The Last Tycoon

1976

The Last Tycoon

Critics Consensus

No consensus yet.

44%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 18

39%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 2,991
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The Last Tycoon Photos

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Movie Info

Based on an unfinished novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald adapted by the notable playwright Harold Pinter and brought to the screen by Elia Kazan, this movie explores the life and machinations of the troubled movie producer Monroe Stahr (Robert DeNiro). The real-life inspiration for the leading character was Irving Thalberg, a producer at MGM. The focus of this leisurely-paced movie is on the characters of these show-business people. This star-studded film was expected to be a more conventional drama, and was not well-received by the film-going public.
  • Rating:
    PG
  • Genre:
    Drama, Romance
  • Directed By:
    Elia Kazan
  • Written By:
    Harold Pinter
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Paramount Pictures

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Cast

Robert De Niro
as Monroe Stahr
Tony Curtis
as Rodriguez
Robert Mitchum
as Pat Brady
Jeanne Moreau
as Didi
Jack Nicholson
as Brimmer
Donald Pleasence
as Boxley
Ingrid Boulting
as Kathleen Moore
Ray Milland
as Fleishacker
Dana Andrews
as Red Ridingwood
Theresa Russell
as Cecilia Brady
Peter Strauss
as Wylie
Tige Andrews
as Popolos
Morgan Farley
as Marcus
John Carradine
as Guide
Jeff Corey
as Doctor
Diane Shalet
as Stahr's Secretary
Seymour Cassel
as Seal Trainer
Anjelica Huston
as Edna
Bonnie Bartlett
as Brady's Secretary
Sharon Masters
as Brady's Secretary
Eric Christmas
as Norman
Leslie Curtis
as Mrs. Rodriguez
Lloyd Kino
as Butler
Brendan Burns
as Assistant Editor
Carrie Miller
as Lady in Restaurant
Peggy Feury
as Hairdresser
Julian Burton
Betsy Jones-Moreland
as Writer
Patricia Singer
as Girl on Beach
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Critic Reviews for The Last Tycoon

All Critics (18) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (8) | Rotten (10)

  • Producer Sam Spiegel's contribution is admirable, but Elia Kazan's direction of the Pinter plot seems unfocussed though craftsmanlike. Robert De Niro's performance as the inscrutable boy-wonder of films is mildly intriguing.

    Apr 10, 2007 | Full Review…

    Variety Staff

    Variety
    Top Critic

  • De Niro proves again how well he can carry a part, and is particularly good in scenes dealing with the day-to-day business of movie-making.

    Jun 24, 2006 | Full Review…

    Geoff Andrew

    Time Out
    Top Critic

  • The movie is full of echoes. We watch it as if at a far remove from what's happening, but that too is appropriate: Fitzgerald was writing history as it happened.

    May 9, 2005 | Rating: 3/5

    Vincent Canby

    New York Times
    Top Critic

  • Elia Kazan now admits that he directed this adaptation, his last Hollywood film, for the money. Unfortunately, it looks it.

    Jan 1, 2000 | Full Review…

    Jonathan Rosenbaum

    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic

  • The Last Tycoon is an intriguing entry to the period gangster genre that depicts the weight of triad influence in 1930s Shanghai at the cusp of war with an invading Japan.

    Jul 11, 2016 | Rating: B | Full Review…

    Jared Mobarak

    The Film Stage

  • Kazan's rigid directing kills the spontaneity of nearly every cast member.

    Sep 26, 2008 | Full Review…

    Jeffrey M. Anderson

    Combustible Celluloid
View All Critic Reviews (18)

Audience Reviews for The Last Tycoon

  • Jun 18, 2010
    While it’s not Elia Kazan’s usual style, it’s a very interesting story with a lot to offer. You can instantaneously feel that it’s incomplete and fragmented, but it works with Robert De Niro’s performance as Stahr. This has great performances from everyone and it’s got a nice critique about Hollywood and movie making, but it never really answers any of the questions it asks. This is about as much as you can expect though, considering the circumstances, and nothing to be ashamed of.
    Conner R Super Reviewer
  • Jun 22, 2008
    With a cast like this there is no way this should be the snoozefest it is. Moves at a glacial place to no real resolution.
    jay n Super Reviewer
  • Jul 25, 2007
    [font=Century Gothic]In "The Last Tycoon," Monroe Stahr(Robert De Niro) is the head of production at International World Films in the 1930's, making movies to keep people's minds off the Depression. He lives for his work, spending little time outside of it, since the tragic death of his lady love about a decade before. One night, an earthquake strikes the studio while he is sleeping in his office. Out to inspect the damage, he notices two women floating by on a prop; one of whom, Kathleen Moore(Ingrid Boulting), reminds him of his lost love. Now, he is obsessed with finding her again...[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"The Last Tycoon" is a detailed and captivating movie with a breezy tone until the final minutes when it begins to drag. The movie takes place when the studio system was at its height in Hollywood.(The casting of Robert Mitchum, Ray Milland, John Carradine and Tony Curtis acknowledges the old studio system while Theresa Russell and Anjelica Huston point towards the future. And Jeanne Moreau represents the revolutionary French New Wave.) This was at a time when for better or worse the studio boss was king and directors, actors and writers were little more than craftsmen making movies on a production line. Thankfully the movie is not nostalgiac, simply showing one way of making films. [/font]
    Walter M Super Reviewer
  • Jul 04, 2006
    I've read a lot of reviews that complain about this film's "glacial pace", but if I may be so bold, I think a lot of people are misplacing their criticism. If anything, the film moves forward a little too quickly and sheds some crucial character insight in the process. However, I was pleased with the movie's tonal approach of distance, and the atmosphere of quiet sadness it established. This is a withdrawn piece that speaks very little at times and expects a lot from the audience. The direction, writing and performances all serve towards its languid essence and the result is a respectably executed movie that falls short of the greatness it could have achieved. Robert De Niro's lead performance is exciting to watch - a sketch of a character with a lot of texture that we never quite get a grasp of. His brief moments with Jack Nicholson make this film worth a watch alone. Watching those two screen legends feed off each other made me a happy viewer. This isn't a film I would recommend to many people, but I enjoyed it extensively and I presume it's something I'll revisit at least once.
    Mike T Super Reviewer
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