The Big Knife (1955) on Netflix
NR19551h 51mCrimeDramaFilm-Noir
Movie actor Charlie Castle won't put his name to another seven-year deal with studio boss Stanley Hoff. His estranged wife Marion backs him; his agent Nat Danziger urges him to reconsider.
- Netflix4.0/5
- IMDb6.7/104,860 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes91%
Trailer
Plot summary
Charlie Castle has spent years as a star while feeling he traded his own dreams for the studio's money. At his Los Angeles home, gossip columnist Patty Benedict arrives and presses him about a rumored separation from his wife Marion; he declines to discuss it, and Marion, arriving, declines as well. Alone together, Marion asks what he intends for his career and whether he will commit to another seven-year contract with studio boss Stanley Hoff. Charlie says he is holding off on the deal so as not to lose her. His agent Nat Danziger, back from a meeting with Hoff, tells him to sign, and reports that Hoff and Smiley Coy are coming to close the deal. Charlie tells Hoff he will not sign; Hoff tries to pressure him, and Charlie stays firm.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Big Knife (1955)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Robert Aldrich said he put the Nuremberg drumroll under the Hoff character's entrances and exits, and that the character's crying came from Mayer, who was reported to have been able to cry at the drop of an option.
- The Big Knife was made by United Artists on a low budget and shot in 16 days, critic Dennis Schwartz wrote, because no major studio would make its Hollywood exposé.
