Aljean Harmetz Movies
- 1999
- Add Harold Arlen: Somewhere Over the Rainbow to QueueAdd Harold Arlen: Somewhere Over the Rainbow to top of Queue
Songwriter Harold Arlen is the subject of this documentary. Arlen wrote several songs for famous artists, but remained in the shadows as singers such as Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett received the acclaim. Arlen's most popular song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", the noted song from the Wizard of Oz, is added to the title. Filmed performances by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Mel Torme, and many others are included as they sing songs penned by Arlen and take part in several interviews that make up the bulk of this film, but his life is also well documented. ~ Ed Atkinson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
- Add Hollywood: An Empire of Their Own to QueueAdd Hollywood: An Empire of Their Own to top of Queue
Winner of the Best Jewish Experience Documentary award at the 1998 Jerusalem Film Festival, this A&E program directed by Simcha Jacobovici was also hailed as "provocative and engaging" by John Leonard in New York Magazine and "shrewdly on target" by Caryn James in The New York Times. Essentially an adaptation of Neal Gabler's award-winning, somewhat controversial book Hollywood: An Empire of Their Own: How The Jews Invented Hollywood, this documentary chronicles the amazing success story of the half-dozen Jewish immigrants or sons of immigrants who created the movie industry studio system and became the moguls of Hollywood during its Golden Age. Highlights include archival footage, interviews, and commentary on these leaders, including Adolph Zukor, founder of Paramount; Carl Laemmle, founder of Universal; Jack and Samuel Warner, founders of Warner Bros.; Louis B. Mayer, founder of MGM; William Fox, head of 20th Century-Fox; and Harry Cohn, who ran Columbia Pictures. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bernard Avishai, Judith Balaban, (more)
