What it’s about
Ruthless, down-on-his-luck Tinseltown producer Jonathan Shields (Douglas) desperately needs a blockbuster to stay afloat, and knows he can get one if he signs up actress Georgia Lorrison (Turner), director Fred Amiel (Sullivan), and writer James Lee Bartlow (Powell), all of whose careers he helped launch. Trouble is, they all hate Shields for eventually dropping them (or worse) on his way up the ladder. Will his old colleagues rise above it all and help him, or do to him what he did to them?
Why we love it
One of our favorite movies about the movie business, this sharp, stylized melodrama gets top-flight treatment from director Minnelli, who definitely knows this territory. Fueled by a powerhouse cast — Powell, Turner, an Oscar-nominated Douglas, and an Oscar-winning Gloria Grahame — this scathing look at the inner workings of Hollywood is catnip for any true movie fan. Also taking home Academy Awards for Best Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, and Costume Design, “Bad” is, in fact, very, very good.