The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)

Documentary about legendary Paramount producer Robert Evans (the film shares the same name as Evans's famous 1994 autobiography).

Directors:

Nanette Burstein, Brett Morgen

Writers:

Robert Evans (book), Brett Morgen (screen adaptation)

Stars:

Robert Evans, Eddie Albert, Peter Bart

4 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Evans	...	Narrator
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eddie Albert	...	Self (archive footage)
Peter Bart	...	Self (archive footage)
Charlie Bluhdorn	...	Self (archive footage)
William Castle	...	Self (archive footage) (as Bill Castle)
Francis Ford Coppola	...	Self (archive footage)
Catherine Deneuve	...	Self (archive footage)
Charles Evans	...	Self (archive footage)
Josh Evans	...	Self (archive footage) (as Joshua Evans)
Mia Farrow	...	Self (archive footage)
Errol Flynn	...	Self (archive footage)
Ava Gardner	...	Self (archive footage)
Karen Greenberger	...	Self (archive footage)
Ernest Hemingway	...	Self (archive footage)
Arthur Hiller	...	Self (archive footage)

Storyline

This documentary captures the life story of legendary Hollywood producer and studio chief Robert Evans. The first actor to ever to run a film studio, Robert Evans' film career started in 1956, poolside at the Beverly Hills Hotel. His good looks, charm and overwhelming confidence captured the eye of screen legend Norma Shearer, who offered him a film role. After a glamorous--but short-lived--career as a movie star, Evans tried out producing. At the age of 34, with no producing credits to his name, he landed a job as chief of production at Paramount Pictures. Evans ran the studio from 1966-1974. During his tenure, he was responsible for such revolutionary films as The Godfather, Rosemary's Baby, Love Story, The Odd Couple, Harold and Maude and Chinatown. By the early '80s, the Golden Boy of Hollywood was losing his luster. After a failed marriage to Ali MacGraw, a cocaine bust and rumored involvement with the Cotton Club murder, he disappeared into near-obscurity. Only through ...

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Plot Keywords:

reference to an awards show | reference to the golden globes | the white house | murder | cocaine | 

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Taglines:

Success. Scandal. Sex. Tragedy. Infamy. And that's just the first reel...

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some brief violent and sexual images

Did You Know?

Trivia

The soundtrack narration, in which Robert Evans portrays all the other characters as well as himself, is taken directly from the recording of the audio-book version of his autobiography.

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Goofs

The closing credits say that Evans has been at Paramount for over 35 years, "more than any other producer on the lot." However, A.C. Lyles has been with Paramount for 75 years (as of 2003), though he is no longer actively producing.

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Quotes

Robert Evans: Any man who thinks he can read the mind of a woman is a man who knows nothing.

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Crazy Credits

All actor credits are from archives, including some from movie clips. Actors not marked "uncredited" were credited by Robert Evans, the narrator

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Connections

Edited from Finian's Rainbow (1968)

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Soundtracks

Lullaby
Written by Krzysztof Komeda (as Christopher Komeda)
Courtesy of Famous Music Corporation and Paramount Pictures

User Reviews

Absolutely Fascinating

"The Kid Stays in the Picture" is a must-see for any person who's interested in movies and their making. This funny and exciting documentary tells the larger than life story of Robert Evans, "discovered" by Norma Shearer swimming in a hotel pool in 1956, who went to become a ham actor and soon afterwards, an extremely successful producer, who took Paramount studios from 9th to first in Hollywood in less than a decade. The man behind legendary films such as "The Godfather", "Chinatown", "Harold and Maude", "Love Story", "Marathon Man" and "Rosemary's Baby", Evans dated beautiful women (he was once married to "Love Story" star Ali MacGraw) and was obsessed with his goals (and he often succeeded, being responsible for some of the biggest hits of his time), what turned him Hollywood royalty and voted the world's most eligible bachelor. With one scandal involving his name, drugs and a murder, though, his career was ruined and he lost almost everything he had. But he came back, and "The Kid Stays in the Picture" explores his fascinating saga with the witty, cynical narration of Evans himself, never being too self-indulgent. Evans himself admits he was no angel. But then again, who is? Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" deserved to win the Best Documentary Oscar back in 2002, but the absence of "The Kid Stays in the Picture" among the nominees is more outrageous than Evans' story itself. 9.5 out of 10.

Details

Official Sites:

USA Films - synopsis, trailer, etc. [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 August 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Kid Stays in the Picture

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows - 9641 Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$89,087, 28 July 2002

Gross USA:

$1,439,232

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,521,593

Company Credits

Production Co:

Highway Films, Ministry of Propaganda Films, Robert Evans Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1