Spoiler Alert!! --- Vincente Minnelli's overwrought expose of Hollywood and all its shortcomings. Kirk Douglas is a washed up studio chief who attempts to gather together a group of one-time com-padres to help him with his comeback. He gets them all on the phone at the same time, thus allowing them to tell their horror stories one by one before sticking it to him. Lana Turner is the star Douglas cultivated and then dropped, Dick Powell is the distinguished novelist who becomes a gun-for-hire screen writing hack, Gloria Grahame is Powell's opportunistic wife...and so on. Each story unfolds in gruesome detail, exposing Douglas a heel, a cad, and, possibly, a murderer.

It's silly, glossy and extremely entertaining. Douglas is great, his overacting is perfect for his excitable role and Turner hands in as good a performance as she's ever given (which really isn't saying THAT much). Grahame won an Oscar, but she's not that impressive...and her role is quite small. The dependable supporting cast also includes Barry Sullivan and Walter Pidgeon.