Burt Lancaster: Daring to Reach

Burt Lancaster: Daring to Reach 1996

1

He went from street-wise tough to art-collector liberal-activist, from circus-acrobat hunk to Academy Award winner. Burton Stephen Lancaster — later Burt Lancaster — was one of five children of a New York City postal worker. By eighteen, Burt was 6'2" and blessed with the athletic physique and dynamic good looks that helped make him famous. A stint in the Army introduced Burt to acting and led him to Hollywood where his first release, "The Killers" (1946), propelled him to stardom at age 32. He took control of his own career and seldom faltered.

1996

Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend

Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend 1986

7.60

Her story is well-known — the lonely child who yearned for affection and approval which she finally seemed to find as Hollywood's greatest love goddess. But even though she scaled heights few could even dream of, she was one of the loneliest of stars.

1986

Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso

Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso 1994

7.40

A look at the life and career of actor/director Clint Eastwood, including scenes from his past film and television work and interviews with friends, fellow actors and crew members who have worked with him over the years.

1994

Audrey Hepburn: Remembered

Audrey Hepburn: Remembered 1993

7.00

Audrey Hepburn was one of the movies' best-loved stars, blessed with beauty, talent, an elegant sophistication and an enduring aura of youthful innocence. As Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, she spoke for the world's suffering children and families, earning an affection and admiration that only increased with news of her untimely death. From the star herself we learn of her career and the family and friendships that were her priority.

1993

Gregory Peck: His Own Man

Gregory Peck: His Own Man 1988

6.70

Talented and enduring Academy Award-winning star, Gregory Peck, tells how it was when studios ruled and a shy boy from a broken family could rise to become a famous leading man. Unfashionably modest, Peck describes his fascinating journey from early theater roles, through his first films, to Hollywood’s elder statesman.

1988

Anthony Quinn: An Original

Anthony Quinn: An Original 1990

6.50

Born in Mexico, Anthony Quinn became the family's main provider when his father died in an accident. Thus began the story of a man who had a thousand jobs before acting in a Cecil B. DeMille film…

1990

Shirley Maclaine: Kicking Up Her Heels

Shirley Maclaine: Kicking Up Her Heels 1996

6.20

Shirley MacLaine was the product of a strict middle-class background from which she and her brother, the future actor Warren Beatty, escaped into the fantasy world of show-biz. Her ballet training and her long-legged pixie charm led to rapid success on Broadway in musical comedy. Inevitably, Hollywood called and by 1955 Shirley was cast in Hitchcock's "The Trouble With Harry." It wasn't too long before the fine dramatic roles also came to her opposite the most popular leading men of the time, like Fred MacMurray, Jack Lemmon, Frank Sinatra, Clint Eastwood and Robert Mitchum.

1996

Ingrid Bergman Remembered

Ingrid Bergman Remembered 1996

6.70

Her name conjures up beauty, grace, talent and style. One of the greatest actresses of her time, she is best remembered for a natural and vulnerable persona which was so genuine and alluring. Her cinematic contributions produced such classics as "Casablanca," "Gaslight" and "Anastasia." But Ingrid's story goes deeper than the triumphs of her movie career.

1996

Robert Mitchum: The Reluctant Star

Robert Mitchum: The Reluctant Star 1991

7.00

A retrospective on the career of Robert Mitchum through interviews with friends and co-workers, scenes from his films and the actor himself.

1991

Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman

Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman 1996

7.50

Jack Lemmon made over 60 films and received numerous awards, including eight Academy Award Nominations and two Oscars. Later in life, his achievement was enriched by new challenges in which he exposed the vulnerability and emotion of the later years as few had dared. He reveled in his ongoing screen partnerships with directors like Billy Wilder and stars like Walter Matthau. Narrated on-camera by Jack Lemmon, this documentary includes interviews with Lemmon's son, the actor Chris Lemmon. Also appearing are such legends as Jack's life-long friend, the writer and director Billy Wilder, writer-director Garson Kanin, drama teacher Uta Hagen and actor Gregory Peck.

1996

The Story of Lassie

The Story of Lassie 1994

1

Documentary about canine superstar Lassie, combining film clips, still photographs, home movies, archival footage and on-camera interviews with many figures involved with the Lassie films or television series.

1994

Yul Brynner: The Man Who Was King

Yul Brynner: The Man Who Was King 1995

10.00

There is only one Yul Brynner. No other actor had his looks, his range of talents, his energy and his capacity to draw others into the spell of his charm. A true sophisticate of deliberately mysterious origins, Yul Brynner was at home in a wide variety of languages and social environments.

1995

Mae West and the Men Who Knew Her

Mae West and the Men Who Knew Her 1994

1

As the first "blonde bombshell," Mae West reigned supreme and changed the nation's view of women, sex and race — on stage, in films, on radio and television.

1994

Joan Crawford: Always the Star

Joan Crawford: Always the Star 1996

7.50

Glamorous and hugely popular Joan Crawford raised herself from brutal poverty to Academy Award-winning stardom by guts, determination and hard work. During her 50-year career, she made over 80 films. But her obsessive perfectionism led to the later caricature of coat-hanger-wielding harridan that even the adoration of fans could not counter. Still, she has endured as one of the most popular icons of the movies, an early role model to a million young women who aspired to her image of stylish magnetic power and unquestioned independence.

1996

The Horror of It All

The Horror of It All 1983

8.00

A collection of film clips from horror movies and interviews with the actors and directors who made them.

1983

Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line

Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line 1997

7.00

Born Ruby Stevens, she was orphaned when she was four. A chance audition led to a chorus job. By 17 she was a Ziegfeld Girl. At 20 she earned excellent reviews for a bit part in a Broadway play — and she had a new name: Barbara Stanwyck.

1997

Michael Caine: Breaking the Mold

Michael Caine: Breaking the Mold 1994

1

A documentary about actor Michael Caine. Narrated by Caine himself, it includes interviews of his family, friends and colleagues and clips from some of his films.

1994

Grace Kelly: The American Princess

Grace Kelly: The American Princess 1987

6.50

A biography of American actress Grace Kelly from her early days as an aspiring actress to her death as Princess of Monaco.

1987

Steve McQueen: Man on the Edge

Steve McQueen: Man on the Edge 1990

1

Abandoned by his father, he was a reform school kid with nothing going for him and a giant chip on his shoulder. He joined the Marines but never stayed far from trouble. Then he discovered acting — and the woman who would be with him for most of his meteoric career. He was Steve McQueen, one of Hollywood's highest paid stars — and one of its most difficult, most rebellious and, when he wished, most charming.

1990