The Dream Merchants (novel)

Last updated
First edition cover (Knopf) DreamMerchants.JPG
First edition cover (Knopf)

The Dream Merchants is an American novel written by Harold Robbins and published in 1949. [1] Set in the early 20th century, the book is a "rags-to-riches" story of a penniless young man who goes to Hollywood and builds a great film studio. A former Universal Studios employee, author Harold Robbins based the main character on Universal's founder, Carl Laemmle. With the Hollywood history in the backdrop, it is a love story.

Contents

Adaptation

In 1980, the book was made into a two-part miniseries. It was directed by Vincent Sherman.

Primary cast

Notes

  1. Andrew Wilson (15 January 2011). Harold Robbins: The Man Who Invented Sex. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 51–2. ISBN   978-1-60819-658-6.


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Robbins</span> American author

Harold Robbins was an American author of popular novels. One of the best-selling writers of all time, he wrote over 25 best-sellers, selling over 750 million copies in 32 languages.

<i>Creature from the Black Lagoon</i> 1954 American monster film

Creature from the Black Lagoon is a 1954 American black-and-white 3D monster horror film produced by William Alland and directed by Jack Arnold, from a screenplay by Harry Essex and Arthur Ross and a story by Maurice Zimm. It stars Richard Carlson, Julia Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno, Nestor Paiva, and Whit Bissell. The film's plot follows a group of scientists who encounter a piscine amphibious humanoid in the waters of the Amazon; the Creature, also known as the Gill-man, was played by Ben Chapman on land and by Ricou Browning underwater. Produced and distributed by Universal-International, Creature from the Black Lagoon premiered in Detroit on February 12, 1954, and was released on a regional basis, opening on various dates.

Robert Florey was a French-American director, screenwriter, film journalist and actor.

<i>The Player</i> (1992 film) 1992 satirical film by Robert Altman

The Player is a 1992 American satirical black comedy film directed by Robert Altman and written by Michael Tolkin, based on his own 1988 novel of the same name. The film stars Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Gallagher, Brion James and Cynthia Stevenson, and is the story of a Hollywood film studio executive who kills an aspiring screenwriter he believes is sending him death threats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Laemmle</span> German-American film producer; founder of Universal Pictures (1867–1939)

Carl Laemmle was a German-American film producer and the co-founder and, until 1934, owner of Universal Pictures. He produced or worked on over 400 films.

<i>The Last Tycoon</i> (1976 film) 1976 American romance film by Elia Kazan

The Last Tycoon is a 1976 American period romantic drama film directed by Elia Kazan and produced by Sam Spiegel, based upon Harold Pinter's screenplay adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished novel The Last Tycoon. It stars Robert De Niro, Tony Curtis, Robert Mitchum, Jack Nicholson, Donald Pleasence, Jeanne Moreau, Theresa Russell and Ingrid Boulting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yvonne De Carlo</span> Canadian-born American actress, dancer and singer (1922–2007)

Margaret Yvonne Middleton, known professionally as Yvonne De Carlo, was a Canadian-American actress, dancer and singer. She became a Hollywood film star in the 1940s and 1950s, made several recordings, and later acted on television and stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Carson</span> Canadian-American actor (1910–1963)

John Elmer Carson, known as Jack Carson, was a Canadian-born American film actor. Carson often played the role of comedic friend in films of the 1940s and 1950s, including The Strawberry Blonde (1941) with James Cagney and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) with Cary Grant. He appeared in such dramas as Mildred Pierce (1945), A Star is Born (1954), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958). He worked for RKO and MGM, but most of his notable work was for Warner Bros.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esther Ralston</span> American actress (1902–1994)

Esther Ralston was an American silent film star. Her most prominent sound picture was To the Last Man in 1933.

<i>The Lonely Lady</i> 1983 film by Peter Sasdy

The Lonely Lady is a 1983 American drama film directed by Peter Sasdy, adapted from Harold Robbins' 1976 novel of the same name, believed to have been based on Robbins' memories of Jacqueline Susann. The film stars Pia Zadora in the title role, Lloyd Bochner, Bibi Besch, Jared Martin and Ray Liotta in his film debut. The original music score was composed by Charlie Calello.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Schwentke</span> German film director and screenwriter

Robert Schwentke is a German film director and screenwriter. He is best known for directing Flightplan (2005), The Time Traveler's Wife (2009), Red (2010), The Divergent Series: Insurgent (2015), The Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016), The Captain (2017), and Snake Eyes (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Murray (entertainer)</span> Entertainer, producer, author (1903–1988)

Ken Murray was an American comedian, actor, radio and television personality and author.

<i>Swashbuckler</i> (film) 1976 US romantic adventure film by James Goldstone

Swashbuckler is a 1976 American romantic adventure film. The film is based on the story "The Scarlet Buccaneer", written by Paul Wheeler and adapted for the screen by Jeffrey Bloom. It was directed by James Goldstone and was rated PG.

<i>Harold Robbins The Survivors</i> American television series

The Survivors is an American primetime soap opera aired by the ABC television network as part of its Fall 1969 lineup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry von Meter</span> American actor (1871–1956)

Harry von Meter was an American actor of stage and silent film. He starred in about 200 films in the period from 1912 through 1929. He retired from acting just as sound films were beginning.

The 19th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 1961, were held on March 5, 1962.

<i>Next Stop, Greenwich Village</i> 1976 film by Paul Mazursky

Next Stop, Greenwich Village is a 1976 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Mazursky, featuring Lenny Baker, Shelley Winters, Ellen Greene, Lois Smith, and Christopher Walken.

<i>Francis</i> (film) 1950 film by Arthur Lubin

Francis is a 1950 American black-and-white comedy film from Universal-International that launched the Francis the Talking Mule film series. Francis is produced by Robert Arthur, directed by Arthur Lubin, and stars Donald O'Connor and Patricia Medina. The distinctive voice of Francis is a voice-over by actor Chill Wills.

<i>The House of the Seven Gables</i> (film) 1940 film by Joe May

The House of the Seven Gables is a 1940 Gothic drama film based on the 1851 novel of the same name by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It stars George Sanders, Margaret Lindsay, and Vincent Price, and tells the story of a family consumed by greed in which one brother frames another for murder. It is a remake of the 1910 film of the same name, which starred Mary Fuller. The film's musical score was nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Score. The plot of the film differs dramatically from the plot of the novel on which it is based.

The Dream Merchants is a 1980 television miniseries based on the 1949 novel of the same name by Harold Robbins and directed by Vincent Sherman.