The Real Life Characters of 'Babylon'

WARNING. SPOILERS!

Babylon, the latest film from director Damien Chazelle, is a love letter to Hollywood's Golden Age. Starring Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, the film is set during the transition from silent to sound films in the late 1920s and features an all-star cast of talented actors, including Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, and Li Jun Li. Although the characters and events portrayed in the film are fictional, they draw heavily from real people who were active in Hollywood during this period. Brad Pitt's character, Jack Conrad, is based on the life of John Gilbert, one of the most popular actors of the silent film era, while Margot Robbie's character, Nellie LaRoy, is inspired by Clara Bow, one of the most famous stars of the Roaring Twenties. Whether you're familiar with the history of Hollywood or not, Babylon is a captivating and entertaining film that captures the essence of this unique period in cinema history.

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[brahmansam]

Conrad's last minutes on screen were really hard to watch. Brad Pitt did a marvellous job portraying the emotions of Conrad's transition from the top to a has-been. I think all that watched the movie knew what the outcome would be. Personally, I was hoping he would take Fay Zhu's offer and finally find some peace. But, in the end, he exited the stage on his own terms.

[masterzombie]

I think this might be Brad pitts best performance. When the interviewer asked him if he was scared of the sounds in movies that little hesitation to answer was perfect.

[normadesmond]

John Gilbert was one of the biggest stars of the silent movies. He was deeply in love with Greta Garbo. He wanted to marry her, but during a wedding ceremony she didn't show up. Upset, he ran into Louis B Mayer. He said: What do you care? You are already sleeping with her. Gilbert knocked Mayer to the floor. And yep - Mayer said: I am going to destroy you for this. Not long after this incident, the talkies came along. It was a scary time for all the silent movie stars. Mayer played the first speaking movie of Gilbert on a higher speed all over the US. It made Gilberts voice very high and the audiences laught at him. And that was the end of Gilbert. He died after drinking himself to death.

[donaldkelly]

Babylon, like Annihilation with Natalie Portman, is a masterpiece that will take a decade to appreciate Robbie and Pitt's performances and the film itself.

[cheryl]

The transition to talking films changed everything about the time, traveling through the Depression era as people's lives evolved and films were a great escape...may they still..

[mortyjansen]

I dont get the hate the movie gets, it is just a masterpiece and a time piece. And thoughtprovoking. I am from Denmark, we sent several moviestars over before the talkies, so after that they failed, but before, they were incredible famous. This would be in that period. …. A dane even helped found the oscars. A person noone remembers anymore. …. But interesting to see maybe how they lived.

[margies]

I have yet to see this movie but unfortunately what I find off-putting is the costuming and makeup of Robbie. It is so remote from anything in the 1920's. Maybe this is intentional of the film maker but she does not look like she would exist in that era.

[abnr]

I love the ending of this movie...showing compilation of all the movies thru the decade...its an underrated masterpiece and honestly I get why it is...without a doubt this is going to garner a lot of cult following as the years go by

[robchuk]

I can't quite agree about the authenticity of the era, because my biggest problem with Babylon was how "modern" it felt.

[rixx]

I would love to see a miniseries based around PICKFAIR - the estate owned by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks - then the king and queen of (silent) Hollywood. Neighbour to Chaplin - the dinner parties were legendary - as were the scandals, including suspected murder and more.

[doubletake]

The first twenty minutes of Babylon was a bit challenging for me to watch as I felt the portrayal of hedonistic silent film Hollywood was far too over the top. However, thereafter, as the film began to explore the characters portrayed by Robbie and Pitt, the movie told a very compelling story that captured my attention. I found myself really pulling for Pitt's character to succeed in transitioning to talkies. Also, IMHO, the sequence involving Toby Maguire's crime kingpin character was a complete waste of film, distracted from the primary arc of the movie and pretty much ran it into the ground.

[JL-ryri]

Marion Davies is played by Chloe Fineman(blonde)-The brunette shown is Mildred Yates -played by Jenifer Grant(daughter of Cary Grant and Dyan Cannon)

[deepbluesea]

I have watched this masterpiece at least 5 times, and it gets better everytime!!!

[Jessicanyc]

This is movie should’ve won the Oscar for best picture, it was brilliant ! Maybe 10-20 years from now it will get the praise it deserves as one of the most underrated movies ever !

[Tater]

One of my favorite scene is where Margo robbi is bitten by the snake and everyone is freaking out running. And Brad Pitt is just standing there staring on. I couldn't quit put my finger on what he was thinking. But he looked depressed mixed with wonderment lol

[ciudadanakane]

One of the best movies of the year, a love poem to cinema.

[jlovebirch]

The Jean Smart character had to be based on columnist Hedda Hopper, and the one Asian actress in the cast resembles Anna Mae Wong.

[flowermeerkat]

I've seen John Gilbert act in a talking movie, "Downstairs". I saw it before I knew anything about him and I thought "who the hell is this magnetic man"? He was excellent and magnetic, definitely not stilted. His decline was not due to his acting.

[ciscoc.]

@MovieBusta You forgot Jean Smarts amazing portrayal as the magazine nwes reporter which was no doubt modeled after Adela Rogers St John...it was probably one of my favorite parts of the movie. She was great in it.

[rewindplay]

This is a brilliant summary of Babylon, a masterful modern day movie..