Sam Kashner and Jennifer MacNair

The Bad and the Beautiful

A vivid portrait of power, fame, and sex in 1950s Hollywood, from the rise of tabloid journalism to the making of legendary film icons.

With "fresh emphasis on little-known stories [and] an impressive number of eyewitnesses" (Chicago Tribune), Sam Kashner and Jennifer MacNair present "a revealing,...ever fascinating glimpse into the shadowy reality and hidden mores of Hollywood in what was popularly considered a decade of innocence" (Suzanne Finstad). "[S]urprisingly vivid accounts" (People) of such public icons as Lana Turner, Rock Hudson, Kim Novak, and Mae West explore the private scandals exploited by tabloids such as Confidential. Highlighting Hollywood's curious religious revival with The Robe, the film industry's exploitation of the potboiler Peyton Place, and the life of anarchic director Nick Ray of the enduring classic Rebel without a Cause, the authors "[give] a compelling sense" (Kirkus Reviews) of the unique obsessions of the era and the city's attempts to reinvent the magic and mystery of its past glories.

Guided by the authors' historical savvy and intimate storytelling, we discover a city at a crossroads, attempting to reinvent the magic and mystery of its past glories. Tragic, irreverent, and always entertaining, The Bad and the Beautiful reveals the underground history of this turbulent decade in American film. 35 b/w photographs.

"[T]he definitive take on sex, sleaze-mongering, moral vacuity, and paranoia in the American 1950s....This book soars."—James Ellroy, author of L.A. Confidential

"A revealing, at times discomforting, ever fascinating glimpse into the shadowy reality and hidden mores of Hollywood."—Suzanne Finstad, author of Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood

"I loved this book. The best stroll through glamorous, sexy old Hollywood that I've ever taken."—Burt Boyar, co-author of Yes, I Can: The Story of Sammy Davis, Jr.

"Many have called the Fifties the darkest decade in Hollywood history. [This] reveals all the fascinating ugly details. It's a must-read."—Ernest Lehman, screenwriter of North by Northwest, West Side Story, and other classic films