Sucedió en Hollywood

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.

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.

Supposedly 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.

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.

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.