Search - The Bad and the Beautiful on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1952 DVD Release: 02/05/2002 Format: DVD - Black and White - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Korean, Spanish, Thai SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 59 mins Studio: Warner Home Video Members Wishing: 4 Genres: Drama, Showbiz Drama, Film a Clef

Kirk Douglas plays the corrupt and amoral head of a major film studio in this Hollywood drama, often regarded as one of the film's industry's most interesting glimpses at itself. Actress Gloria Lorrison (Lana Turner), director Fred Amiel (Barry Sullivan), and screenwriter James Lee Bartlow (Dick Powell) are invited to a meeting at a Hollywood sound stage at the request of producer Harry Pebbel (Walter Pidgeon). Pebbel is working with studio chief Jonathan Shields (Kirk Douglas), whose studio is in financial trouble and needs a blockbuster hit. If these three names will sign to a new project, he's convinced that there's no way he can lose. But there's a rub -- all three of these Hollywood heavyweights hate Shields's guts. He dumped Gloria for another woman, he double-crossed Fred out of a plum directing assignment, and he was responsible for the death of James Lee's wife. All three are ready to tell Pebbel to forget it, until they hear the voice of Shields, calling from Europe to discuss the project by phone. The Bad and the Beautiful won five Academy Awards, including Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Gloria Grahame. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Kirk Douglas - Jonathan Shields
Lana Turner - Georgia Lorrison
Walter Pidgeon - Harry Pebbel
Dick Powell - James Lee Bartlow
Barry Sullivan - Fred Amiel

Kirk Douglas and Lana Turner star in Vincente Minelli's passionate The Bad and the Beautiful. Warner has done a very nice job of cleaning up this black-and-white 1.33:1 full-frame transfer. Only a small amount of dirt and grain shows up in the image, while the black-and-white levels all appear even and very solid. The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono in English and French and is exceptionally clear and smooth. This is a very apt soundtrack for the film that it supports. Also included on this disc are subtitles in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai. While the extra features aren't in large numbrs on this disc, what supplements are included are very substantial starting with an 86-minute documentary "Lana Turner: A Daughter's Memoir." This is a fantastic piece of history that takes a look at Turner's loves (seven marriages), passions, and film work. This documentary is a must for any fan of Lana Turner or The Bad and the Beautiful. "Scoring Session Cues" is a 28-minute look at the music from the film and the actual recording sessions. Finally there are some cast and crew listings, two theatrical trailers, and a listing of the awards and nominations this film received. ~ Patrick Naugle, All Movie Guide