Looks at the stereotype-breaking films of the period from 1929, when movies entered the sound era, until 1934 when the Hays Code virtually neutered film content. No longer portrayed as virgins or vamps, the liberated female of the pre-code films had dimensions. Good girls had lovers and babies and held down jobs, while the bad girls were cast in a sympathetic light. And they did it all without apology.
The careers of D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Charlie Chaplin are chronicled culminating in the formation of United Artists and 1919.
Using interviews with top designers, art and plans from their workshops, and the films themselves this documentary explores the influence of these artists on the iconography of our culture.
Blonde, beautiful and talented, Marion Davies was the first and funniest screwball comedienne. As star of two of the best comedies ever made, Show People and The Patsy, she combined zany slapstick and exuberant mimicry. Glamorous, witty and kind, both on screen and off, Davies was also famous for her 35-year-long love affair with William Randolph Hearst.
Documentary recounting the life story of Louise Brooks in 5 sections: "Lulu in Toe Shoes"; "Lulu in Hollywood"; "Lulu in Berlin"; "Lulu in Hell"; and "Resurrection".
Arguably the quintessential film siren of the silent era, Mary Pickford was known as "America's Sweetheart." This documentary explores Pickford's life beyond the screen, as a writer, producer, director and keen businesswoman who co-founded United Artists. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg and featuring clips of Pickford's movies, the film offers insight from historians, film critics (including Leonard Maltin) and silver-screen stars such as Janet Leigh and Roddy McDowall.
Clara Bow: Discovering the 'It' Girl features scenes from 25 of her films, as well as interviews with family members and acquaintances.
What was once the domain of the rich and famous has become part of mainstream life… now a growing number of people are going under the knife – or the needle - to stay young and beautiful. Dr Darren McKeown, a leading figure in facial aesthetics in the UK, has one of the busiest cosmetic medicine clinics in Scotland. With exclusive access to Darren and his patients, Facelifts and Fillers explores what drives people to undergo these expensive and often extremely painful treatments.
