crime gone awry   adultery   cigarette smoking   based on novel   dream   scam   title ends with period   satire   car chase   marriage   criminal   supermarket   ghost writer   dancing   film within a film   face slap   insurance agent   movie studio   hollywood california   los angeles california   screenwriter   corpse   mansion   elevator   writing   corsage   new year's eve   opening narration   male female relationship   flashback   dance   father daughter relationship   suicide attempt   lifting someone into the air   parking garage   convertible   deceit   infidelity   1930s   impersonation   ex husband ex wife relationship   beautiful woman   beverly hills california   cuckold   tragedy   actor   cosmetic surgery   main character dies   famous line   depression   obsession   melancholy   blonde   crutches   mental illness   automobile   seduction   film making   director   behind the scenes   engagement   period in title   filmmaking   showbiz   street in title   silent   debt   dead woman   new year's eve party   dating   denial   price of fame   interrogation   flat tire   camera   woman shot   mislaid trust   aging   band   mortal wound   female killer   cigarette holder   lighting cigarette for woman   movie projector   cigarette case   delusion   washed up star   comeback   pool   fame   shopping   movie camera   narrated by character   reference to james joyce   nostalgia   overcoat   tuxedo   love affair   financial crisis   gift   script writer   unhappy marriage   laughing   script   narcissism   rehearsal   beauty   love story   garage   older woman younger man relationship   narration from the grave   vanity   ashtray   telephone box   melodrama   murder of husband   chimpanzee   casket   veil   female corrupts male   playing piano   camera crew   tow truck   orchestral music score   newsreel   insurance fraud   hard boiled dame   insurance   insurance salesman   stepmother   bach's toccata and fugue   insurance investigator   jumping from a train   villainess played by lead actress   mob of reporters   film camera   has been   classic car   paramount pictures   neurotic   recluse   ballroom dancing   chauffeur   repossession   sing along   motion picture industry   motion picture studio   abbreviation in title   silent film star   film studio   bald   cufflink   refuge   gigolo   death star   assistant director   astrology   auto repossession   beauty treatment   body in pool   bridge card game   charlie chaplin spoof   dead chimpanzee   eccentric woman   funeral for pet   garage apartment   garage door   gone with the wind   gun fire   kept man   movie script   nose job   parasol   reference to great expectations   reference to rudolph valentino   retired actress   rich old lady   screenwriting   silent movie actor   trashcan   youthfulness   lifting adult in air   actress   cult favorite   betrayal   famous entrance   funeral   train   death   loyalty   railway station   murder   shot in the back   mistaken identity   parody   irreverence   writer   butler   loss of father   cynicism   cane   voice over narration   husband wife relationship   telephone call   title spoken by character   reporter   rain   extramarital affair   unfaithfulness   gun   femme fatale   swimming pool   party   portrait painting   typewriter   police   shooting   told in flashback   self hatred   staircase   madness   pistol