The Age of Ballyhoo

Video
1973
Not Rated
1h

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

A documentary about the film industry, narrated by 'Gloria Swanson', in the period between World War I and World War II. Included are clips from a variety of films of that period.A documentary about the film industry, narrated by 'Gloria Swanson', in the period between World War I and World War II. Included are clips from a variety of films of that period.A documentary about the film industry, narrated by 'Gloria Swanson', in the period between World War I and World War II. Included are clips from a variety of films of that period.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

YOUR RATING

1User review

See production info at IMDbPro

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Gloria Swanson

Self - Narrator
(voice)

Clara Bow

Self (clip from "It")
(archive footage)

Calvin Coolidge

Self
(archive footage)

Grace Coolidge

Self
(archive footage)

Douglas Fairbanks

Self
(archive footage)

Florence Kling Harding

Self
(archive footage)

Warren G. Harding

Self
(archive footage)

Lou Henry Hoover

Self
(archive footage)

Charles A. Lindbergh

Self
(archive footage)

Antonio Moreno

Self (clip from "It")
(archive footage)

Richard Nixon

Self
(archive footage)

Mary Pickford

Self
(archive footage)

Nicola Sacco

Self
(archive footage)

Bessie Smith

Self
(archive footage)

Thelma Todd

Self
(archive footage)

Raquel Torres

Self
(archive footage)

Bartolomeo Vanzetti

Self
(archive footage)

Woodrow Wilson

Self
(archive footage)

Director
- David Shepard
Writer
- David Thaxton
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews1

6.732

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3planktonrules

Uninspiring

This is a documentary about the era following WWI and was included on a DVD with the silent film, THE CLINGING VINE. TGHE AGE OF BALLYHOO was narrated by Gloria Swanson and this is odd, as she wasn't even in THE CLINGING VINE, so the tie-in between the two films seems a bit tenuous. It would have seemed to have made a lot more sense to have this documentary bundled with one of Swanson's silent films.

The film is made up of lots of clips from newsreels as well as movies. This didn't work out completely well, as the films were often in terrible shape--grainy and washed out. This could be corrected, to an extent, today but back in 1973 it could not--though I do wonder why they didn't look for better quality film. Additionally, while I have enjoyed some of Ms. Swanson's films, here she is all wrong--with absolutely no energy in the narration--none. Frankly, the script she read and her narration together made me long for the film to end.