Infamous Players: A Tale of Movies, the Mob (and Sex)

In 1967, Peter Bart, then a young reporter for the New York Times , decided to upend his life and enter the dizzying world of motion pictures. Infamous Players is the story of Bart’s remarkable journey at Paramount, his role in its triumphs and failures, and how a new kind of filmmaking emerged during that time. When Bart was lured to Paramount by his friend and fellow newcomer, the legendary Robert Evans, the studio languished, its slate riddled with movies that were out of touch with the dynamic ‘60s. By the time Bart left Paramount, in 1975, the studio had completed an extraordinary run with such films as The Godfather , Rosemary’s Baby , Harold and Maude , Love Story , Chinatown , Paper Moon , and True Grit . But this new golden era at Paramount was also fraught with chaos and company turmoil. Drugs, sex, runaway budgets, management infighting, and even the Mafia started finding their way onto the Paramount back lot, making it surely one of the worst-run studios in the history of the movie industry. As Peter reflects on the New Hollywood era at Paramount with insider details and insightful analysis, here too are his fascinating recollections of the icons from that era: Warren Beatty, Steve McQueen, Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Francis Ford Coppola, Roman Polanski, and Frank Sinatra, among others. For over five decades, Peter Bart has viewed Hollywood from an incomparable vantage point. The stories he tells and the lessons we learn from Infamous Players are essential for anyone who loves movies.