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  • PBS
  • Turner Classic Movies

The Men Who Made the Movies

  • 1973 – 2002
  • Ended
  • Documentary
  • ~1h / ep
  • 1 season

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.

Latest: Season 1 · 1973

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  1. E1. Raoul Walsh

    Nov 4, 1973 · 60m

    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”.

  2. E2. Frank Capra

    Nov 11, 1973 · 88m

    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”.

  3. E3. George Cukor

    Nov 13, 1973 · 56m

    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”.

  4. E4. Howard Hawks

    Nov 18, 1973 · 56m

    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.

  5. E5. Vincente Minnelli

    Dec 2, 1973 · 59m

  6. E6. William Wellman

    Dec 9, 1973 · 58m

    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”.

+3 more episodes — open all seasons to browse every episode.

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