A detective examines the mysterious death of George Reeves, the star of the television series Adventures of Superman (1952).A detective examines the mysterious death of George Reeves, the star of the television series Adventures of Superman (1952).A detective examines the mysterious death of George Reeves, the star of the television series Adventures of Superman (1952).
- Awards
- 3 wins & 8 nominations
- Barbell Man
- (as Eric Kolder)
- Morgue Attendant
- (as Jon Vladimir Cubrt)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe film's producers were forced to shoot a new version of the opening credits of the TV Adventures of Superman (1952) when Warner Brothers refused permission for the actual opening credits to be used within the film.
- GoofsIt is 1959, well in to the golden age of broadcast television, yet there are virtually no television antennas visible on the roofs of any of the houses in the shots of the "period" neighborhoods.
- Quotes
Kenneth Giles: [after defeating villains in a live show] Hey, Superman! Hey, Superman!
George Reeves: Well, hello there, young man, what's your name?
Kenneth Giles: [brandishing a gun] Kenneth Giles. Can I shoot you?
George Reeves: [he sees that it's a real gun and is suddenly very serious] Kenneth, why would you want to do something like that?
Kenneth Giles: So the bullet bounces off. Can I?
George Reeves: Well, if you did shoot me and the bullet bounced off, it might accidentally hit someone else. We don't want that to happen, do we?
Kenneth Giles: No...
George Reeves: Why don't you just, you and I... Here we go, partner. Why don't you just give me that? Just hand me that...
- SoundtracksSuperman M E
Written by Leon Klatzkin (as Leon Klazkin)
Under the skillful direction of Allen Coulter, "Hollywoodland" captures that moment in film history when the studio system was in decline and about to give way to a new and more independent period of film-making. Perhaps from his previous credits in directing episodes for HBO's "Six Feet Under" series, Coulter was able to draw upon great location environments for a quintessential sense of Los Angeles. Much credit should go as well to designer Julie Weiss for her colorful costumes (especially men's short-sleeved shirts) that evoked the era of the 1950s in L.A.
The performances were uniformly outstanding. Ben Affleck brings out both the charm and the raw vulnerability of George Reeves, an actor of limited ability, struggling and eventually succumbing to the pressures of fame. Affleck was the spitting image of Reeves, especially in the Clark Kent-style, black-framed "owl" glasses. But the real strength of his performance was in his sensitivity as his character made choices that took him into deeper and deeper emotional waters, culminating in tragedy. In the film's parallel story, Adrien Body was a standout as Louis Simo, the private eye seeking his own fame in trying to uncover the mysterious circumstances and motivation of Reeves' tragic death. The luminous Diane Lane was superb in the role of Toni Mannix, the wife of a powerful studio boss and the lover of Reeves. I found Lane's performance in "Hollywoodland" even better than her Academy-award nominated role in "Unfaithful."
The film conveyed a moody atmosphere that begs comparison with "Chinatown," another film that recreates the essence of old Los Angeles. While not as brilliant stylistically as Roman Polanski's masterpiece, "Hollywoodland" nonetheless was a compelling and indeed riveting drama. Although the mystery of the tragic death of George Reeves was not resolved in this film, it nonetheless provided depth and complexity to the characters, as well as a lurid illustration of the pressures and the accompanying risks involved in struggling to succeed in the film industry.
- lavatch
- Sep 7, 2006
- How long is Hollywoodland?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Truth, Justice, and the American Way
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $28,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $14,426,251
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $6,008,000
- Sep 10, 2006
- Gross worldwide
- $16,800,438
- Runtime2 hours 6 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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