Product Details

• Actors: James Mason, Art Acord, Renée Adorée, Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson, Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle
• Directors: David Gill, Kevin Brownlow
• Writers: David Gill, Kevin Brownlow
• Producers: David Gill, Kevin Brownlow, Mike Wooller, Raye Farr
• Format: Box set, Black & White, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 13
• Studio: HBO Video
• VHS Release Date: September 2, 1997
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302597609
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,682 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  #36 in	Video > Documentary > Art & Artists > Cinema & Media Arts

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The award-winning team of David Gill and Kenneth Brownlow present a definitive and unparalleled look at the history of silent film in America: "Hollywood," narrated by James Mason. This 13-part series celebrates the birth of an industry, the town and people who made it all happen. People who, in a few short years, produced an enourmous range of spectacular, inventive and exciting films. From the arrival of the filmmaking pioneers early at the dawn of a new century, through the outbreak of the first World War; from the rise of romance, to the demise of the Old West; from when comedy was king, until the advent of sound. These are the stars, the scandals, the directors, producers, cameramen, stuntmen and, of course, the films themselves that created the legend we know as "Hollywood."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Documentaries don't get any better than this..., June 13, 2004

By	kaban43 "kaban43" (Somewhere over the rainbow.) - See all my reviews

I first saw this awesome series back in the early eighties, and as a young boy it completely captured my imagination and sense of wonder.

I would have to say this is the definitive history of early Hollywood and film making in general, essential viewing to anyone interested in film and its history, but the amazing thing is this documentary is so well written with such great love and attention to detail that it can easily engross the casual viewer. It is simply compelling stuff.

The greatest thing is this documentary was made in the late 1970's, just as all the amazing stars and behind the scene people were slowly fading away, leaving only their shadow captured in nitrate. They now may be gone, but their spirit lives on through this series.

I feel a secret envy when I listen to the silent stars and crew enthusiastically speaking about what life was like back then, it really was new territory they were treading. The film footage used in the series is great and there are many excerpts of lost/rare films. It's a shame that people think silent cinema is all high speed flickering car chases and cream pies in the face... this series shows how it developed from a primitive side show entertainment to a fully fledged art form capable of crossing cultures all over the world. We think we know about fame today... these early stars were WORLD famous in every sense, thanks to the fact the films they appeared in depended so much more on the actual image and less on the words. Title cards were easily translated.

I think there is one interview that captures it all... during the end of the "Stuntmen" episode, the old stuntman who was interviewed, verging on tears, looks to the interviewer and points to his heart, and says "I wish I could get what is in here, out...." It was if he was saying the times were so magical, that it is impossible to describe how amazing they were.

I love this series... I will get the video sometime soon, but my only question is WHEN WILL IT BE RELEASED ON DVD? This has to be re-released! Someone hear our pleas! It's just too good to leave on VHS

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is it now...or never?, September 6, 2006

By	Phillip Kay (Sydney) - See all my reviews

The upcoming UK DVD release of this title has now been withdrawn, after several delays. I wonder what type of problems prohibit the DVD release of a 26 year old TV series, while seemingly everything else ever released on TV is in our DVD shops. The problems didn't seem to arise when releasing the title on VHS.

The series is still the best survey of cinema ever made. In particular it is an extremely valuable record of the achievements of silent film and the opinions of the actors who starred in those films.

A lot of people want this series on DVD. What a pity it is crumbling away on tape, soon perhaps to be lost for ever.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best..., March 2, 2001

By	Edwin Graf Diemer (Red Bank, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

One of the finest documentaries on film period. I taped it off the air when broadcast, replaced those with the videos when they came out, then followed the videos with the laserdiscs. A complete labor of love and stunning in every aspect. If it came out on DVD, I would probably buy it again. By the way, if you had taped it off the air, each tape includes material that was cut for the television broadcasts.