Best movies like Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter
Last updated March 2024
Looking for movies related to Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter? Share your insights to navigate others discover movies and tv shows you've already seen that might suit them too. Boost the cohort of people recommending videos to one another. We value your contribution!
Plot Summary:
Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter is described by CBS as "a dramatic love story" about the lives of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 247
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags:
Best tv shows and movies like Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter (1991):
Similar in 83%
The Comic (1969)
Plot Summary:
An account of the rise and fall of a silent film comic, Billy Bright. The movie begins with his funeral, as he speaks from beyond the grave in a bitter tone about his fate, and takes us through his fame, as he ruins it with womanizing and drink, and his fall, as a lonely, bitter old man unable to reconcile his life's disappointments. The movie is based loosely on the life of Buster Keaton.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 905
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: cult film, nostalgic
Similar in 90%
My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn (1985)
Plot Summary:
The life and wanton times of Errol Flynn.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 288
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 143 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 80%
Funny Lady (1975)
Plot Summary:
1930s in New York – The famous singer Fanny Brice has divorced her first husband Nicky Arnstein. During the depression she has trouble finding work as an artist but meets Billy Rose, a newcomer who writes lyrics and owns his own nightclub.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, Musical, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 136 min
Plot tags: sentimental, humorous, anamorphic, hilarious, touching, feel good, captivating, realistic, semi serious, entertaining
Similar in 81%
F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood (1975)
Plot Summary:
The story of author F. Scott Fitzgerald's two stays in Hollywood to write for films, once in 1927 at the height of his acclaim, and again in 1937 when he arrived with little money, enormous expenses and an ill wife.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 37
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 81%
Marilyn: The Untold Story (1980)
Plot Summary:
The story of how Norma Jean, once an orphan in Hollywood California, becomes Marilyn Monroe, the movie star and celebrity.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 263
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 156 min
Plot tags: iconic
Similar in 77%
Harlow (1965)
Plot Summary:
Loosely based biography of 1930s star Jean Harlow as she begins her climb to stardom. One of two "Harlow" film biographies that appeared in 1965, this one stars Carol Lynley in the title role that begins as Jean Harlow, a bit player in Laurel and Hardy comedies, is invited to test for director Jonathan Martin for the lead in Howard Hughes's "Hell's Angels." She is an instantaneous sensation, and in a series of films devoted more to her body than her talent, she becomes Hollywood's "Platanum Blonde.".
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 253
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: independent film
Similar in 83%
Mae West (1982)
Plot Summary:
Biography of the curvaceous and sharp-witted actress who scandalized Broadway and Hollywood in the 1920s-30s with her frank approach to sex.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 270
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 85%
Rita Hayworth: The Love Goddess (1983)
Plot Summary:
The life and times of silverscreen goddess Rita Hayworth.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 150
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 87%
The Novelist (2008)
Plot Summary:
A contractor wants to become a writer but his unhappy marriage and financial problems are suppressing him.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 249
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: Finland
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, suspense, disturbing
Similar in 76%
The Hearst and Davies Affair (1985)
Plot Summary:
Dramatization of the scandalous, long-time love affair between the powerful but married publisher and the chorus girl he helped turn into a Ziegfeld star and 1930s film personality.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 166
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: nostalgic
Similar in 78%
The Carpetbaggers (1964)
Plot Summary:
The Carpetbaggers is a 1964 American film starring George Peppard as a character based largely on Howard Hughes and Alan Ladd as a former western gunslinger turned actor with the pseudonym Nevada Smith, played the following year in a prequel starring Steve McQueen in the part. Carroll Baker portrayed an actress inspired by Jean Harlow, who appeared in Hughes' film epic Hell's Angels. The Carpetbaggers was directed by Edward Dmytryk, filmed in 70mm, and was Alan Ladd's final film; Ladd died some months before its release.In the movie, George Peppard plays a hard-driven industrialist more than a little reminiscent of Howard Hughes. While he builds airplanes, directs movies and breaks hearts, his friends and lovers try to reach his human side, and find that it's an uphill battle. The film's title is a metaphor for self-promoting tycoons who perform quick financial takeovers, impose dictatorial controls for short-term profits, then move on to greener pastures.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 150 min
Plot tags: retro, clever, serious, realistic, cynical, stylized
Similar in 82%
Harlow (1965)
Plot Summary:
Hollywood drama loosely based on the life of film actress Jean Harlow, with Carroll Baker in the title role. One of two feature film biographies, both released in 1965 and both with the same title, about the '30s platinum blonde movie star.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 125 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, sexual, entertaining, crying, sexy
Similar in 86%
The Last Tycoon (1976)
Plot Summary:
F.Scott Fitzgerald's novel is brought to life in this story of a movie producer slowly working himself to death.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 123 min
Plot tags: realistic, stylized, captivating, sentimental, retro, psychotronic, metafiction, cult classic, serious, gloomy
Similar in 82%
The Last of Robin Hood (2013)
Plot Summary:
Errol Flynn, the swashbuckling Hollywood star and notorious ladies man, flouted convention all his life, but never more brazenly than in his last years when, swimming in vodka and unwilling to face his mortality, he undertook a liaison with an aspiring actress, Beverly Aadland. The two had a high-flying affair that spanned the globe and was enabled by the girl's fame-obsessed mother, Florence. It all came crashing to an end in October 1959, when events forced the relationship into the open, sparking an avalanche of publicity castigating Beverly and her mother - which only fed Florence's need to stay in the spotlight.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: disturbing, touching, serious, realistic, gloomy, independent film, sexual, crying, sexy
Similar in 87%
Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story (1995)
Plot Summary:
The story of the life of the actress Elizabeth Taylor.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 526
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 210 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 78%
Goodnight, Sweet Marilyn (1989)
Plot Summary:
The supposed story of superstar Marilyn Monroe's death...as told by a "friend" of hers. Watch flashbacks from "Goodbye Norma Jean" as it leads up to the night when Marilyn Monroe died.
IMDB Rating: 3.2
IMDB Votes: 78
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: psychotronic, independent film, cult film
Similar in 89%
Gable and Lombard (1976)
Plot Summary:
A biography about the love affair between 1930s Hollywood superstars Clark Gable and Carole Lombard.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 639
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 131 min
Plot tags: realistic, stylized, semi serious, sexual, sexy
Similar in 81%
Growing Up Brady (2000)
Plot Summary:
A tell-all story of what happened behind the scenes of the 70s hit TV series "The Brady Bunch." Based on the book written by Barry Williams, the actor who played Greg Brady.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 704
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: sitcom, sentimental, humorous, semi serious, touching, realistic, sexual, sexy
Similar in 88%
W.C. Fields and Me (1976)
Plot Summary:
Film biography of actor-comedian W.C. Fields, concentrating on his years in Hollywood and his relationship with aspiring actress Caroltta Monti.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 495
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, skit, silent, parody, silent film
Similar in 80%
Flynn (1993)
Plot Summary:
A biographical movie on the film star Errol Flynn's early life before Hollywood fame.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 321
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: Australia, USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, serious, realistic
Similar in 86%
The Jayne Mansfield Story (1980)
Plot Summary:
The gaudy rise and dizzy fall of the last great Hollywood blonde bombshell: Jayne Mansfield.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 956
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: sentimental, uplifting, touching, serious, captivating, emotional, realistic, gloomy, psychotronic, nostalgic
Similar in 82%
Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story (1982)
Plot Summary:
The story of singer Rosemary Clooney's rise to fame, her marriage to Jose Ferrer, and her nervous breakdown.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 101
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic
Similar in 84%
Being the Ricardos (2021)
Plot Summary:
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 44000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 131 min
Plot tags: satirical, historical drama, independent film
Similar in 76%
Hitchcock (2012)
Plot Summary:
Hitchcock follows the relationship between director Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma Reville during the making of his most famous film "Psycho" - and the trials and tribulations the director faced from Hollywood censors.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 79000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: suspense, psychological, suspenseful, tricky, serious, captivating, retro, mysterious, cult classic, historical drama
Similar in 86%
The Audrey Hepburn Story (2000)
Plot Summary:
The film spans from Hepburn's early childhood to the 1950s which details her life as a Dutch ballerina, coming to grips with her parents' divorce, and enduring life in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II. She then settles in the U.S. where she succeeds in making it big as a movie actress, in such movies as Breakfast at Tiffany's.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 133 min
Plot tags: uplifting, feel good, serious, sentimental, touching, emotional, realistic, iconic
Similar in 81%
Frances (1982)
Plot Summary:
The true story of Frances Farmer's meteoric rise to fame in Hollywood and the tragic turn her life took when she was blacklisted.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 140 min
Plot tags: depressing, disturbing, emotional, factual, compassionate, psychological, melancholic, intense, serious, touching
Similar in 89%
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)
Plot Summary:
The professional and personal life of actor and comedian Peter Sellers was a turbulent one. His early movie fame was based primarily on his comic characterizations, often of bumbling and foreign-accented persons, characters which he embodied. As his movie fame rose, he began to lose his own personal identity to his movie characters, leading to self-doubt of himself as a person.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: psychological, emotional, stylized, captivating, realistic, romantic, psychedelic, deep, cult classic, serious
Similar in 76%
Liz & Dick (2012)
Plot Summary:
On the set of Cleopatra, Hollywood's most beautiful star, Elizabeth Taylor, fell into the arms of one of the world's greatest actors, Richard Burton - and she didn't leave. Their subsequent white-hot, scandalous love affair gave rise to the paparazzi and they became the most hunted and photographed couple on earth. Their rocky, passionate, relationship, born in front of the cameras, was subsequently captured in a series of films, including The V.I.P.s and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The last of the great, extravagant stars, flaunting diamonds, yachts and private planes, they continually seized the headlines. They even divorced and married again - only to divorce again - but remain in each other's hearts. This Elizabeth Taylor - Richard Burton story is a no-holds barred account of their undying, but impossible love.
IMDB Rating: 4.0
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, stylized, sexy, ridiculous
Similar in 90%
James Dean (2001)
Plot Summary:
The man behind the legend and a knowing look at the 1950's Hollywood are revealed in this dynamic bioepic of the meteoric star whose troubled life echoed his gut-grabbing performances in East of Eden, Rebel Without A Cause and Giant.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: sentimental, serious, realistic, captivating, clever, iconic
Similar in 82%
Grace Kelly (1983)
Plot Summary:
The fairy tale story of the actress who became a princess is told in this biography that traces her rise from Philadelphia socialite to Hollywood movie star.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 344
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, realistic