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.
Georgia Lorrison
Lana Turner
Jonathan Shields
Kirk Douglas
Harry Pebbel
Walter Pidgeon
James Lee Bartlow
Dick Powell
Fred Amiel
Barry Sullivan
Rosemary Bartlow
Gloria Grahame
Henry Whitfield
Leo G. Carroll
Victor "Gaucho" Ribera
Gilbert Roland
Syd Murphy
Paul Stewart
Kay Amiel
Vanessa Brown
Lila
Elaine Stewart
Gus
Sammy White
Von Ellstein
Ivan Triesault
Blonde Dancing with Gaucho (uncredited)
Lucy Knoch
Mr. Z (uncredited)
Jay Adler
Sheriff (uncredited)
Stanley Andrews
Georgia's Makeup Artist (uncredited)
Del Armstrong
Joe (Party Guest) (uncredited)
Ben Astar
Evelyn Lucien (Costumer) (uncredited)
Barbara Billingsley
Ferraday (uncredited)
John Bishop
Mrs. Rosser (uncredited)
Madge Blake
Man Outside the Club (uncredited)
Marshall Bradford
Party Guest (uncredited)
Paul Bradley
Piano Player (uncredited)
Hadda Brooks
Mourner (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks
McDill (uncredited)
Robert Burton
Eulogist (uncredited)
Francis X. Bushman
Georgia Lorrison's Father (voice) (uncredited)
Louis Calhern
Ida (uncredited)
Marietta Canty
Casting Director (uncredited)
Robert Carson
Party Guest (uncredited)
Beulah Christian
Bobby-Soxer (uncredited)
Janet Comerford
Party Guest (uncredited)
James Conaty
Assistant Director (uncredited)
Jonathan Cott
Real Estate Woman (uncredited)
Lillian Culver
Priest (uncredited)
Alexis Davidoff
Assistant (uncredited)
Bob Davis
Little Girl Screaming on "Cat Man" Set (uncredited)
Sandy Descher
Symposium Guest (uncredited)
Helen Dickson
Pawnbroker (uncredited)
Phil Dunham
Cameraman (uncredited)
Steve Dunhill
Assistant on Set (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum
Publicity Man (uncredited)
James Farrar
Joe's Friend at Party (uncredited)
Bess Flowers
Poker Player (uncredited)
Charles Fogel
Club Patron (uncredited)
George Ford
Actor in Georgia's Screen Test (uncredited)
Steve Forrest
Miss March (uncredited)
Kathleen Freeman
Party Guest (uncredited)
Rudy Germane
Gabby Agent at the Party (uncredited)
Frank Gerstle
Party Guest (uncredited)
Joe Gilbert
Wardrobe Man (uncredited)
Ned Glass
Party Guest (uncredited)
James Gonzalez
Leading Lady (uncredited)
Phyllis Graffeo
Party Guest (uncredited)
Herschel Graham
Assistant Director (uncredited)
A. Cameron Grant
Symposium Guest (uncredited)
Marion Gray
Hugo Shields (uncredited)
William E. Green
Studio Lighting Technician (uncredited)
Dabbs Greer
Mourner (uncredited)
Robert Haines
Party Guest (uncredited)
Sam Harris
Mourner (uncredited)
Dick Johnstone
Assistant Director (uncredited)
Ted Jordan
Assistant Director (uncredited)
Joseph Keane
Mourner (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp
Singer at Party (uncredited)
Peggy King
Preview Ticket Taker (uncredited)
Mike Lally
Party Guest (uncredited)
Louise Lane
"Far Away Mountain" Test Actor #2 (uncredited)
George J. Lewis
Party Guest (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack
Spanish Actor in Screen Test (uncredited)
Paul Marion
Man Talking to Gabby Agent at the Party (uncredited)
Paul Maxey
Pebbel's Secretary (uncredited)
May McAvoy
Mourner (uncredited)
Harold Miller
Party Guest (uncredited)
Hans Moebus
Studio Electrician (uncredited)
Patrick J. Molyneaux
Cigar Clerk (uncredited)
Roger Moore
Reporter (uncredited)
Ellanora Needles
Leading Man (uncredited)
Richard Norris
Waiter at Party (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien
Man Outside the Club (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley
Amiel's Boy (uncredited)
Christopher Olsen
Arlene (uncredited)
Dorothy Patrick
Assistant Director (uncredited)
William Phillips
Theatre Worker (uncredited)
Murray Pollack
Theatre Manager (uncredited)
Paul Power
Bobby-Soxer (uncredited)
Kathy Qualen
Crew Member (uncredited)
Anthony Redondo
Studio Props Department Man (uncredited)
Jeff Richards
Symposium Guest (uncredited)
Loretta Russell
Waiter (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre
Reporter (uncredited)
Frank J. Scannell
Pebbel's Secretary (uncredited)
Perry Sheehan
Cameraman (uncredited)
George Sherwood
Poker Player (uncredited)
Reginald Simpson
Heavy Woman (uncredited)
Mabel Smaney
Theatre Worker (uncredited)
Norman Stevans
Reporter (uncredited)
William Tannen
Linda Ronley (uncredited)
Dee Turnell
Man (uncredited)
Harry Tyler
Rosa (uncredited)
Kaaren Verne
Cameraman (uncredited)
Ray Walker
Judge (uncredited)
Harte Wayne
Poker Player (uncredited)
Lawrence A. Williams
Butler (uncredited)
Eric Wilton
Man on Movie Set (uncredited)
Wilson Wood
Leading Man (uncredited)
Douglas Yorke
Georgia's Hair Stylist (uncredited)
Helen Young