Review of Goldwyn: The Man And His Movies

Introduction

A wonderful, fascinating feature-length documentary on one of the key players of early Hollywood. Made for television, this documentary, based on A Scott Berg`s biography "Goldwyn" tells the story of Polish-Jew émigré Schmuel Geldfish. At the turn of the twentieth century, he blagged his way across Europe to Liverpool and thence to America. Setting up in the Land of the Free (having jumped ship in Nova Scotia because immigration officers in New York were most likely to send immigrants back where they came from), he mixed with the East Coast theatrical set and set up a movie company with his brother-in-law. A move to California, and soon Schmuel became Samuel Goldwyn - Film Producer.

Narrated by Dustin Hoffman, the documentary is a mixture of recent interviews with family members and archive interviews with stars and technicians no longer with us. The abiding image that runs through the enterprise is one of Goldwyn as the perpetual outsider.

Naturally there are many clips from the movies that Goldwyn produced - always with his own money, much to the alarm of his wife. Receiving special mention are his Oscar® winning drama "Best Years Of Our Lives"; the feel-good masterpiece "The Bishop`s Wife" and his last movie the PC-vilified "Porgy and Bess".

Disturbingly covered in Goldwyn`s wartime experiences in Hollywood is a meeting with former US Ambassador to Great Britain Joseph Kennedy (JFK`s father) who advised Hollywood bosses - mostly Jews - to avoid using the Nazis as villains. After the war, Goldwyn would fight the neo-fascist House UnAmerican Activities Committee (the McCarthy Witch Hunts). Fortunately he could dig up sufficient embarrassing dirt that although subpoenaed by the Committee, he was never forced to attend.

Much lighter is the brief coverage given to "Goldwynisms", the frequently highly witty malapropisms accredited to the great man.

"Anybody who sees a Psychiatrist should have his head examined"

Ain`t it the truth?

Video

Occasionally pixelly standards conversion of an NTSC programme. Presented in 4:3, the widescreen elements (clips of "Guys and Dolls" and "Porgy and Bess") are letterboxed. Picture quality of some of the clips is disappointing, although some two-strip Technicolor footage of Eddie Cantor in action is fascinating to watch.

Audio

The programme was made in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, although stereo effects are limited to some music and voices at the start and end of the programme.

Features

Unfortunately these are extremely light on the ground - just a Goldwyn filmography.

Conclusion

A fascinating insight into the early years of Hollywood, full of major players in the industry who started alongside Goldwyn, were discovered by him or just plain drifted into the industry. Once you`ve seen this documentary, you`ll understand the importance of the man in Hollywood, the double-dealing that occasionally saw him ousted from a Studio, and his inevitable bounce back. Sam Goldwyn was one of the behind-the-scenes Hollywood Greats.

I`d still like to have seen him chin Kenneth Tynan for being so bl—dy cheeky, though.