One of the movies being talked about as a serious 2021 Oscar contender is David Fincher's Mank. The movie stars Gary Oldman as Herman Mankiewicz, who wrote Citizen Kane. It is a unique and entertaining biography that looks into the old days of Hollywood to tell a fascinating show business story few have heard.
Of course, Hollywood is filled with these sorts of strange tales that could be made into movies themselves. From the behind-the-scenes troubles of famous productions to stories of murder and scandal within the movie business, these true Hollywood stories deserve to be brought to the big screen.
The Making Of Jaws
While Jaws is now considered one of the greatest movies of all time, the production of the movie was quite a disaster from beginning to end. And it is just that sort of history that makes this a true underdog story worthy of its own movie.
Steven Spielberg was a young director who didn't get much respect from his crew while also having to deal with feuds among the actors, Robert Shaw's heavy drinking, and the infamous malfunctioning shark. It could be really entertaining to see how young Spielberg turned all this madness into cinematic brilliance.
Elia Kazan Names Communists
One of the darker periods in American history was in the 1950s when many screenwriters and filmmakers were labeled as Communists and blacklisted from working in Hollywood by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Famed director Elia Kazan was one of the most notable names to testify at the hearing and give names of colleagues he claimed to be Communists. Not only did Kazan never express any remorse for this, but many speculate his movie On the Waterfront starring Marlon Brando was an allegory for justifying his testimony.
Billy Wilder And Raymond Chandler Write Double Indemnity Together
One of the greatest noir movies ever made is Double Indemnity and the quality of the movie should come as no surprise given the talent behind it. The movie was the result of a collaboration between Billy Wilder, one of the most celebrated screenwriters of all time, and Raymond Chandler, one of the greatest crime novelists of all time.
While their partnership delivered a masterpiece, they reportedly drove each other insane. From fights over office blinds to Wilder flaunting his womanizing in front of Chandler, these two were total opposites. The odd couple pairing could make for a hilarious Hollywood comedy.
Howard Hughes' Deadly Movie
Howard Hughes is largely known to the public for his aviation feats and his eccentric later years, but he also made a name for himself as a movie director. While his life has already been the subject of The Aviator, the making of his most ambitious movies could make for a thrilling movie itself.
Hell's Angels from 1930 was a movie about fighter pilots in World War I. Hughes enlisted the help of 70 pilots to pull off some of the dangerous aerial stunts in the movie resulting in three of the pilots dying. Hughes himself even performed some of the stunts when the pilots refused.
The Original Director Of Gone With The Wind
Gone with the Wind is one of the biggest and most famous movies in Hollywood history. The large and ambitious project is filled with fascinating stories, but perhaps most fascinating of all is that of the movie's original director.
George Cukor was hired as the movie's director but fired after only a couple of weeks of filming. Though no reason was ever confirmed, Cukor's biographer claims it was because Cukor was gay and actor Clark Gable refused to be directed by him.
Peg Entwistle
The tragedy of Peg Entwistle is an intriguing examination of Hollywood and how its culture can be unhealthy in many ways. Entwistle was a British actor who moved to Hollywood in the 1930s in hopes of becoming a star. She filmed only one role in a movie before committing suicide by jumping off the famous Hollywood sign.
While this could be seen as a sad story of someone who had a Hollywood dream which ended in tragedy, it is also an interesting story of how her death made her a huge star despite people not really knowing anything about her.
Ryan Murphy's miniseries Hollywood centers around a fictional adaptation of Entwistle's story and if it's any indication, this is a story worth telling on the big screen for real.
Lana Turner And The Dead Mobster
Lana Turner was one of the most famous actors of her era but her career declined following a huge scandal that seems like something out of a gangster movie.
Turner had been dating gangster Johnny Stompanato in the late 1950s. However, Stompanato was an abusive and jealous partner who refused to let Turner break up with him. During an argument at Turner's home, Stompanato threatened to kill her and Turner's teenage daughter. Upon hearing the threat, the daughter took a knife and stabbed Stompanato to death.
The Death Of Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer
The careers of child actors have often led to some tragic tales of people unable to cope once they are pushed out of Hollywood. Such is the case with Carl Switzer, who played Alfalfa in the popular "Our Gang" shorts.
After growing up and failing to find work, Switzer took a bunch of odd jobs. After an argument over a lost dog, Switzer went to confront a man named Bud Stiltz whom he felt owed him $50. Switzer was shot dead in the ensuing argument. While his death was ruled a "justifiable homicide," Stiltz's stepson claims Switzer was leaving when Stiltz shot him.
Hedy Lamarr
Though she was regarded as one of the most beautiful women in the world and was a box office star at the height of her career, secret aspects of Hedy Lamarr's life were more thrilling than most movies.
Lamarr was born in Austria and became a famous film star there before marrying weapons manufacturer Friedrich Mandl and was often forced to accompany him to business meetings with the likes of Adolf Hitler. However, Lamarr also developed a keen interest in discussions of military technology. After escaping her controlling husband and fleeing to America, Lamarr helped develop state-of-the-art radio technology to be used by the Allies during WWII and would later influence modern Wi-Fi.
Fatty Arbuckle's Scandal
Hollywood has had plenty of scandals over the years, but it might be interesting for a movie to look at what was considered the first Hollywood scandal. Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle was a silent movie star and comedian who was one of the most popular stars at the time.
In 1921, Arbuckle and some friends hosted a party in a hotel which was attended by actor Virginia Rappe. Rappe fell ill during the party and was later pronounced dead due to a ruptured bladder. One of Rappe's companions told police Arbuckle raped Rappe. The media circus that surrounded the trial was filled with sensualized stories and outright lies about both Arbuckle and Rappe. Though Arbuckle was later acquitted of the crime, his career never recovered.