Hollywood and the Stars was a 1963 NBC television documentary series produced by the David L. Wolper Production in association with United Artists Television. It was narrated by Joseph Cotten with the theme music and several episodes composed by Elmer Bernstein. Each 30 minute show concentrated on a Hollywood genre, film or legendary star. The series ran from September 30, 1963 until April of 1964 and ranks one of the best of its kind behind-the-scenes look at classic Hollywood to ever be documented.
It was the success of those hour-long shows that led to a year-long commitment from NBC for thirty-one episodes of Hollywood and the Stars, hosted and narrated by Joseph Cotten. Because they were distributed by United Artists Television, which had inherited the pre-1949 Warner Bros. library, there was a heavy reliance on Warners movies in such episodes as The Immortal Jolson, The Man Called Bogart, and the amusing How to Succeed as a Gangster. But they also pulled off some pretty neat tricks, none more ingenious than creating an entire show called Monsters We’ve Known and Loved without having a single frame from a Universal horror movie! Perhaps my favorite aspect of these shows was the music, composed by Elmer Bernstein. He wrote most of the cues, including the majestic title theme, for Hollywood: The Golden Years, and a music editor reused them throughout the series… but they never grew tired to my ears. I’d give anything to have a soundtrack CD, and since both Wolper’s papers and Bernstein’s are housed at USC I hope someday that may come about. But because the underlying rights to clips used in the show are a tangled web, the series has not been rerun in recent times or released on video. There is only one lone episode available on YouTube, and while it’s an unusual one, The Angry Screen, you can see how well-written and produced it is. I will forever be indebted to David Wolper and the talented team he gathered around him for those specials and that unforgettable series. And I’m sure I’m not alone. —Leonard Maltin
THE MAN CALLED BOGART
The film career of Humphrey Bogart is explored in this episode.
HOW TO SUCCEED AS A GANGSTER
A look at the role of the gangster in Hollywood movies.
THE WESTERN
In this episode we take a look at the history of the western.
THOSE FABULOUS MUSICALS
The evolution of the Hollywood Musical.
THE SWASHBUCKLERS
A look at the great days of the swashbuckler in Hollywood films.
IN SEARCH OF KIM NOVAK
This episode studies the life and background of the star, Kim Novak.
THE ONE & ONLY BING
A look at the life and career of Bing Crosby.
THE ODYSSEY OF RITA HAYWORTH
This episode follows the career of Rita Hayworth, the love goddess.
FUNNY MEN
Comedians of the silver screen from the silent days of the Mack Sennett comedies to the 1960’s era of It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
HOLLYWOOD GOES TO WAR
In this episode we see how the film industry responded to WW1 & WW2.
ANATOMY OF A MOVIE
This episode takes a look at the making of Otto Preminger’s The Cardinal.
THE IMMORTAL JOLSON
This episode takes a look at the career and personal life of Al Jolson. His vaudeville days, his marriage to Ruby Keeler, his film career and his comeback entertaining troops during World War II are all covered.
MONSTERS WE’VE KNOWN AND LOVED
A brief but excellent overview of the horror film from silent classics like Nosferatu to the atomic age and beyond. Many great clips from the films of Lon Chaney, Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Ray Harryhausen and others. A parade of vampires, mad scientists, giant monsters, resurrected dinosaurs and invaders from outer space fill the show.
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