The Last Tycoon (1976)

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s (The Great Gatsby) fascinating tale of studio politics in early Hollywood is breathtakingly brought to the screen by director Elia Kazan (On the Waterfront) and scriptwriter Harold Pinter (The Homecoming). Robert De Niro (Taxi Driver) fronts a powerhouse cast as studio head Monroe Stahr, a thinly disguised Irving Thalberg character in command of his studio but haunted by a love lost to the past. Dana Andrews, Ingrid Boulting, Tony Curtis, Anjelica Huston, Ray Milland, Robert Mitchum, Jeanne Moreau, Donald Pleasence, Theresa Russell and Jack Nicholson contribute stirring supporting performances to this richly detailed ’30s-era gem. It leaves little doubt that Fitzgerald knew every side of Tinseltown, from the glitter to the gutter.