Told in flashback form, the film traces the rise and fall of a tough, ambitious Hollywood producer, Jonathan Shields, as seen through the eyes of various acquaintances, including a writer, James Lee Bartlow; a star, Georgia Lorrison; and a director, Fred Amiel. He is a hard-driving, ambitious man who ruthlessly uses everyone on the way to becoming one of Hollywood's top movie makers.
Elenco: Kirk Douglas , Lana Turner , Walter Pidgeon , Dick Powell , Barry Sullivan , Gloria Grahame , Gilbert Roland , Leo G. Carroll , Vanessa Brown , Paul Stewart , Sammy White , Elaine Stewart , Ivan Triesault , Jay Adler , Stanley Andrews , Del Armstrong , Ben Astar , Barbara Billingsley , John Bishop , Madge Blake , Marshall Bradford , Paul Bradley , Hadda Brooks , Ralph Brooks , Robert Burton , Francis X. Bushman , Louis Calhern , Marietta Canty , Robert Carson , Beulah Christian , Janet Comerford , James Conaty , Jonathan Cott , Lillian Culver , Alexis Davidoff , Bob Davis , Sandy Descher , Helen Dickson , Phil Dunham , Steve Dunhill , Franklyn Farnum , James Farrar , Bess Flowers , Charles Fogel , George Ford , Steve Forrest , Kathleen Freeman , Rudy Germane , Frank Gerstle , Joe Gilbert , Ned Glass , James Gonzalez , Phyllis Graffeo , Herschel Graham , A. Cameron Grant , Marion Gray , William E. Green , Dabbs Greer , Robert Haines , Sam Harris , Dick Johnstone , Ted Jordan , Joseph Keane , Kenner G. Kemp , Peggy King , Lucy Knoch , Mike Lally , Louise Lane , George J. Lewis , Wilbur Mack , Paul Marion , Paul Maxey , May McAvoy , Harold Miller , Hans Moebus , Patrick J. Molyneaux , Roger Moore , Ellanora Needles , Richard Norris , William H. O'Brien , Pat O'Malley , Christopher Olsen , Dorothy Patrick , William Phillips , Murray Pollack , Paul Power , Kathy Qualen , Anthony Redondo , Jeff Richards , Loretta Russell , Jeffrey Sayre , Frank J. Scannell , Perry Sheehan , George Sherwood , Reginald Simpson , Mabel Smaney , Norman Stevans , William Tannen , Dee Turnell , Harry Tyler , Kaaren Verne , Ray Walker , Harte Wayne , Lawrence A. Williams , Eric Wilton , Wilson Wood , Douglas Yorke , Helen Young .