The Bad and the Beautiful

(Vincente Minnelli, US 1952, 118 min., 35mm)

National Endowment for the Arts. With characters loosely based on Hollywood players such as David O. Selznick, Diana Barrymore, and Val Lewton, The Bad and the Beautiful hits home in the backstage drama department. Bolstered by Minnelli’s clear, insightful direction and a first-rate cast—Kirk Douglas, Dick Powell, Gloria Grahame, Gilbert Roland, and Lana Turner in probably her best performance ever—the film peels back the complicated layers of one producer’s life and work and the love/hate relationships that sustain him. Selfishness, generosity, and psychological manipulation are all just tricks of the movie business trade.

Also showing: Sunday, August 20, 2 p.m., Monday, August 21, 1:30 p.m.