Movies by Leonard Maltin

The True Adventures of Raoul Walsh

The True Adventures of Raoul Walsh

This is the first feature-length documentary on legendary director Raoul Walsh. In this 'memoir,' Walsh 'recounts' his career from the silent film era to the tumultuous 1960s. The documentary makes stunning use of rare, personal and production photos and footage, revealing Walsh's extraordinary, adventurous life on and off the set. From his apprenticeship with D.W. Griffith to his discovery of John Wayne and Rock Hudson, from the innovative 'The Thief of Bagdad' (1924) to the widescreen 'The Big Trail' (1930), from his classic work with Cagn...

John Ford Goes to War

John Ford Goes to War

When World War II broke out, John Ford, in his forties, commissioned in the Naval Reserve, was put in charge of the Field Photographic Unit by Bill Donavan, director of the soon-to-be-OSS. During the war, Field Photo made at least 87 documentaries, many with Ford's signature attention to heroism and loss, and many from the point of view of the fighting soldier and sailor. Talking heads discuss Ford's life and personality, the ways that the war gave him fulfillment, and the ways that his war films embodied the same values and conflicts that h...

Clara Bow: Discovering the It Girl

Clara Bow: Discovering the It Girl

Clara Bow: Discovering the 'It' Girl features scenes from 25 of her films, as well as interviews with family members and acquaintances.

The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk

The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk

Film historians, and survivors from the nearly 30-year struggle to bring sound to motion pictures take the audience from the early failed attempts by scientists and inventors, to the triumph of the talkies.

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

This documentary focuses on 1939, considered to be Hollywood's greatest year, with film clips and insight into what made the year so special.

The Story Behind Walt Disney's 'Fun and Fancy Free'

The Story Behind Walt Disney's 'Fun and Fancy Free'

From all the cartoons Walt Disney and his team create a full length feature film fun and fancy free . Learn the story of how ww2 Changed bongo and the rest of the cartoons . How Edgar burgan got to play himself and his puppets.

Scandal: The Trial of Mary Astor

Scandal: The Trial of Mary Astor

This documentary recounts the difficult choice actress Mary Astor had to make after learning her personal, very intimate, diaries had been stolen. The film tells the story of Astor's 1936 child custody case.

Drew Friedman: Vermeer of the Borscht Belt

Drew Friedman: Vermeer of the Borscht Belt

For years, artist Drew Friedman has chronicled a strange, alternate universe populated by forgotten Hollywood stars, old Jewish comedians and liver-spotted elevator operators. Drew Friedman: Vermeer of the Borscht Belt is an in-depth documentary tracing artist Friedman's evolution from underground comics to the cover of The New Yorker. The film, directed by Kevin Dougherty, features interviews with Friedman's friends and colleagues, including Gilbert Gottfried, Patton Oswalt, Richard Kind, Mike Judge, Merrill Markoe and many others.

The Making of 'Rio Grande'

The Making of 'Rio Grande'

A short documentary about the making of John Ford's "Rio Grande."

Hold Your Breath and Cross Your Fingers: The Story of 'Dark Passage'

Hold Your Breath and Cross Your Fingers: The Story of 'Dark Passage'

Bogart was interested in this project because it offered a chance to work with his new bride. The studio wasn't convinced, but the result speaks for itself.

Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace

Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace

Celebrating the splendor and grandeur of the great cinemas of the United States, built when movies were the acme of entertainment and the stories were larger than life, as were the venues designed to show them. The film also tracks the eventual decline of the palaces, through to today’s current preservation efforts. A tribute to America’s great art form and the great monuments created for audiences to enjoy them in.

Image Makers: The Adventures of America's Pioneer Cinematographers

Image Makers: The Adventures of America's Pioneer Cinematographers

Documentary following the history of America's first cinematographers.

Drive-In Movie Memories

Drive-In Movie Memories

A nostalgic, informative history of drive-in movie theaters, featuring extensive archival photographs and interviews with Leonard Maltin, John Bloom, Samuel Z. Arkoff, Barry Corbin and many others... Drive-In Movie Memories is a film celebration of America's greatest icon of youth, freedom and the automobile. What began as an auto parts owner's business venture to make some easy money accidentally became a magical place where romance, fun and a sense of community flourished. This film chronicles the drive-in's birth and development, its phen...

The Méliès Mystery

The Méliès Mystery

A documentary that details the process of restoring 270 of the 520 lost films of pioneering director Georges Méliès, all orchestrated by a Franco-American collaboration between Lobster Films, the National Film Center, and the Library of Congress.

Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman

Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman

A documentary on the life and career of Victor Fleming, director of such iconic movies as The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind.

Temple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre

Temple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre

Guillermo del Toro, Rian Johnson and other film luminaries look back at LA's historic Egyptian Theatre as it returns to its former movie palace glory.

Marty Sklar, Walt, and EPCOT

Marty Sklar, Walt, and EPCOT

A documentary short on Disney's 'Tomorrow Land' DVD.

Behind the Tunes: Looney Tunes Go to War!

Behind the Tunes: Looney Tunes Go to War!

A Documentary about the Looney Tunes war cartoons

King-Size Comedy: Tex Avery and the Looney Tunes Revolution

King-Size Comedy: Tex Avery and the Looney Tunes Revolution

Focuses on how the legend of animation, Tex Avery, revolutionized cartoons.

To Kill a Mockingbird: All Points of View

To Kill a Mockingbird: All Points of View

A 60th anniversary retrospective documentary on the influence and context of the 1962 film, To Kill a Mockingbird.