Vincente Minnelli takes the audience on a tour of the "how to make movies" idea in The Bad and the Beautiful, a heartfelt and poignant story about a ruthless producer trying to get back into the position of successful producer with the help of three people he launched careers for. Unfortunately, they all were tragically affected by him in one way or another, so they all refuse. If anything, this movie shows how quickly your fortune can turn in the movie business. Jonathan Shields, played remarkably by Kirk Douglas, goes from poor, unknown movie producer, to becoming one of the richest and most powerful men in Hollywood. This film reminded me of a sort of mix between Sunset Blvd. and Ace in the Hole, ironically the latter being a film in which Douglas also starred in and playing the same type of character. Taking a rather unflinching look at the inner workings of film making and the consequences that come about from such a lavish lifestyle, Minnelli paints a bleak portrait of the people we think have it all. It may not be as powerful or well made as Sunset Blvd, but it still has a great quality to it that makes it one of the better works of Vincente Minnelli.