Acclaimed profiles of eight great American film directors. Produced and directed by Richard Schickel and narrated by Cliff Robertson, with solid interviews and film clips, the series reviews the careers of Raoul Walsh, Frank Capra, Howard Hawks, King Vidor, George Cukor, William A. Wellman, Alfred Hitchcock and Vincente Minnelli.
Episode 1
His career spans the entire history of film in America. Raoul Walsh began as a stunt rider in Pathen Brothers westerns and learned his craft as an assistant to D.W. Griffith. He then became a contract director for William Fox where he directed such distinguished silent films as “What Price Glory”, and “Thief of Baghdad”. Films excerpted include these as well as such action classics as “The Roarings 20s”, “High Sierra”, “White Heat”, and “They Died With Their Boots On”.
Episode 2
Capra, whose enormous success in the 1930s transformed a tiny studio — Columbia Pictures — into one of the giants of the industry, extols the virtues of common men in such films as “Mr. Deeds Comes To Town”, “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington”; “Meet John Doe” and “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
Episode 3
This program reaffirms Cukor’s reputation as an actor’s director as the viewer is treated to memorable performances by W.C. Fields in “David Copperfield”, Greta Garbo in “Camille”, Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn in “Adam’s Rib” and “Pat and Mike”, Hepburn and Cary Grant in “Holiday” and “The Philadelphia Story”, John Barrymore in “Dinner at Eight”, Ronald Colman in “A Double Life” and Judy Garland in a remake of “A Star Is Born”.
Episode 4
This program features lengthy excerpts from the great action director’s memorable “Dawn Patrol”, “The Crowd Roars”, “Only Angels Have Wings”, “The Big Sleep”, “To Have and Have Not”, “Air Force” and “Red River”. Clips from such great comedies as “Twentieth Century”, “Bringing Up Baby”, and “His Girl Friday” point to Hawks’ unique versatility. Many regard him as John Ford’s equal.
Episode 5
No overview available.
Episode 6
Salty, anti-establishment and irreverant, William A. Wellman fondly recalls his long relationship with Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. Film clips from his movies include those from “Wings”, “Public Enemy”, “Wild Boys of the Road”, “The Ox Bow Incident” and “The Story of G.I. Joe”.
Episode 7
An interview with the film director including excerpts from Psycho, Frenzy, Saboteur, Shadow of a Doubt, North By Northwest, The Lodger, Notorious, The Birds, and Torn Curtain.
Episode 8
Visionary and idealist, Vidor’s energetic concern with the future of cinema as well as his strong grasp of the forces which shaped its history make this a particularly thoughtful and thought-provoking program. His greatest films — “The Big Parade”, “Show People” and “The Crowd” were silents. He also directed the outstanding adventure drama, “Northwest Passage”; “Duel in the Sun”, an epic western; and a remarkable film adaptation of Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace”.
Episode 9
Filmed in 1989, completed and released in 2002. The look and feel is quite similar to the episodes released in 1973.
