"The Cat's Meow" marks a return to form for director Peter Bogdanovich, dealing elegantly with a fictional story of love, sex and murder set against the glamorous backdrop of 1920s Hollywood. The film (shown at the London Film Festival), with its witty and complex dialogue and knowing references to Tinseltown of the silent years, might not be aimed at the youth market, but there is likely to be an audience for those who love Hollywood and its darker side. The story is based in a true scandal and is centered on a "fun and frolic" weekend cruise on board millionaire newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst's private yacht in November 1924.

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