“You have a very naughty mind.”

The career of director Jonathan Shields (Kirk Douglas) is examined through the stories of three people who worked with him, and swear they’ll never do so again. Fred Amiel (Barry Sullivan) is the director who worked with Shields when they worked on a series of B films together. James Lee Bartlow (Dick Powell) is the Southern professor turned Hollywood screenwriter whose grievance with Shields stems from personal tragedy. Shields redeemed actress, Georgia Lorrison–he saw her star quality, but then his wanton cruelty almost destroyed her. Amiel, Bartlow and Lorrison each have a tale to tell through flashbacks, and their stories reveal different aspects of Shields’ nature.

Supporting roles include Walter Pidgeon, Gloria Grahame (as the annoying yet charming Mrs. Bartlow), and Gilbert Roland as Gaucho, a dashing, Hollywood romantic lead. The Bad and the Beautiful is directed by Vincente Minnelli, and while this drama contains aspects of the classic tear-jerker, its emphasis remains squarely on hard-boiled Hollywood.

The most fascinating thing about this well-structured film is the character of Jonathan Shields. He’s an ambitious, driven man–that’s quite clear, but he’s also complex. In his relationship with Georgia Lorrison, Shields is extremely interesting. He shows persistence when salvaging Georgia, and he handles her with a tough reality that she responds to. Many people would fold under the tough challenges Shields offers, but he reads Georgia’s character well, and anticipates her reactions. Unfortunately, Shields also has a hard, ruthless side, and he’s perfectly willing to dump people when he’s used them to get what he wants.