Hollywoodland (2006)

A detective examines the mysterious death of George Reeves, the star of the television series Adventures of Superman (1952).

Director:

Allen Coulter

Writer:

Paul Bernbaum

Stars:

Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adrien Brody	...	Louis Simo
Diane Lane	...	Toni Mannix
Ben Affleck	...	George Reeves
Bob Hoskins	...	Eddie Mannix
Robin Tunney	...	Leonore Lemmon
Kathleen Robertson	...	Carol Van Ronkel
Lois Smith	...	Helen Bessolo
Phillip MacKenzie	...	Bill Bliss
Larry Cedar	...	Chester Sinclair
Eric Kaldor	...	Barbell Man (as Eric Kolder)
Caroline Dhavernas	...	Kit Holliday
Kevin Hare	...	Robert Condon
Molly Parker	...	Laurie Simo
Zach Mills	...	Evan Simo
Neil Crone	...	Chuck

Storyline

Struggling private investigator Louis Simo treats his work more as a means to make a living than a want to do right by what few clients he has. Through connections with the investigation firm for which he used to work, Simo is hired by Helen Bessolo to investigate the death of her son, actor George Reeves. Reeves was best known for his title role in Adventures of Superman (1952), a role which he always despised, in part since it typecast him as a "cartoon", despite it bringing him a certain fame. His June 16, 1959 death by a single gunshot wound while in his bedroom in his Los Angeles home was ruled a suicide by the police, the death which occurred when the house was filled with people. Reeves' story is told in part in flashback as Simo, who is trying to make a name for himself with this case, talks to or tries to talk to some of the players involved, most specifically the wife of MGM General Manager E.J. Mannix, Toni Mannix, with whom Reeves was having a relatively open and ...

---

Plot Keywords:

pinup girl | lois lane character | actress | sexy woman | adulterous wife | 

---

Taglines:

Living in Holly wood can make you famous. Dying in Hollywood can make you a legend.

---

Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | History | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some violence and sexual content

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the second time that Bob Hoskins has played a character named "Eddie" in a murder mystery film set in Hollywood, the first being Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).

---

Goofs

The train horns in the background are modern Amtrak three-chime, inconsistent with the single fog horns of the 1950s.

---

Quotes

Toni Mannix: [Reeves steps in to get a photograph with Rita Hayworth] Just made it.
George Reeves: Beg your pardon?
Toni Mannix: Into the picture.
George Reeves: Was someone taking a picture? I hadn't noticed.
[Reeves lights Mannix' cigarette]
Toni Mannix: My, we're awfully well-trained, Mister...
George Reeves: George Reeves.
[Mannix laughs]
George Reeves: Was it the line or the delivery?
Toni Mannix: I laugh when I'm happy.
[...]

---

Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Times Actors Played Other Actors (2016)

---

Soundtracks

Lonely Boy
Written and Performed by Paul Anka
Courtesy of Paul Anka Productions

User Reviews

Could've been so much better

When I first began hearing about this movie, the premise, as I understood it, was that George Reeves'apparent suicide was in fact a murder, heading into the movie with that in mind, I was a little surprised, although not terribly disappointed to find that this movie is less about a murder mystery and more about man trying to find his path to stardom. What makes this movie ultimately so frustrating is that it wastes time and energy trying to give you a parallel storyline with Adrien Brody, as the self-important amoral private eye, who is trying to fix his life, this was an unnecessary and at times tedious plot line and as good as Brody is the better storyline and performance belong to Affleck. With some better editing and a more focused view of what this story should be this would have been an outstanding movie. Ultimately it seems that rather than take a chance on the performances generating buzz, the producers decided to sell a mystery that never fully materialized, as opposed to a layered and interesting character piece about a man not many people knew about.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

8 September 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Truth, Justice, and the American Way

Filming Locations:

635 Mateo St, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$28,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,008,000, 10 September 2006

Gross USA:

$14,426,251

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$16,800,438

Company Credits

Production Co:

Focus Features, Miramax, Back Lot Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1