"You movie people, you're a bunch of spoiled brats!" yells a man whose car has just been rammed by a star's convertible. Yes, we nod in agreement, and they're phony too, and beneath the glamour not very happy. Tales from the Hollywood Hills, a trio of short-story adaptations set in Tinseltown during the 1930s, trots out all the beloved stereotypes while flavorfully recapturing Hollywood's legendary golden age. Then, boldly, the mini-series abandons the legend and goes for a more subtly shaded truth.
Three star-quality performances help. In Natica Jackson, Michelle Pfeiffer plays a pampered screen beauty who falls for a married...