Hollywood Story (1951)

 

During the 1950s Hollywood, an independent producer unwisely opens a can of worms when he decides to make a movie about the 1929 unsolved murder of a famous silent-film director.

Competent crime mystery with an intriguing Hollywood plot is vivid and fairly suspenseful; a more straight attempt by horror expert William Castle.

Halliwell*: "Adequate potboiler with a reasonably absorbing plot and glimpses of silent stars."

Maltin++1/2: "Loaded with potential that's mostly unrealized. Strongest asset is location filming around Hollywood and the old Chaplin studio."

 

The Great Man (1956)

Joe Harris, preparing a eulogy for popular radio commentator Herb Fuller, finds that nobody has a good word to say about him.

Ambitious, but flawed satirical drama has some good moments, but misses its point on the way.

Halliwell**: "Patchy melodrama with a Citizen Kane framework; the best bits are very effective."

Maltin***1/2: "Hard-bitten at TV industry; top performances by senior and junior Wynns."