The Legend of Lylah Clare
| The Legend of Lylah Clare | |
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theatrical poster
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| Directed by | Robert Aldrich |
| Produced by | Robert Aldrich |
| Written by |
Hugo Butler (teleplay) Edward DeBlasio (teleplay) Robert Thom |
| Screenplay by | Hugo Butler Jean Rouverol |
| Starring |
Peter Finch Kim Novak Ernest Borgnine Michael Murphy Valentina Cortese |
| Music by | Frank De Vol |
| Cinematography | Joseph F. Biroc |
| Edited by | Michael Luciano |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1968, original) Warner Bros. (2011, DVD) |
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Release date
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Running time
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130 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3,490,000 |
| Box office | 33,798 admissions (France) |
The Legend of Lylah Clare is a 1968 American drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Robert Aldrich. The film stars Peter Finch, Kim Novak (in multiple roles), Ernest Borgnine, Michael Murphy, and Valentina Cortese. The film was based on a 1962 DuPont Show of the Week TV drama co-written by Wild in the Streets creator Robert Thom.
A satire on Hollywood, full of references to similar films, it recounts how an untalented beginner is hired to play the legendary Lylah Clare, a tempestuous actress who died mysteriously 20 years ago, and is herself consumed by the system. Although Aldrich's previous 1960s efforts were praised by critics, Lylah Clare opened to negative reviews.
Agent Bart Langner finds Elsa Brinkmann, a would-be actress who looks and sounds just like Lylah Clare, a flamboyant star who fell to her death in suspicious circumstances 20 years ago. He persuades arrogant director Lewis Zarkan, who had been married to Lylah, to see her. The two men then convince brash studio head Barney Sheean, who is equally struck, to back a picture with her as Lylah.
Besides coping with the tyrannical Zarkan and easy access to alcohol and drugs, Elsa also has to contend with other hazards of Hollywood like malicious journalist Molly Luther and lesbian admirer Rossella. As filming continues, her identification with her rôle gets more intense. She also begins to fall in love with Zarkan, who is happy to sleep with her but his priority is to get his film finished.
By the last day of shooting, her personality seems to have merged with that of the outrageous Lylah whose fatal fall, we learn, was prompted by the jealous Zarkan. To antagonise him, she first lets him find her in bed with the gardener. Then, as he directs her in a circus scene, she leaps to her death from the high-wire. The resulting publicity makes his film a huge success.
A final sequence suggests that the world of Hollywood is literally one of dog eats dog.
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Wikipedia