Hollywood Story (1951)

Another good one from William Castle,  23 July 2021

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