Jean Simmons Movies

Part of HBO's Life Through Your Lens series, this documentary from director Micah Schaffer juxtaposes the stories of Guinean Amadou Diallo and American Jesse Thyne, two men who seem unrelated, but whose lives were surprisingly intertwined. Diallo was the victim of an infamous fatal shooting by New York City police officers that saw 41 bullets fired into the immigrant before the smoke cleared. Meanwhile, Thyne was a Peace Corp volunteer living with Diallo's family in Guinea before a car accident took his life. Schaffer interviews family members to discover common threads between the men. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

Film director George Cukor (1899-1983) gets the American Masters treatment in this documentary from the acclaimed PBS series. Few directors from Hollywood's Golden Age can match the list of Cukor's achievements, which included What Price Hollywood, David Copperfield, Camille, Holiday, The Philadelphia Story, The Women, A Double Life, Adam's Rib, Born Yesterday, Pat and Mike, and the 1954 version of A Star Is Born, essentially the same story as What Price Hollywood. Even after the studio system broke up, Cukor continued making films right into the 1980s, though their quality began to vary widely. He did win his first and only Oscar in 1965 for My Fair Lady, though in retrospect, that film is not in the first rank of his filmography. Cukor's reputation in Hollywood was as a ladies' director, and few filmmakers can match his track record for drawing superb performances from actresses. The film does address the subtext of that reputation, Cukor's homosexuality, which was well-known in Hollywood during his lifetime, though not openly discussed in his public interviews. It allegedly led to his dismissal from directing Gone With the Wind after star Clark Gable insisted on having him replaced. Cukor was also one of the film community's most genial hosts, his dinner parties bringing together the most glamorous denizens of Hollywood. Both critics and historians, including Jeanine Basinger, David Denby, Richard Schickel, and Peter Bogdanovich, attest to Cukor's importance in motion pictures, and several of his collaborators and friends, including Angela Lansbury, Jack Lemmon, Mia Farrow, Fay Kanin, Shelley Winters, and Claire Bloom, offer insights into his working methods. Jean Simmons narrates. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide

Though she has realized a measure of success in her career, Meredith Sanders (Melissa Gilbert) has never found true happiness. Haunted by fragmentary memories of her childhood, she returns to England, the first time she has set foot in native country since being adopted and brought to the United States. Conducting a lengthy and frustrating search for her birth mother's grave, Meredith ultimately makes a shocking discovery--and, this being a Barbara Taylor Bradford adaptation, she also falls in love, with handsome architect Lucas Kent (Jeremy Sheffield. Veteran stage and screen star Jean Simmons plays a pivotal role in Her Own Rules, which first aired October 13, 1998, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mysteries of the Bible: Heaven and Hell investigates what the Bible says about Heaven and Hell and the afterlife. This information is then analyzed to reveal what people believe about sin, punishment, and redemption. The viewpoints of some leading historians and philosophers are included. Viewers can then begin to see how the images of Heaven and Hell have shaped western thought for hundreds of years. ~ Karla Baker, All Movie Guide

This video is part of a series on Bible stories that originally appeared on A&E television. The program focuses on the meaning of the stories and their relevance to modern-day Christianity. This episode looks at the work of archeologists in the Holy Land, as they look for physical artifacts and seek to corroborate the stories reported in the Bible. The results provide an interesting look at the Bible and the stories involving the walls of Jericho and the parting of the Red Sea. Re-enactments, computer imagery, and on-location photography are used to illustrate the points made in the film. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide

From the Mysteries of the Bible series comes this documentary about the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. You will hear from historians, both secular and religious, and archaeologists who give a detailed account of the last days of Christ, from His entrance into the Temple to the Last Supper to His death and His resurrection. These historical and scientific experts analyze all of the remaining evidence to try and determine the validity of Jesus' execution. Shot in Jerusalem and near Mount Zion, this documentary takes you right to the very place where Jesus is said to have lived over 2,000 years ago. ~ Cecilia Cygnar, All Movie Guide

Revelations is one of the most cryptic and powerfully written books of the Bible. It foretells that the world will end violently. Scholars, mystics, and laymen study this final book of the Bible and try to interpret the series of numbers, beasts, and warnings. A&E presents this documentary, filmed on-location in Jerusalem and other Middle East locations, to explore these mysteries, including who the true author is. Richard Kiley and Jean Simmons narrate. ~ Nicole Jones, All Movie Guide