The Last Tycoon (Playhouse 90)

The Last Tycoon was an American television adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished novel of the same name. It aired as part of the Playhouse 90 anthology series on CBS on January 14, 1957.

The story, set in 1930s Hollywood, centers on Monroe Stahr, a brilliant and powerful studio executive grappling with personal and professional crises. He faces challenges from labor unions, battles with a rival producer Pat Brady, and is haunted by the memory of his deceased wife. He falls in love with Kathleen Moore, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to his late wife. The adaptation explores themes of ambition, love, loss, and the moral compromises inherent in the pursuit of success within the burgeoning film industry.

The Playhouse 90 version of The Last Tycoon featured Jack Palance as Monroe Stahr. The supporting cast included Peter Lorre and Keenan Wynn. The production was directed by John Frankenheimer. As a live television broadcast, the Playhouse 90 presentation of The Last Tycoon represents a significant, albeit potentially imperfect, adaptation of Fitzgerald's iconic novel during the Golden Age of Television. No complete recording is known to survive.