In this 2-part tv-movie, The Star Maker, Rock Hudson stars as the title character and a symbol of all that makes Hollywood great. He's a director, coach, mentor, talent scout, and publicity agent all in one. He finds women who are nobodies and turns them into superstars. In the process he falls in love with them, but as soon as she's larger-than-life and doesn't need him anymore, he moves on to his next creation.
At the start, Rock has Suzanne Pleshette on his arm. While at an after-party for her latest hit premiere, Rock sees Melanie Griffith crying alone in another room. He comforts her, he sees a spark in her eyes, and decides to make her a star. She needs a lot of work, and she has a lot of personal problems, so while Suzanne is on location for her next movie, he gets consumed. If you're not a Melanie Griffith fan, fear not. Rock's pattern doesn't stop with two women, and as the movie continues, many other girls vie for his signature attention.
On the surface, this movie is a big fluff piece full of beautiful women and soap opera-ish affairs. But if you like to watch movies about how movies are made, you'll like this one. Rock's character is a total pro, and while you might wonder why he pushes so hard to make these women successful, he gets results. When Melanie is nervous about her upcoming nude scene, Rock starts humming the stereotypical stripper theme and takes off his jacket. He orders every crew member to take off their clothes to make the new star more comfortable. It turns out to be the scene that makes her a star.
"On stage, you act. On film, you think." Rock says the camera is an actor's biggest critic and won't be able to hide anything. "If you lie to it or get lazy, you'll make a 35-foot fool out of yourself in front of millions of people." It's a great speech, and it's a warning for anyone who wants to be a movie star. It's not all champagne brunches and after-parties. It takes a lot of work, and sometimes it takes even more work to create a star than to become a star. To find out why, rent The Star Maker.
