Favorite Movies Set in OLD HOLLYWOOD

Below is a list of my favorite movies set in Hollywood’s past, before 1960: 

FAVORITE MOVIES SET IN OLD HOLLYWOOD

1. “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952) – Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds starred in this musical classic about Hollywood’s transition from silent films to talkies. Kelly co-directed with Stanley Donen.

2. “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” (1988) – Robert Zemeckis directed this adaptation of Gary Wolfe’s 1981 novel, “Who Censored Roger Rabbit?”, in which a 1940s private detective who must exonerate a cartoon star “Toon” for the murder of a wealthy businessman. Bob Hoskins, Charles Fleischer and Christopher Lloyd starred.

3. “Moviola: The Scarlett O’Hara War” (1980) – Tony Curtis starred as producer David O. Selznick in the second episode of the miniseries, “Moviola”. The television movie featured Selznick’s search for the right actress to portray the leading character in his movie adaptation of “Gone With the Wind”.

4. “The Aviator” (2004) – Martin Scorsese produced and directed this biopic about mogul Howard Hughes’ experiences as a filmmaker and aviator between 1927 and 1947. Oscar nominee Leonardo DiCaprio starred.

5. “Hitchcock” (2012) – Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren starred in this comedy-drama about the tumultuous marriage between director-producer Alfred Hitchcock and screenwriter Alma Reville during the former’s making of his 1960 hit, “Psycho”. Sacha Gervasi directed.

6. “Trumbo” (2015) – Oscar nominee Bryan Cranston starred in this biopic about screenwriter Dalton Trumbo and his troubles after being jailed and blacklisted for being a member of the Communist Party. Directed by Jay Roach, Diane Lane and Helen Mirren co-starred.

7. “The Bad and the Beautiful” (1952) – Vincente Minelli directed this melodrama about the impact of a Hollywood producer on the lives of three people he had worked with and betrayed. Kirk Douglas, Lana Turner, Barry Sullivan and Dick Powell starred.

8. “Hollywoodland” (2006) – Adrien Brody, Diane Lane and Ben Affleck starred in this intriguing tale about a private detective’s investigation into the life and death of actor George Reeves. Allen Coulter directed.

9. “Hail, Caesar!” (2016) – Ethan and Joel Coen produced and directed this fictional account in the life of studio executive/fixer, Eddie Mannix. The movie starred Josh Brolin.

10. “The Artist” (2011) – Michel Hazanavicius wrote and directed this Academy Award winning movie about a silent screen star and the disruption of his life and career by the emergence of talking pictures. Oscar winner Jean Dujardin and Oscar nominee Bérénice Bejo starred.

“MAGIC CITY” Season One (2012) Episode Ranking

Below is my ranking of the Season One episodes of the Starz Channel’s series called “MAGIC CITY”. Created by Mitch Glazer, the series starred Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Olga Kurylenko and Danny Huston:

“MAGIC CITY” SEASON ONE (2012) EPISODE RANKING

1. (1.05) “Suicide Blonde” – Hotel owner and boss Ike Evans goes through great lengths to save the life of prostitute and murder witness Judi Silver from Miami mobster Ben Diamond. Ike’s second wife Vera tries to get pregnant, while a bond forms between Ike’s second son Danny and Mercedes Lazaro, the daughter of the hotel’s manager.

2. (1.07) “Who’s the Horse and Who’s the Rider?” – Danny confronts older brother Stevie Evans about the latter’s affair with Ben Diamond’s new wife, Lily. State Attorney Jack Klein confronts Ike with damning evidence. And the latter is forced to make a deal with Diamond.

3. (1.06) “The Harder They Fall” – Ike and Diamond bet on a boxing match. Danny stumbles across blackmailing photos of Stevie and Lily. And Klein stumbles something that might prove to be a threat to Ike.

4. “The Year of the Fin” (1.01) – The series premiere begins on New Year’s Eve 1958 and introduces Ike, his family and his situation with Diamond. Ike’s conflict with union representative Mike Strauss takes a deadly turn. And Stevie begins an affair with Lily, unaware of her marriage to Diamond.

5. (1.08) “Time and Tide” – In the season finale, Judy falls into Klein’s hands, hotel manager Victor Lazaro and his daughter Mercedes receive bad news from Cuba, and Ike’s future becomes uncertain.

6. (1.03) “Castles Made of Sand” – Ike tries to convince government officials to legalize gambling in Florida and asks former sister-in-law Meg Bannock for financial help. And Diamond begins to worry that Lily is sleeping around.

7. (1.02) “Feeding Frenzy” – Ike is forced to deal with the aftermath of Strauss’ disappearance. Also, Stevie continues his affair with Lily after discovering her true identity.

8. (1.04) “Atonement” – While Ike deals with a break-in at the hotel; Vera plans an extravagant charity function that she hopes will attract the attention of Jackie Kennedy and Victor struggles to get his wife out of Cuba.