O'Brien (Richard Conte) is a hot shot producer bought to Hollywood by Mitch Davis (Jim Backus), his old school chum now a top agent. He becomes enthralled by an unsolved murder of long ago (Jan. 5th, 1929) of a top silent director, Franklin Ferrara. He is given the bungalow where Ferrara met his death (the layout of the rooms looks eerily like those where Taylor met his death) and it is completely unchanged since 1929. Against Mitch's advice Larry decides to go ahead with a movie about the mysterious murder and a host of "old timers" are introduced - Francis X. Bushman, Betty Blythe, William Farnum, Helen Gibson - even "new timer" Joel McCrea has a cameo role. He also seeks out Ferrara's writer, Vincent St. Clair (Henry Hull) who is living in a shack and employs him to write the script.
It seems everyone is less than pleased that a movie about the murder is being made - someone even takes a pot shot at Larry through the window. That murder attempt brings in inquisitive cop Budd Lennox (a young Richard Egan) and being a William Castle movie even he seems to have a hidden motive in trying to solve the old case. There is also Larry's manager Sam Collyer (Fred Clark) who says he will definitely not support dredging up the past then quickly changes his mind - it comes out he was also involved with Ferrara at the time, being his business manager. Also upset is Sally Rousseau (Julie Addams), Ferrara's leading lady's daughter who begs him to forget the movie as too many innocent people will be hurt - she seems to be very close to reclusive matinée idol Roland Paul (Paul Cavanaugh).
I was amazed to see "The Phantom of the Opera" being passed off as a "Franklin Ferrara" picture instead of Rupert Julians. Had people of 1951 really forgotten so much about silent film history that William Castle was confidant that no one would pick up the obvious mistake!!! When "Hollywood Story" was released, Universal went out of it's way to promote the former famous silent stars who appeared in the movie (to me, William Farnum appeared more sprightlier than in the westerns I had seen him in from the early 1930s ie "The Painted Desert" (1930)) but there was always someone with a gripe. Elmo K. Lincoln, the movies original Tarzan, complained bitterly about being exploited, saying he was only paid $15 a day (for a non speaking part) but the studio got $15,000 worth of free publicity out of him!!! -
myriamlenys8 September 2019A director looking for a smashing idea stumbles upon an old scandal : the murder of a director famous in the silent movie industry. Keen as mustard, the director puts on his Sherlock Holmes hat and dives into the murder of his illustrious predecessor. But not everyone appreciates his efforts to understand and, if possible, solve this notorious cold case...
A fine mystery thriller with an unusually picturesque background, to wit the Hollywood both of the silent and the talking era. The plot is well-constructed, the locations are interesting and the various props actually serve to carry the story forward. The acting too is good.
The black-and-white is marvellously evocative and subtly shaded, proving once again that this was an excellent medium for thrillers and noirs.
Mind you, the cast includes a police inspector character who seems to take an unusually laid-back approach to his job. I rather expected the man to invite all suspects to the nearest bar, first round on him...
"Hollywood Story" was inspired by the real-life murder of a famous silent era actor and director named William Desmond Taylor. In spite of intense speculation, this murder has gone unsolved for a long time - I believe to this very day. As a result the movie opens up a whole can of worms in the ethical department. Is it permissible to base a fictional story on a real-life crime, especially when the deceased left descendants and relatives ? And if so, how close / how far should one remain to / from the actual facts ? And is it permissible to fire up another round of wild (even VERY wild) speculation ? -
Ever reliable director William Castle does sound job of keeping HOLLYWOOD STORY interesting, active and coherent, to some extent thanks to revisiting the silent era and posting cameos with actors of that time like Bushman and Farnum, and a splendid Joel McCrea at the top of his fame, he who began as a silent actor and managed to make the transition to a distinguished career in the sound stages of Hollywood.
The screenplay boasts an unusual and imaginative approach to those elements and, in particular, to the whodunnit type of movie, using credible dialogue to keep you guessing the murderer's identity. I found that I only needed to suspend my disbelief when movie producer Conte started acting more like a police detective than police detective Lennox himself.
Acting is of a high order, even if I found Conte's constant smiling a tad disconcerting and even annoying. Pretty Julia Adams does well in a short role that does not stretch her at all. Egan is effective as detective Lennox, but the real acting gems come from Henry Hull and Fred Clark.
Excellent cinematography from Carl Guthrie and editing from Virgil Vogel. 8/10. -
MartynGryphon19 November 2022Hollywood is a town that is constantly evolving, moving at such a pace that there is seldom an opportunity to remember its illustrious past. However, once in a while Hollywood does indeed get the warm and fuzzies for times gone by. Once such period was the mid 1970's when a lot of the big studios were celebrating their golden anniversaries and some pictures were made that paid homage to a bygone era such as Mel Brooks' Silent Movie and Won Ton Ton, the dog who saved Hollywood. Another period was the early 1950's with the release of Sunset Boulevard and the rebirth of the wonderful Gloria Swanson. Coming off the back of that Oscar winner, came this crafty noir whodunit. Only this one was never going to win Oscars.
This movie when released, was likely a second feature on a bill with a bigger budget production and is a b movie with a capital B, clocking in at just over 76 minutes.
Richard Conte plays Larry O'Brien a movie producer based in New York whose agent Mitch, (Jim Backus), has lured him to Hollywood to make pictures there. Mitch has secured an old studio lot that hasn't been used since the old silent movie days. The studio was also the scene of an unsolved murder of a long forgotten director 22 years before.
The story of the old unsolved murder intrigues O'Brien, who has the idea to make a movie about the case, but as the case remains cold and unsolved, he hasn't got an ending to the film so he starts investigating the case himself. Mitch thinks it's a terrible idea as the story has long since been forgotten and it's all water under the bridge.
However, when he is shot at and other people start dying it becomes clear to O'Brien as to how little water has passed under that proverbial bridge and that the veteran killer is still out there determined to stop the facts from coming to light at any cost.
As a Silent movie myself, with a soft spot for Hollywood of the 1920's, I found this to be a refreshing break from the noir thrillers, that were sometimes unnecessarily dark and almost always set in the seedy underworld of New York City.
Although it is stated that the 1922 unsolved murder of director William Desmond Taylor was the inspiration for the story, there are few facts with that real cold case that coincide with this fictional plot.
Annoyingly, like all whodunit's you can only ever really watch this movie once to get the full enjoyment of the reveal at the end, but it was great to see real life silent stars return to the screen, albeit for small one scene walk on parts such as Francis X Bushman, Betty Blyth, Helen Gibson and William Farnum.
One glaring inaccuracy was the declaration that the murdered director had directed the wonderful Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney, (which of course he didn't). I had to grit my teeth through that one, but remembered that I was watching a fictional film set in a fictional studio about a fictional director....which makes me really sad obviously.
Great little movie and a good and rare chance to see Richard Conte play the good guy for a change.
Enjoy! -
planktonrules19 November 2022"Hollywood Story" is a murder mystery directed by William Castle. Unlike his later films which were mostly deliberately schlocky horror films, this one is much more serious in tone. The story obviously was inspired by the real life murder of Hollywood director William Desmond Taylor...a crime which has never been officially solved.
Larry (Richard Conte) is a producer whose next film is going to be about a murder that occurred in Hollywood during the silent era. Now, decades later, he's trying to figure out what happened as best he can so that the film might actually be able to shed light on this dead case. Unfortunately, someone doesn't want this story to be rehashed...and an attempt is made on Larry's life. What's next for this crusading producer and the film?
This film's greatest strength is its very intelligent script. Despite having few big name actors (though the folk in the film are quite talented), it keeps your interest because the story is so gritty and absorbing. Very well made and a film that is somehow seldom seen nor talked about despite being a pretty sensational tale. -
clanciai5 May 2023A Hollywood director is murdered in the crisis of silent movies being outflanked by talkies, the murder is never resolved, the murderer vanishes into the dark, and not even the bullet is ever found. It remains a perfectly unresolved mystery, until a producer (Richard Conte) decides to make a film about it twenty years later. For some mysterious reason someone wants to kill him for the effort, and the daughter of the director's film star tries desperately to persuade him not to go through with the project. All these forces trying to stop him naturally only makes him the more motivated, and the plot constantly thickens as more and more people, and not just old timers, get involved in it. It's an ingenious plot, the script is impressively clever, and above all, you will have a wonderful time exploring all those Hollywood studios, which had been making fantastic films for 35 years and would go on doing so for 15 more. It's a splendid film allowing Richard Conte to use all his potential for intelligence and action, for once he is an honest guy, and some of the old silent heroes are in it as well, like the old cowboy Francis X. Bushman. This film is a must and a magnificent treat for any Hollywood lover.