Based on the unfinished F. Scott Fitzgerald novel of the same name, 1976’s The Last Tycoon marks the first time Robert De Niro played an even remotely likable character. Set in the 1930’s, the film follows Monroe Stahr (De Niro, a thinly veiled Irving Thalberg) a young Hollywood mogul as he navigates studio politics as he develops acclaimed and financially profitable films.
Stahr’s movie star wife Minna Davis died an early death, and he has a penchant for discovering actresses who resemble her. His associate in the studio is top financial executive Pat Brady (Robert Mitchum), his Irish mentor, who later becomes his rival when he teams with a slick New York lawyer representing investors (Ray Milland) because Stahr’s ‘artistic’ ideas are getting in the way of commerce.”
Stahr’s is involved in a romance with actress Kathleen Moore (Ingrid Boulting) who plays mind games with him. She says goodbye when she means hello, tells him that she can’t see him again and then shows up, that kind of thing. Meanwhile, Pat Brady’s daughter Cecilia (Theresa Russell) is madly in love with Monroe, but he’s to obsessed with Kathleen to notice.
Legendary director Elia Kazan’s (On the Waterfront, A Face in the Crowd) last time behind the camera, The Last Tycoon seemed headed for success, with a script by Harold Pinter and a supporting cast that includes Tony Curtis, Jeanne Moreau, Ray Milland and Dana Andrews. Even Jack Nicholson has a small role. Problematically, so does nearly everyone else, making for fun stargazing, but not much in the way of character development. Watching all these characters pop in and out, some with more purpose than others, it no wonder The Last Tycoon was a box office dud.
Despite a long and slow script, Robert De Niro is spot on as Monroe Stahr, from his posture, to the way he sits at his desk wearing his horn-rimmed glasses. Teresa Russell has a few bright moments, but Ingrid Boulting is exceedingly boring. Much of the all-star cast is simply wasted, but De Niro fans should give The Last Tycoon a look.
Kino Lorber Studio Classics 1080p presentation from a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is another solid. Presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, colors are bright, showing off the impressive production design. Blacks look deep and inky. Skin tones look natural throughout. Considering the age of the film, there are no major flaws. Viewers should be very pleased with this transfer.
Two audio tracks are included in English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono. For the purposes of this review I viewed the film with its 5.1 surround track, while it won’t blow anyone away, this dialogue heavy film sounds clean, clear and concise. There are only a couple of brief scenes where surrounds are involved.
English SDH subtitles are included.
The following extras are available:
- NEW!! Audio Commentary by Film Historian/Author Joseph McBride, Editor of Filmmakers on Filmmaking
