Hollywood the Golden Years: The RKO Story

This BBC series was made back in the 1980s...and fortunately many of the RKO actors, writers, directors, etc. were still alive and participated in the show. However, despite being very well made and important for film historians and fans, "Hollywood the Golden Years: The RKO Story" is not currently available on DVD nor videotape. I think the only way to see it is to go to YouTube. There is a slight problem with this option, however, as in a few of the episodes portions are missing....and in its place is an announcement that these parts were removed for copyright reasons! Grrrr!!! How annoying but fortunately it was NOT a major problem.

The show is broken into six episodes--following the studio from its creation in the late 20s until it was bought and ultimately destroyed by Howard Hughes in the 1950s. Well worth seeing and fascinating throughout.

This astonishing major TV series is one of the great movie studies ever made. A six part series, each at least an hour long, with a title for each decade or category with an array of interview talent as well as more clips than all the THAT'S ENTERTAINMENTs combined. It is exactly the sort of TV event I would love to see from all the studios...especially MONOGRAM-ALLIED ARTISTS and UNIVERSAL. Imagine what FOX could create! Anyway, this is the definitive version of what is possible and it is created and explained with a feast of clips and scenes and musical numbers more than one could hope for. I taped it from TV in the 80s and have not seen it re screened since. One screening only! More please! It urgently needs to find the DVD market and like the British produced series on DW Griffith and the SILENTS series it is a collectors dream. It certainly does not shy away from the Hughes years disasters and the downfall of the studio is as fascinating as the 1928-35 intro. This is absolutely essential viewing, entertaining in its fullest sense. The Republic Pictures Story and the AIP doco also available are good but have big bits missing..... this RKO series is the bullseye! Superb!

What a surprise treat this series was! All six of the one-hour episodes are available at present on YouTube, which is where I found it. Having never heard of it before, it came as a total revelation to me. Since they had the luxury of having six hours time to tell the fascinating saga of this once-great studio, it contains extensive film clips (some of which are shown here for the first time) and lengthy "talking head" interviews with the men and women who ran RKO, as well as the great stars who acted there (Ginger Rogers, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Mitchum). It's hosted by actor Ed Asner, who provides the perfect light touch and jocularity to host such an undertaking. He is, surprisingly, quite wonderful as a host! The producers of this excellent mini- series (from The UK) had the good fortune of making the series while several of RKO's "major players" were still living and willing to tell their stories (some of them, in the nick of time, too-- Fred Astaire died that very year; Lucille Ball two years later). There is a WEALTH of background information that I'd never heard before, anywhere. If you're a fan of "CITIZEN KANE," you'll be over-the-Moon with glee at the episode that is almost completely dedicated to Orson Welles and his epic RKO masterpiece--and beyond. The series also paints a fairly incisive picture of the enigmatic Howard Hughes, who bought the studio in 1948, later selling it to Desilu (Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz) for $6 million. Jane Greer is especially compelling, telling her tale of how Hughes kept her under contract at RKO for years--but refused to use her in films--since she refused to sleep with him. There are wonderful cameos throughout--a special surprise was a (sadly brief) appearance by the wonderful Erik Rhodes, who provided such wonderful comic relief in many of the Astaire/Rogers films (and passed away only three years after the making of this documentary).

This invaluable series makes "MGM: When The Lion Roared" seem like lightweight fluff by comparison. There are so many fascinating side- stories. Six hours sounds like quite a commitment--but, rest assured: When it's over, you'll wish it were even longer! Really top-notch stuff! And there won't be another like it, since by now, nearly all of the major players are gone. Can't recommend it highly enough!

I do not think there have been any other mini-series such as "Hollywood: The Golden Years" that have gone to such depths to explore the life and death of a major studio. The archival footage is in pristine condition, and the live interviews are all so reflective (and a tad bit sad) of the inner workings of RKO.

I thought Edward Asner -- as host and narrator -- did a bang-up job handling the enormous chores required to properly do this six-parter. I felt the music -- some original, I guess, and some archival -- filled the bill beautifully. Also, each episode had a theme that worked well, with plenty of examples of the subject. I only wish that each episode had been longer. I guess that's the hallmark of a good show: always leave 'em wantin' more!!

My only hope is that this will be released on DVD -- and soon!!

This is a documentary much needed of a DVD release (like MGM: When The Lion Roars). I have yet to see this since the 80's when 1st aired and historical images and facts like these should be available for all fans to own or rent in this information age. If anyone out there has access to a copy I would love to gain a copy. If anyone out there has influence over getting this or the MGM title released on DVD, please see that it gets done. If a throwaway sitcom like "Ned & Stacey" can see a DVD release, why can't a quality documentary such as these see the light of day? Come on fans...let your voice be heard and seek out the things worth seeing again, and again and again!