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The Last Tycoon (1976) movie poster

Timeline

The Last Tycoon (1976) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1976 · 123 min · Chinese
Directed by
Elia Kazan
Starring
Robert De Niro, Jeanne Moreau, Jack Nicholson, Robert Mitchum, Donald Pleasence, Dana Andrews

Set in 1930s Shanghai, this film follows Cheng Daqi’s rise to power within the city’s criminal underworld. As he establishes himself as a dominant gangster, his ambition leads him into a complex situation involving forbidden romance and dangerous betrayals. Cheng’s ruthless pursuit of power ultimately results in a dramatic and devastating downfall.

Drama Romance Cast, crew & box office
On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (14)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 The book behind the movie
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Movies like The Last Tycoon
  7. 7 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Last Tycoon (1976)

Where can you watch The Last Tycoon? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Hoopla, Kanopy and Amazon Video: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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14 events in order · contains spoilers

The Last Tycoon Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Last Tycoon (1976) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Earthquake floods the water tower during a shoot

    An earthquake shakes the studio during a production, triggering a burst water pipe in the water tower and flooding a nearby set. The chaos disrupts filming as crews scramble and monitors flicker with the emergency. In the confusion, Stahr glimpses two women clinging to the head of a statue, one of them Kathleen Moore.

    When
    During a production shoot at the studio lot
    Where
    Water tower set

  2. Stahr returns to his mansion and seeks the women

    Stahr goes back to his mansion after the flood and has his secretary identify the two women he saw in the quake. The moment underscores how his private life is spilling into the public, studio world. He keeps the incident to himself as he tries to maintain his control.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Stahr's mansion

  3. Cecilia Brady greets Stahr and discusses Rodriguez

    In the studio office, Cecilia Brady greets Stahr and hints at the power dynamics inside Hollywood. He confides his support for Rodríguez, the actor who is in the middle of a separation from his wife. The conversation reveals Stahr's willingness to back troubled talents despite studio politics.

    When
    That afternoon
    Where
    Studio office

  4. Studio luncheon on writers' strike and profitability

    A studio luncheon brings the board into focus on a potential writers' strike and the studio's profitability. The discussion is practical and tense as executives weigh risks against prestige. Stahr navigates the corporate chessboard while keeping his eye on his projects.

    When
    Afternoon
    Where
    Studio luncheon room

  5. Stahr plans to meet Kathleen and consoles Didi

    Stahr arranges to meet Kathleen later that night and consoles Didi in her dressing room. The scenes highlight his divided loyalties between personal attachments and professional ambitions. He struggles to balance work with the pull of romance.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Didi's dressing room

  6. Edna drops off and Kathleen appears at Westwood

    As Stahr leaves the studio, he meets Edna, an aspiring actress who asks to be dropped off at her Westwood home. There, he encounters Kathleen again, an Anglo-Irish actress who captivates him. The encounter deepens the entanglement between his career and his romance.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Westwood home

  7. Boxley story and the nickel for the movies

    The next day, Stahr consults with George Boxley, an English novelist on contract, to spark his imagination. He tells an impromptu story about a woman entering a room and spilling the contents of her purse on a table. When Boxley asks about the nickel spilled from the purse, Stahr explains that the nickel is for the movies.

    When
    Next day
    Where
    Studio / Boxley's office

  8. Screenwriters' dinner; dance with Kathleen

    At a screenwriters' dinner party, Stahr unexpectedly sees Kathleen again and dances with her. Kathleen leaves soon after, but they agree to meet each other the following morning. The moment rekindles romance amid the backdrop of Hollywood's machine.

    When
    That evening
    Where
    Screenwriters' dinner party

  9. Beach walk, night passion, and Kathleen's engagement letter

    They walk around the site of Stahr's unfinished beachfront house and later return to the beach for a night of passion. Kathleen realizes she resembles Minna Davis, adding a weighty personal layer to their affair. Afterward, she mails him a letter saying she is engaged to another man.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Building site and nearby beach

  10. Stahr confronts Boxley and is escorted off the lot

    Back in the studio, Stahr confronts Boxley and has him escorted off the lot, signaling a deepening rift between the two men. Kathleen's note urging him not to see her complicates matters further, revealing the stakes of their relationship. The studio atmosphere grows increasingly unstable.

    When
    Later
    Where
    Studio lot

  11. Boxley dies; Stahr rewrites the scene

    Stahr learns that Boxley has died by suicide, which intensifies the studio turmoil and prompts a rewrite of a key scene in the film. Didi's new film premieres amid the upheaval, but Stahr's mind remains on the personal loss. The tragedy pushes him further from happiness with Kathleen.

    When
    Soon after
    Where
    Studio

  12. Kathleen says she is marrying at noon

    Stahr receives a telegram from Kathleen informing him that she is marrying at noon. The message lands amid production pressures and his personal heartbreak. The note cements the distance between them and foreshadows the end of their affair.

    When
    Following the Boxley news
    Where
    Studio

  13. Cecilia and Brimmer; brutal ping-pong and aftermath

    Cecilia Brady arranges a meeting between Stahr and Brimmer, a communist labor organizer. The dinner devolves into a tense game of political posturing, with Brimmer and Cecilia flirting and Stahr becoming increasingly combative. Brimmer knocks Stahr out in a brutal ping-pong exchange, and Cecilia does what she can to help him recover.

    When
    That night
    Where
    Cecilia's place

  14. Brady's emergency meeting and Stahr's resignation to a silent future

    Brady informs Stahr that an emergency meeting has been called and that he is relieved from further labor negotiations, with a vacation suggested. Stahr arrives at his office with a bruised eye, haunted by memories of Kathleen, and then walks into a dark, silent sound stage. The ending leaves his future unresolved as the studio world goes on around him.

    When
    Next morning
    Where
    Studio / Sound stage

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:35

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Timeline questions answered

The Last Tycoon Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Last Tycoon (1976): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Kathleen leave Stahr after their night together?

Kathleen leaves because she realizes she resembles Stahr's deceased wife Minna Davis, making her feel like a replacement. After their intimate night, she mails him a letter saying she is engaged to another man, an engineer who previously saved her life, and urges him not to see her.

Foreshadowing: At the beach earlier, Kathleen notices the resemblance to Minna Davis, creating an emotional tension that foreshadows her departure.

  • kathleen
  • minna davis
  • engagement letter
  • stahr love interest
Q2

What does the nickel represent in the story Stahr tells Boxley?

The nickel represents the magic and meaning that movies can create. When Boxley asks about the unresolved nickel that spilled from the purse, Stahr says it is 'for the movies', meaning cinema has the power to give significance to ordinary, trivial things.

Foreshadowing: The story prefigures Kathleen herself, as Stahr later realizes she was the woman in his story, with the nickel slipping from her purse.

  • nickel
  • boxley
  • symbolism
  • movies
  • creative process
Q3

Why does Boxley commit suicide?

Boxley kills himself after being publicly humiliated and escorted off the studio lot by Stahr. As an English novelist who considered movies beneath him, the dismissal represents a complete stripping of his dignity and identity as a writer.

Foreshadowing: Earlier tensions between Boxley and Stahr, along with Boxley's contempt for the studio system, build toward this tragic outcome.

  • boxley suicide
  • novelist
  • studio humiliation
Q4

What happens to Stahr at the end of the film?

Stahr is relieved from further labor negotiations by the New York office and told to take a vacation. He returns to his office haunted by memories of Kathleen, then walks alone into a dark, silent soundstage, symbolizing his professional downfall and emotional isolation.

Foreshadowing: The earlier earthquake scene foreshadows the instability in Stahr's life, with the flooding representing his impending collapse.

  • stahr ending
  • soundstage
  • studio downfall
  • isolation
Q5

Why is Kathleen engaged to the engineer?

Kathleen tells Stahr at the beach that she intends to marry an engineer who previously saved her life. She views this as a stable, safe choice compared to the complicated, grief-driven relationship with Stahr.

Foreshadowing: This revelation comes after Kathleen's realization that she resembles Minna Davis, making her seek a different life path.

  • kathleen engineer
  • safe choice
  • relationship
Q6

Why does Stahr get removed from labor negotiations?

Stahr is relieved from further involvement in labor negotiations after a tense dinner with communist organizer Brimmer. The studio's New York office decides he should take a vacation, effectively sidelining him during the writers' strike crisis.

Foreshadowing: Cecilia's meeting between Stahr and Brimmer sets up the conflict that leads to Stahr's removal.

  • stahr
  • brimmer
  • labor negotiations
  • writers strike
  • studio politics
Q7

Why does Cecilia arrange the meeting between Stahr and Brimmer?

Cecilia, Pat Brady's daughter, brings together Stahr and communist labor organizer Brimmer hoping to facilitate unionization of Hollywood screenwriters. The dinner becomes a power struggle where Brimmer and Cecilia flirt while Stahr grows increasingly antagonistic.

Foreshadowing: This meeting directly leads to the tension that results in Stahr's removal from negotiations.

  • cecilia brady
  • brimmer
  • union
  • hollywood politics
Q8

Why does Stahr have a bruised eye when he arrives at the emergency meeting?

Stahr receives a bruised eye during a brutal ping-pong game with Brimmer at Cecilia's place. After the physically and emotionally exhausting night, he is knocked out by Brimmer and cared for by Cecilia through the night.

Foreshadowing: The ping-pong match represents the political and personal battle Stahr is losing.

  • stahr bruised eye
  • brimmer
  • ping pong
  • cecilia
Q9

Why does Kathleen resemble Minna Davis?

The physical resemblance between Kathleen and Stahr's deceased wife Minna Davis is deliberate and central to the story. This likeness is what initially draws Stahr to Kathleen and ultimately drives her away, as she cannot accept being a substitute for his lost love.

Foreshadowing: The resemblance is first noticed during their beach encounter, adding emotional weight to their romance.

  • kathleen
  • minna davis
  • deceased wife
  • lookalike
Q10

Why does Stahr have Boxley escorted off the studio lot?

Stahr confronts Boxley and has him removed from the studio after their creative disagreements. Despite Boxley's talent as a novelist, Stahr's authority leads to the humiliating ejection, which contributes to Boxley's eventual suicide.

Foreshadowing: The confrontation stems from Boxley's refusal to take the film project seriously and his condescending attitude toward movies.

  • boxley
  • fired
  • studio lot
  • creative conflict
Q11

What is the significance of the earthquake scene at the water tower?

The earthquake that floods the studio lot serves as the inciting incident where Stahr first spots Kathleen Moore clinging to a statue. The chaos symbolizes the disruption about to enter Stahr's carefully controlled life and career.

Foreshadowing: This moment directly leads to Stahr seeking out the women he saw, ultimately finding Kathleen.

  • earthquake
  • water tower
  • kathleen
  • first meeting
Q12

Why does Stahr support Rodriguez despite his personal troubles?

Stahr backs actor Rodriguez during his separation from his wife because he values talent over personal conduct. This reveals Stahr's willingness to champion troubled artists, showing his belief in artistic merit above moral judgment.

Foreshadowing: This sets up Stahr's pattern of supporting unconventional or struggling talents in the studio system.

  • rodriguez
  • actor
  • stahr support
  • separation

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Last Tycoon, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Last Tycoon tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Dramas about ambitious downfalls like The Last Tycoon

Stories of powerful individuals undone by their own ambition and romantic losses. If you liked the melancholic story of Cheng Daqi's rise and fall in The Last Tycoon, explore other movies like it. These dramas follow charismatic, ambitious figures whose personal flaws, forbidden loves, and fatal choices lead to a poignant and tragic downfall, blending personal drama with a sense of a bygone era.

  • melancholic
  • tragic
  • contemplative
  • lonely
  • romantic
  • grim
  • Tone: melancholic, tragic
  • Pacing: slow, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows an arc of ascent to power, often within a specific world like business or the arts, followed by a gradual unraveling. The downfall is typically driven by a combination of hubris, a doomed romantic entanglement, and the shifting tides of the times, culminating in a somber and reflective ending.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread are grouped by their shared focus on a melancholic tone, a slow, deliberate pacing that allows for character introspection, and a central narrative of a powerful individual's tragic arc. They create a similar feeling of witnessing a grand, yet deeply personal, collapse.

The Girl from Trieste movie poster

The Girl from Trieste

1982
The Last Tycoon movie poster

The Last Tycoon

1976
Yearning movie poster

Yearning

1964
The Green Carriage movie poster

The Green Carriage

2015
The Envy of Gods movie poster

The Envy of Gods

2000
September Affair movie poster

September Affair

1950
His Days Are Numbered movie poster

His Days Are Numbered

1962
The Entertainer movie poster

The Entertainer

1960

Movies with nostalgic atmosphere like The Last Tycoon

Atmospheric stories that mournfully capture the end of a glittering era. For viewers who appreciated the nostalgic, grim atmosphere of 1930s Shanghai in The Last Tycoon, this list highlights similar movies. Discover other slow-burn period dramas that capture the romantic regret and elegiac feeling of a beautiful world in decline, focusing on mood over fast-paced action.

  • nostalgic
  • melancholic
  • contemplative
  • atmospheric
  • romantic
  • elegiac
  • Tone: nostalgic, melancholic, contemplative
  • Pacing: slow, atmospheric
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These stories often unfold in a linear but unhurried manner, prioritizing mood, setting, and character introspection over complex plotting. The central conflict is often against the inevitability of change itself, with the narrative serving as a poignant elegy for a lost way of life or a golden age.

Why they belong together: These films share a cohesive vibe defined by a melancholic and nostalgic tone, a slow and atmospheric pacing, and a medium emotional weight. They are united by their ability to make the viewer feel a deep sense of longing and contemplation for a beautifully realized past.

Nostalgia movie poster

Nostalgia

2018
Sentimental Destinies movie poster

Sentimental Destinies

2000
A Summer Story movie poster

A Summer Story

2024
My Reputation movie poster

My Reputation

1946
The Old Garden movie poster

The Old Garden

2006
The History of Sound movie poster

The History of Sound

2025
Peony Pavilion movie poster

Peony Pavilion

2001
Brief Encounter movie poster

Brief Encounter

1946

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Every angle

The Last Tycoon (1976) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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