The Last Tycoon

The novel details the allure of Hollywood glamor, with its tantalizing promises of fame, fortune, and celebrity, and juxtaposes this with the inherent deception of the city and industry. Fitzgerald paints a portrait of a world where the glitz and glamor of the silver screen function as a seductive mirage, enticing individuals. The extravagant parties, opulent lifestyles, and the ceaseless pursuit of the next cinematic sensation contribute to the irresistible charm of the Golden Age of Hollywood, but beneath this allure lies a world of deception. Cecilia approaches Hollywood “with the resignation of a ghost assigned to a haunted house” (14), illustrating the baselessness of the Hollywood community. Cecilia feels like a ghost because the people of Hollywood spend all their energy projecting an image of themselves and neglect to pay attention to their real values and inner lives, so they lack a sense of solidity. The image of the haunted house also creates the impression that Hollywood is an empty shell, where “real” or authentic people struggle to thrive.

Fitzgerald highlights the contrast between outsiders’ perceptions of Hollywood and reality through Cecilia’s commentary: “It’s always years and years behind the times” (22). Here, Hollywood, though perceived as modern, is portrayed as lagging behind in cultural progress. The juxtaposition of Hollywood’s allure and its inherent cultural lag complicates Fitzgerald’s exploration of the industry’s deceptive glamor.

The deception within Hollywood extends into relationships, where personal connections become entangled with the artifice of the studio system. The novel navigates the delicate balance between genuine emotions and the performative nature of relationships as well as the impact of power dynamics. Wylie White’s affair with a Hollywood producer’s wife ended when she threatened him with her husband’s status in Hollywood, saying, “My husband’s a much more important man than you” (23). This snapshot of the relationship exposes the fragility of personal connections, where authenticity is sacrificed to maintain the illusion of a flawless exterior within the tangled web of Hollywood relationships.

The isolation and exclusion faced by those lacking status in the entertainment industry is clear from Wylie’s account of being ignored at a garden party. The garden party, symbolizing the glamorous exterior of Hollywood, becomes a space where appearances matter more than genuine connections, portraying a world where acknowledgment is tied to one’s status within the industry. Wylie’s sense of not having “any rightful identity” encapsulates the transient and contingent nature of validation in a town driven by image and reputation (23). This portrayal offers a critical commentary on the isolating and superficial aspects of Hollywood’s social landscape.

The novel further exposes the superficiality of Hollywood by shedding light on the industry’s obsession with maintaining an image of perfection at any cost. The film heroine’s low gown, displaying “the bright eczema on her chest and back” (75), becomes a canvas for Hollywood’s deceptive beauty standards. The immediate application and removal of an emollient before and after each take reveals the meticulous efforts to conceal imperfections and present an artificial image of flawlessness. This practice underscores the industry’s relentless pursuit of an idealized version of beauty, prioritizing illusion over authenticity. The passage reflects the pressure on individuals within Hollywood to adhere to an unrealistic standard, emphasizing the facade of perfection that pervades the silver screen.