Talking Film

E1 Episode 1: The Producer (1)

• Now playing
• 29m
• Jul 3, 1978

Producers David Picker and Walter Mirisch and producer-directors Robert Altman, Roger Corman, Sydney Pollack, and Stanley Kramer discuss their important roles, throwing light on what a producer does to ensure the success of a movie.

E2 Episode 2: The Director

• 28m
• Jul 10, 1978

George Cukor, Roger Corman, Robert Wise, Abraham Polonsky, and Richard Brooks discuss the role of the film director.

E3 Episode 3: The Screenwriter

• 29m
• Jul 17, 1978

Screenwriters John Milius, Sterling Silliphant, and Bernard Slade talk about the role of the screenwriter in filmmaking, the auteur theory, and working relationships between writers, directors, and producers.

E4 Episode 4: Acting in the Cinema

• Jul 24, 1978

Henry Fonda, Anthony Hopkins, Marsha Mason, Leslie Nielsen, Albert Salmi, Sidney Pollack, Roger Corman, and John Milius discuss acting methods for the stage and screen, the actor's relationship to the director, and reminisce about some of the films they have worked on.

E5 Episode 5: Cinematography

• 29m
• Jul 31, 1978

Lee Garmes, Stanley Cortez, Haskell Wexler, and Victor Kemper discuss some of the films they have photographed and look at their varying relationships with directors and actors.

E6 Episode 6: Designing Movies

• 57m
• Aug 7, 1978

Richard Sylbert, one of Hollywood's foremost production designers (Chinatown, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Carnal Knowledge) talks about the function of the various people who work on design, and the relationship of the designer to the director.

E7 Episode 7: The Making of a Motion Picture (1)

• 29m
• Aug 14, 1978

Elwy Yost asks three American directors about favorite films they have worked on: George Cukor talks about A Star Is Born, Henry King about Twelve O'Clock High, and Vincente Minnelli reminisces about the making of Lust for Life.

E8 Episode 8: Sex and Violence in the Cinema

• Aug 21, 1978

The controversial twin issues of sex and violence are discussed by filmmakers Robert Altman, Roger Corman, David Picker, John Milius, Sydney Pollack, and Stanley Kramer.

E9 Episode 9: How Movies Are Sold

• 29m
• Aug 28, 1978

Sidney Pollack, Robert Altman, John Milius, and Roger Corman voice their opinions on the marketing of films, the importance of profits, and the control they have over how their movies are sold.

E10 Episode 10: A Portrait of John Ford (1)

• Sep 4, 1978

Actors Henry Fonda and Frank Baker and screenwriters Nunnally Johnson and Philip Dunne reminisce about one of Hollywood's greatest film directors: John Ford.

E11 Episode 11: Zanuck

• 28m
• Aug 2, 1979

A portrait of the last great movie mogul Darryl F. Zanuck, who ruled 20th Century Fox for thirty years, through the words of Fox personnel who knew him well. With director Henry King, producers Milton Sperling and Raymond Klune, screenwriter Philip Dunne, and actor Henry Fonda.

E12 Episode 12: The Hollywood Ten: An Interview with Writer Ring Lardner Jr.

• 29m
• Aug 3, 1979

Ring Lardner Jr. talks about his years of blacklisting during the McCarthy era.

E13 Episode 13: The Documentary: An Interview with Pare Lorentz (1)

• 29m
• Jan 28, 1980

A creator of the documentary film, Pare Lorentz (The River, The Plough That Broke the Plains, and The Fight for Life), discusses his long career and aspects of the documentary genre.

E14 Episode 14: The Western

• 29m
• Feb 4, 1980

In an exploration of the myth and reality of Hollywood westerns, Elwy Yost interviews actor Joel McCrea and directors John Sturges, Robert Aldrich, and Mark Rydell.

E15 Episode 15: Hooray for Hollywood

• 29m
• Feb 18, 1980

Host Elwy Yost visits several Hollywood landmarks: the sidewalk in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater, the Beverly Hills Hotel, and Paramount Studios. Yost talks to actors Richard Arlen, Buddy Rogers, and Pat O'Brien about Hollywood past and present.

E16 Episode 16: A Portrait of George Stevens (1)

• Feb 25, 1980

The legendary motion picture director responsible for such screen classics as Shane and A Place in the Sun is recalled by his son George Stevens, Jr.

E17 Episode 17: The Critic

• 29m
• Mar 24, 1980

A look at the role of the motion picture critic with guests John Simon of New York magazine and Andrew Sarris of the Village Voice.

E18 Episode 18: More Special Effects

• Apr 8, 1981

George Pal (When Worlds Collide and War of the Worlds) and Colin Chilvers (Superman) discuss special effects.

E19 Episode 19: The Nightmare People: Horror in the Cinema

• 27m
• Apr 15, 1981

Elwy Yost discusses techniques employed in the making of horror films, both classic and contemporary.

E20 Episode 20: The Animators

• 29m
• Apr 22, 1981

Elwy Yost talks with veteran Warner Studios animators Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng.

E21 Episode 21: The Cinema of John Huston

• 29m
• Apr 28, 1981

Elwy Yost talks with director John Huston (The Maltese Falcon, The African Queen, and The Man Who Would Be King) about his long career and his relationships with Orson Welles, Humphrey Bogart, and Truman Capote.

E22 Episode 22: The Cinema of Frank Capra (1)

• May 6, 1981

Actor-director John Howard, cameraman George Folsey, and Frank Capra Jr. reminisce about the life and works of the American director Frank Capra.

E23 Episode 23: More Film Criticism

• 29m
• May 12, 1981

Husband and wife Andrew Sarris and Molly Haskell describe their careers as film critics, the difficulty of maintaining objectivity in film reviewing, contemporary trends in filmmaking, and the effect of their careers on their lives.

E24 Episode 24: Powell and Pressburger

• 29m
• May 13, 1981

British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger talk about their careers and the films The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp and Stairway to Heaven; cameraman Jack Cardiff, actor David Niven, and film writer Leslie Halliwell describe what it was like to work with them.

E25 Episode 25: Thirty Years of British Cinema

• 28m
• May 20, 1981

Elwy Yost and industry craftspeople review the past thirty years in British cinema, including the present trend to produce dramatic television series rather than feature films. With cinematographer Jean Coquillon and actors John Justin, Anna Neagle,George Cole, and Hayley Mills.

E26 Episode 26: David Lean and Sir Carol Reed

• May 27, 1981

David Niven, Margaret Lockwood, and Phyllis Calvert discuss the work of British directors David Lean and Sir Carol Reed.

E27 Episode 27: Women in the Cinema

• Jun 3, 1981

E28 Episode 28: The Serial

• Jun 10, 1981

A conversation with actor Buster Crabbe and director William Witney about the making of the serial cliffhangers of the 30s and 40s.

E29 Episode 29: The Cinema of Henry Hathaway

• Jun 17, 1981

Elwy Yost interviews director Henry Hathaway (Lives of a Bengal Lancer, Kiss of Death, How the West Was Won, and True Grit). James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Pauline Kael, Hal Wallis, and Jet Fore share their recollections of Hathaway.

E30 Episode 30: The Business of Directing

• 29m
• Jul 4, 1981

Interviewing some of today's most successful directors - Stanley Kramer, Robert Aldrich, and Richard Brooks.

E31 Episode 31: The Making of a Motion Picture (2)

• 29m
• Jul 11, 1981

Explores the art of making motion pictures with film designer Saul Bass, director Robert Aldrich, and photographer William Fraker.

E32 Episode 32: The Making of a Motion Picture (3)

• 29m
• Jul 18, 1981

Elwy Yost discusses cinematographic technique in action films with film designer and consultant Saul Bass, photographer William Fraker, director Franco Zeffirelli, actor Jon Voight, and makeup artist Bob Dawn.

E33 Episode 33: A Conversation with Pauline Kael

• Jul 22, 1981

Film critic Pauline Kael talks about her career and the reactions to her harsh reviews.

E34 Episode 34: Gods and Goddesses of the Cinema

• Jul 29, 1981

Actors David Niven, Henry Fonda, Janet Leigh, and Vincent Price; composer Henry Mancini; director George Sidney; and producer Hal Wallis discuss the phenomenon of movie idols.

E35 Episode 35: The Cinema of Elia Kazan

• Aug 12, 1981

Elwy Yost discusses the films of director Elia Kazan with actors Karl Malden, Richard Widmark, and Albert Salmi.

E36 Episode 36: Anatomy of Suspense

• Aug 19, 1981

A look at how suspense is developed, through the films of directors Alfred Hitchcock and Henri-Georges Clouzot and discussions with actor James Stewart, actress Janet Leigh, critic Pauline Kael, filmmaker Saul Bass, and director John Badham.

E37 Episode 37: The Making of a Motion Picture (4)

• 29m
• Sep 22, 1981

Actor John Justin and director Michael Powell discuss Sir Alexander Korda's 1940 film The Thief of Baghdad, and actor Sir John Clements reminisces about his work in Korda's 1939 film Four Feathers.

E38 Episode 38: The Big Studios: Twentieth Century-Fox

• 29m
• May 8, 1982

Guests discuss how Twentieth Century-Fox operated and flourished during its heyday. Featuring producer Milton Sperling, studio publicist Jet Fore, music department head Lionel Newman, production manager Raymond Klune, and actor Vincent Price.

E39 Episode 39: A Conversation with Otto Preminger

• Jun 5, 1982

Elwy Yost questions the film director about his numerous works, which include Anatomy of a Murder, the once-controversial The Moon Is Blue, and Advise and Consent.

E40 Episode 40: A Portrait of George Stevens (2)

• 25m
• Aug 30, 1982

The second of two programs about director George Stevens, one of Hollywood's most talented filmmakers. Elwy Yost talks with actors Joel McCrea and Charlton Heston, screenwriter Evan Moffat, and editor William Hornbeck about their memories of Stevens.

E41 Episode 41: A Portrait of John Ford (2)

• 29m
• Aug 26, 1983

Elwy Yost's guests - director George Sidney and actors James Stewart and Richard Widmark - talk about veteran film director John Ford, whose films include Stagecoach, My Darling Clementine, and How Green Was My Valley.

E42 Episode 42: A Conversation with Joseph L. Mankiewicz

• Aug 31, 1983

The renowned director talks about his career and the artists he has launched.

E43 Episode 43: The Producer (3)

• 1h
• Sep 15, 1983

Elwy Yost talks with three Hollywood producers - Richard Roth, Albert S. Ruddy, and Frank Yablans - on how they come up with ideas for movies.

E44 Episode 44: Two Film Critics

• 1h
• Jun 6, 1984

Film critics Arthur Knight and Charles Champlin discuss the ethics of criticism and their favorite movies.

E45 Episode 45: An Interview with Samuel Fuller

• Jun 7, 1984

A conversation with Sam Fuller, director of Pickup on South Street, about his experiences as a crime reporter and his thoughts on cult films.

E46 Episode 46: Women in the Cinema: The Writer

• Jun 8, 1984

Three writers - Joan Tewkesbury, Harriet Frank Jr., and Nancy Dowd - discuss their writing techniques and their work with various directors.

E47 Episode 47: Stars of the Cinema: Stewart Granger

• Jun 11, 1984

Stewart Granger discusses the advantages and disadvantages of being a film star and his relationship with directors Compton Bennett, Sir Carol Reed, and George Cukor.

E48 Episode 48: The Cinema of King Vidor

• Jun 12, 1984

King Vidor, who directed his first film in 1918, talks about The Big Parade, The Crowd, and War and Peace, and offers views on the maturation of movies.

E49 Episode 49: The Making of a Musical

• Jun 15, 1984

A visit to the set of Pennies From Heaven where Elwy Yost talks with the production designer, costume designer, set decorator, and choreographer.

E50 Episode 50: The Western Revisited

• Jun 25, 1984

Richard Widmark, James Stewart, Henry King, Harry Carey Jr., Henry Hathaway, and Hal B. Wallis reminisce about early westerns.

E51 Episode 51: Music in the Cinema

• Jun 26, 1984

Elwy Yost talks with composers Miklos Rozsa, Henry Mancini, and David Raskin about the role of music in movies.

E52 Episode 52: The Screenwriter (2)

• Jul 6, 1984

E53 Episode 53: Cinematography (2)

• Jul 14, 1984

Elwy Yost talks to Joseph Biroc about the distinct photographic styles of film studios and to Joseph Walker, the inventor of the zoom lens.

E54 Episode 54: Special Effects

• 29m
• Jul 16, 1984

In this examination of the craft and magic of special effects in the movies, host Elwy Yost interviews Bruce Pittman, special-effects specialist Joe Zomar, and optical-effects genius Linwood Dunn.

E55 Episode 55: The Cinema of Henry King

• Jul 17, 1984

American director Henry King discusses his film career, which began in 1915 and includes Jesse James, The Gunfighter, and Twelve O'Clock High; film clips of Gregory Peck and Harry Morgan.

E56 Episode 56: The Documentary: An Interview with Pare Lorentz (2)

• Jul 19, 1984

Elwy Yost talks to Pare Lorentz, director of films from the 1930s.

E57 Episode 57: Stars of the Cinema: Richard Widmark

• Aug 1, 1984

Richard Widmark talks about the difficult craft of acting.

E58 Episode 58: The Cinema of Frank Capra (2)

• Aug 9, 1984

Elwy Yost talks to Frank Capra about his film career.

E59 Episode 59: The Classic Western

• Oct 3, 1984

Gregory Peck, Harry Morgan, Jack Elam, and Albert S. Ruddy discuss the development of western films.

E60 Episode 60: An Afternoon with Jack Lemmon

• 1h
• Jun 12, 1985

Elwy Yost interviews actor Jack Lemmon about his career, his early failures, his first big break, and his experiences with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Billy Wilder, and Delmer Daves.

E61 Episode 61: Two Tragic Stars: Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift

• 1h
• Jun 19, 1985

Guests: Betty Robin, Monroe's assistant; Tom Ewell; Jack Lemmon; John Houseman; Brooks Clift; and Edward Dmytryk.

E62 Episode 62: The Marx Brothers and Their Writers

• Jul 3, 1985

Elwy Yost interviews comedy screenwriters Irving Brecher, Nat Perrin, Robert Pirosh, and MGM story editor Sam Marx about their work with Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo Marx.

E63 Episode 63: The Cinematic Genius of Rouben Mamoulian

• 1h
• Jul 10, 1985

Elwy Yost interviews Hollywood director Rouben Mamoulian (Blood and Sand, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Queen Christine, Summer Holiday, and The Mark of Zorro), who distinguished himself with a fluid and rhythmic style.

E64 Episode 64: All Singing, All Dancing

• 1h
• Jul 17, 1985

Interviews with people associated with the big Broadway musicals, including actors Gene Raymond, Ray Bolger, and Rudy Vallee, and dance director Hermes Pan who worked with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

E65 Episode 65: The Music Men

• Jul 24, 1985

Adapting stage musicals to the screen with composers Saul Chaplin, Nelson Riddle, and John Green; songwriter Leo Robin; musicologist Miles Kreuger; and lyricist Sammy Cahn.

E66 Episode 66: The Screenwriter (3)

• Jul 31, 1985

The job of the screenwriter. Guests: Sterling Silliphant (The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno), Norman Corwin (Lust for Life), Daniel Taradash (Desiree), Andrew V. McLaglen (Fool's Paradise), Nicolas Meyer (The Seven Percent Solution), Robert Pirosh (The Young Lions), Richard Brooks, David S. War, and Lindsay Anderson.

E67 Episode 67: Lotusland

• 1h
• Aug 7, 1985

A look at the dark side of the Hollywood picture with authors Bob Thomas and Tony Thomas; Steffi Sidney; actors Cornel Wilde, Cesar Romero, and Tom Ewell; screenwriter Art Arthur; and director Lindsay Anderson. Richard Lamparski, author of the book Hidden Hollywood, talks about the destructive effects of fame.

E68 Episode 68: Hollywood Portraits: David O. Selznick and Alfred Hitchcock

• 1h
• Aug 14, 1985

Interviews with Selznick's son Daniel Mayer Selznick, Lyle Wheeler of MGM Studios; Ron Haver, author of David O. Selznick's Hollywood"; actors James Stewart, Janet Leigh, Tom Ewell, and Richard Deacon; director Richard Franklin (Psycho II); and screenwriter Sterling Silliphant.

E69 Episode 69: The Producer (2)

• Aug 19, 1985

In the conclusion of a two-part look at the role of the producer in the filmmaking process, producers Tony Bill, Ralph Bakshi, Tamara Asseyev, and Alex Rose offer comment and insights from their own careers.

E70 Episode 70: Stars on Stars

• Aug 21, 1985

Hollywood stars on the subject of being famous: Ray Bolger, Noah Beery, Jr., Leon Ames, Carl Reiner, Rudy Vallee, Margaret O'Brien, Janet Leigh, Tom Ewell, Kirk Douglas, Virginia Mayo, Cesar Romero, John Houseman, Richard Deacon, Jack Lemmon, Ralph Bellamy, Cornel Wilde, and Eddie Quillan.

E71 Episode 71: Mystery Film and the Detective on Screen

• Aug 28, 1985

Film historian William K. Everson on the mystery film and the portrayal of the detective on screen. Discussed are the Charlie Chan, Thin Man, and Sherlock Holmes series. Also with actors Leon Ames, Cesar Romero, Kirk Douglas, Ralph Bellamy, and Keye Luke; screenwriters Philip Yordan, Nicholas Meyer, Art Arthur, and Irving Brecher; and director Lindsay Anderson.

E72 Episode 72: Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy

• Sep 9, 1985

Elwy Yost discusses the films of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy and interviews MacDonald's husband, actor Gene Raymond, and Bill Blass who wrote her biography.

E73 Episode 73: Superstars: Bing Crosby and Bob Hope

• Jun 30, 1986

Composer-conductor Jay Livingston, writer-film historian Tony Thomas, and actress Gloria Jean are among Elwy Yost's guests who discuss Bing Crosby and Bob Hope's road movies. (60m) [1 of 8]

E74 Episode 74: An Interview with Greer Garson

• 1h
• Jul 1, 1986

Academy Award-winning actress Greer Garson recounts her experiences in the movies and shares glimpses of her life.

E75 Episode 75: The Preston Sturges Story (1)

• 1h
• Jul 2, 1986

Elwy Yost discusses the life and work of director Preston Sturges with Sturges' widow; James Curtis, author of the Sturges biography "Between Flops"; L.A. Times film critic Sheila Benson; and actors Lionel Stander, Rudy Vallee, and Eddie Bracken.

E76 Episode 76: The Preston Sturges Story (2)

• 1h
• Jul 3, 1986

Elwy Yost looks at the work of director-writer Preston Sturges, including The Great McGinty, Sullivan's Travels, and The Palm Beach Story. Rudy Vallee, James Curtis, Sandy Sturges, Cesar Romero, and Eddie Bracken are interviewed.

E77 Episode 77: Two Film Directors: Ronald Neame and Richard Fleischer

• 1h
• Jul 4, 1986

Elwy Yost interviews Richard Fleischer, who began his career as a film editor; and Ronald Neame, who began as a cameraman.

E78 Episode 78: A Portrait of Billy Wilder

• Jul 7, 1986

Discussion of the film director and writer. Guests include screenwriter I.A.L. Diamond, writer Maurice Zolotow, film critic Sheila Benson, lyricist Ray Evans, composer Jay Livingston, and actors Tom Ewell and Jack Lemmon.

E79 Episode 79: Two Film Critics: Richard Schickel and David Robinson

• 1h
• Jul 8, 1986

Elwy Yost talks with authors and film critics Richard Schickel (Time magazine) and David Robinson (Times of London).

E80 Episode 80: Hollywood Portraits: Cecil B. DeMille and Jesse Lasky

• 1h
• Jul 9, 1986

The life and career of Cecil B. DeMille and Jesse Lasky.