Arrogant Hollywood actor Frankie Fane is nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award. His friend Hymie Kelly recalls their life together, Frankie's ruthless struggle to the top, and the people Frankie has used and abused to get there.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
- Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 nomination.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Stephen Boyd | ... |
Frank Fane
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| Elke Sommer | ... |
Kay Bergdahl
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| Milton Berle | ... |
Kappy Kapstetter
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| Eleanor Parker | ... |
Sophie Cantaro
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| Joseph Cotten | ... |
Kenneth Regan
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| Jill St. John | ... |
Laurel Scott
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| Tony Bennett | ... |
Hymie Kelly
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| Edie Adams | ... |
Trina Yale
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| Ernest Borgnine | ... |
Barney Yale
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| Ed Begley | ... |
Grobard
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| Walter Brennan | ... |
Orrin C. Quentin
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| Broderick Crawford | ... |
Sheriff
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| James Dunn | ... |
Network Executive
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| Edith Head | ... |
Edith Head
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| Hedda Hopper | ... |
Hedda Hopper
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| Peter Lawford | ... |
Steve Marks
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| Merle Oberon | ... |
Merle Oberon
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| Nancy Sinatra | ... |
Nancy Sinatra
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| Jack Soo | ... |
Sam
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| Jean Hale | ... |
Cheryl Barker
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Eddie Ryder | ... |
Mexican Marriage Broker
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| Chris Alcaide | ... |
Ledbetter
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| John Dennis | ... |
Sid
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| Peter Leeds | ... |
Bert
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| John Holland | ... |
Stevens
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Jean Bartel | ... |
Secretary
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John Crowther | ... |
Wally
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Susan Alcott | ... |
Actress (uncredited)
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| Army Archerd | ... |
Press Conference Reporter (uncredited)
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Robert Austin | ... |
Actor (uncredited)
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| James Bacon | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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| Bill Baldwin | ... |
Photographer (uncredited)
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Larry Barton | ... |
Roadhouse Man (uncredited)
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| Nick Borgani | ... |
Comedy Club Patron (uncredited)
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| Paul Bradley | ... |
Producer (uncredited)
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| Thordis Brandt | ... |
Actress (uncredited)
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Jeff Brown | ... |
Actor (uncredited)
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| George Bruggeman | ... |
Academy Awards Guest (uncredited)
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Tracy Butler | ... |
Date Girl (uncredited)
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| George Calliga | ... |
Academy Awards Guest (uncredited)
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| Rosalee Calvert | ... |
Party Guest (uncredited)
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| Steve Carruthers | ... |
Club Patron (uncredited)
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| Jerry Catron | ... |
Actor (uncredited)
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| Arlene Charles | ... |
Actress (uncredited)
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| Charles Cirillo | ... |
Club Patron (uncredited)
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| Cordy Clark | ... |
Maid (uncredited)
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Norma Clarke | ... |
Stock Girl (uncredited)
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| Joan Crawford | ... |
Joan Crawford (uncredited)
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Dennis Cross | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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| Phyllis Davis | ... |
Actress (uncredited)
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Moki de Marco | ... |
Small Dirty Boy (uncredited)
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Igor Dega | ... |
Waiter (uncredited)
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| Douglas Evans | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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Jack Fife | ... |
Roadhouse Man (uncredited)
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| Duke Fishman | ... |
Comedy Club Patron (uncredited)
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Harry Fleer | ... |
Director (uncredited)
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| Anitra Ford | ... |
Party Guest (uncredited)
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| Ross Ford | ... |
Lochner (uncredited)
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| Leona Gage | ... |
Actress (uncredited)
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Pam Gail | ... |
Party Guest (uncredited)
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Chance Gentry | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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Rudy Germane | ... |
Network Subordinate (uncredited)
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| Marina Ghane | ... |
Actress (uncredited)
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Dessica Giles | ... |
Actress (uncredited)
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George Golden | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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| Marianne Gordon | ... |
Bikini Girl (uncredited)
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| Johnny Grant | ... |
Johnny Grant (uncredited)
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Sonya Harrison | ... |
Model (uncredited)
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Lynn Hartoch | ... |
Party Guest (uncredited)
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Ed Haskett | ... |
Regan's Party Guest (uncredited)
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| Rex Holman | ... |
Spooner (uncredited)
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| George Holmes | ... |
Academy Awards Guest (uncredited)
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| Bob Hope | ... |
Bob Hope (uncredited)
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| Jimmie Horan | ... |
Comedy Club Patron (uncredited)
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| William Hudson | ... |
(uncredited)
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| Tom Irish | ... |
Photographer (uncredited)
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Jerry James | ... |
Network Subordinate (uncredited)
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| Michael Jeffers | ... |
Academy Awards Guest (uncredited)
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Suzie Kaye | ... |
Bikini Girl (uncredited)
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| Colin Kenny | ... |
Academy Awards Guest (uncredited)
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Linda Kirk | ... |
Bikini Girl (uncredited)
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Dick Kleiner | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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Joseph La Cava | ... |
Academy Awards Guest (uncredited)
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Todd Lasswell | ... |
Actor (uncredited)
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Anna Lavele | ... |
Actress (uncredited)
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Louise Lawson | ... |
Bikini Girl (uncredited)
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Esther Ying Lee | ... |
Club Patron (uncredited)
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Grace Lee | ... |
Actress (uncredited)
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| Ethelreda Leopold | ... |
Club Patron (uncredited)
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Nancy Lewis | ... |
Stripper (uncredited)
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Jo Anne Loren | ... |
Actress (uncredited)
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| Deanna Lund | ... |
Bikini Girl (uncredited)
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| Maurice Manson | ... |
Captain (uncredited)
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| Jan Merlin | ... |
Actor Frankie Pulls Knife on (uncredited)
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| Hans Moebus | ... |
Bullfight Spectator (uncredited)
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Ernesto Molinari | ... |
Academy Awards Guest (uncredited)
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Dale Monroe | ... |
Party Guest (uncredited)
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Tom Moroney | ... |
Price Waterhouse Man (uncredited)
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| Sol Murgi | ... |
Academy Awards Guest (uncredited)
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Karen Norris | ... |
Secretary (uncredited)
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| Robert Osterloh | ... |
Reporter at Premiere (uncredited)
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| Judy Pace | ... |
Actress (uncredited)
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| Hal Pereira | ... |
Hal (uncredited)
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Helen Perry | ... |
Party Guest (uncredited)
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Murray Pollack | ... |
Club Patron (uncredited)
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Max Power | ... |
Guard (uncredited)
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Norma Quine | ... |
Model (uncredited)
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Beverly Ralston | ... |
Party Guest (uncredited)
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Neil Rau | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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| Walter Reed | ... |
Pereira (uncredited)
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| Tony Regan | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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| Pamela Rodgers | ... |
Actress (uncredited)
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Clark Ross | ... |
Academy Awards Guest (uncredited)
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| Hugh Sanders | ... |
Regan's Party Guest (uncredited)
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| Cosmo Sardo | ... |
Academy Awards Guest (uncredited)
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Sondra Scott | ... |
Date Girl (uncredited)
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| Frank Sinatra | ... |
Frank Sinatra (uncredited)
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| Carl Sklover | ... |
Photographer (uncredited)
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Rikki Stevens | ... |
Bikini Girl (uncredited)
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Leslie Summers | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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Robert Terry | ... |
Party Guest (uncredited)
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Annabelle Thiele | ... |
Model (uncredited)
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| Marilyn Tindall | ... |
Actress (uncredited)
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Marlene Tracy | ... |
Academy Secretary (uncredited)
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Howard Vann | ... |
Party Guest (uncredited)
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Mayrita Varna | ... |
Party Guest (uncredited)
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Allegra Varron | ... |
Broker's Wife (uncredited)
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| Sailor Vincent | ... |
Comedy Club Patron (uncredited)
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Peggy Ward | ... |
Actress (uncredited)
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| Jesse Wayne | ... |
Camera Operator (uncredited)
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| Edy Williams | ... |
Bikini Girl (uncredited)
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| Venita Wolf | ... |
Bikini Girl (uncredited)
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Dee Dee Young | ... |
Dancer (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Russell Rouse | ||
Written by
| Richard Sale | ... | (novel) |
| Harlan Ellison | ... | (screenplay) & |
| Russell Rouse | ... | (screenplay) and |
| Clarence Greene | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
| Clarence Greene | ... | producer |
| Joseph E. Levine | ... | executive producer |
Music by
| Percy Faith | ||
Cinematography by
| Joseph Ruttenberg | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Chester W. Schaeffer | ||
Art Direction by
| Arthur Lonergan | ||
| Hal Pereira | ||
Set Decoration by
| Robert R. Benton | ... | (as Robert Benton) |
| James W. Payne | ... | (as James Payne) |
Costume Design by
| Edith Head | ... | (gowns) |
Makeup Department
| Hal Lierley | ... | makeup artist: Mr. Boyd and Miss Sommer (as Hal Lierly) |
| Nellie Manley | ... | hair style supervisor |
| Wally Westmore | ... | makeup supervisor |
Production Management
| Frank Caffey | ... | production manager |
| Maurie M. Suess | ... | unit production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Dick Moder | ... | assistant director |
Art Department
| Gene Lauritzen | ... | construction coordinator (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Harry Lindgren | ... | sound recordist |
| John Wilkinson | ... | sound recordist |
Visual Effects by
| Farciot Edouart | ... | process photography |
| Paul K. Lerpae | ... | special photographic effects |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Stanley Williams | ... | chief electrician |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Glenita Dinneen | ... | wardrobe: women |
| Marvin Hime | ... | costumer: jewels |
| Robert Magahay | ... | wardrobe: Mr. Boyd |
| Frank Somper | ... | furs |
Music Department
| Irving Friedman | ... | music supervisor |
| Jack Hayes | ... | orchestrator |
| Leo Shuken | ... | orchestrator |
| Tommy Tedesco | ... | musician: guitar (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Charlsie Bryant | ... | script supervisor |
Additional Crew
| Leon Charles | ... | dialogue coach |
| Steve Peck | ... | choreographer (as Steven Peck) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Embassy Pictures (1966) (United States) (theatrical)
- Paramount British Pictures (1966) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Paramount Pictures (1966) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Les Films Paramount (1966) (France) (theatrical)
- Paramount Pictures (1966) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Film AB Paramount (1967) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1967) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Embassy Home Entertainment (1985) (United States) (VHS)
- Columbia Pictures Television (1991) (United States) (tv) (syndication)
- Kino Lorber (2020) (United States) (Blu-ray) (separate DVD release)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) (the Academy Award "Oscar" statuettes used in this picture by special permission of copyright owners)
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) (this picture made under the jurisdiction of)
- Marvin Hime & Co. (jewels)
- Paramount Studios (filming location)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Frankie Fane has clawed his way to the top of the Hollywood heap. Now, as he's preparing to win his Oscar, his friend Hymie Kelly reminisces over their life together, and Frankie's ruthless struggle to the top and the people he's stepped on (i.e., everyone else in the movie) to make it there.
Written by |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | This is the story of...The Dreamers and The Schemers...The Hustlers and The Hopefuls...The Free-loaders and The Phonies...The Fakers and The Famous...All Fighting for the Highest Possible Award!! See more » |
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| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $3,000,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | This was the only film in which Tony Bennett played a fictional character. In his autobiography, "The Good Life," he states that it was a terrible experience and he never sought future roles. This picture marked his screen debut. See more » |
| Goofs | The newspaper photos of Cheryl Barker hitting Frankie don't match the scene when it happens. She could have hit him twice (she was angry enough), and the photographers might have caught the second hit. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited from The 37th Annual Academy Awards (1965). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Thanks for the Memory See more » |
| Quotes |
Hymie Kelly:
[narrating]
Frankie wanted the town to be aware he was alive and he knew how to do it. Man, he wanted to swallow Hollywood like a cat with a canary. And he did it. The parts got bigger, and Frankie was hooked. Like a junkie shooting pure quicksilver into his veins. Frankie got turned on the wildest narcotic known to mortal man: Success. And he needed larger and larger doses. As the years went by, it became part of his life like air. The attention, the recognition. Now he was somebody. He was always too hungry. Too much and too far ahead of himself. He bought a Rolls before he could afford it. He bought the mansion in Bel Air. He went the route. The interiors were from the best shops on decorators row. Even Sam the houseboy was imported. Frankie played the part for real, the whole image. He had arrived. See more » |