Joan Cohen

The Beauty of the Land: Anthony Slide on Andre De Toth and the Indian Fighter

Short doc in which Anthony Slide (Andre De Toth on Andre De Toth) discusses the work of Andre De Toth in general and The Indian Fighter in particular.

Gena Rowlands: A Life on Film

An intimate portrait of the superb actress Gena Rowlands, icon of independent cinema. Together with her husband, legendary director John Cassavetes (1929-89), she lived an unusual life beyond the dream factory, a life in which reality and fiction were so perfectly intertwined that it made possible films that still today seem incredibly real.

Painting with Light: Nicholas von Sternberg on Josef von Sternberg

The son of film director von Sternberg discusses his father.

Crazy Love: Janet Bergstrom on Josef von Sternberg's 'Morocco'

Film scholar Janet Bergstrom discusses Sternberg's 1930 film starring Marlene Dietrich.

A Search For Truth: Robert C. Jones On Hal Ashby’s 'The Last Detail'

Retrospective look back on the making of the film.

Cop Stories: The Making of Richard Fleischer’s ‘The New Centurions’

Joseph Wambaugh wrote his first novel 'The New Centurions' while still active as a member of the Los Angeles Police Department, and his fact-based, painfully realistic book became a nation-wide bestseller when it came out in 1971. Replacing heroic cops with struggling, psychologically damaged characters, Wambaugh changed crime literature forever. Richard Fleischer’s filming of Wambaugh’s novel, also called THE NEW CENTURIONS, followed a year later and, in turn, revolutionized crime movies. Featuring newly filmed interviews with writer Joseph Wambaugh, star Stacy Keach, technical advisor Richard E. Kalk (Wambaugh’s real-life LAPD partner) and assistant cameraman Ronald Vidor, COP STORIES: THE MAKING OF RICHARD FLEISCHER’S THE NEW CENTURIONS chronicles the production of that landmark film in all its stages from script to screen.

Marsha Hunt's Sweet Adversity

In 1935, 17-year-old aspiring actress Marsha Hunt was discovered in Hollywood. She signed with Paramount Pictures and went on to a flourishing career at MGM. She made 54 films in 17 years before a series of unfortunate events led to her being unfairly blacklisted. After the blacklist, she championed humanitarian causes, forging a career as one of Hollywood's first celebrity activists. She was the FIRST Angelina Jolie. As far back as 1955, Eleanor Roosevelt was a mentor of hers as they both worked tirelessly to support the work that the United Nations Association was accomplishing in this country. At age 96, Marsha continues to fight for causes she believes in. This film is a call to action for activists of all ages.

Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick'

Don Siegel’s classic crime thriller "Charley Varrick," made in 1972 in the wake of the immensely successful "Dirty Harry," stars Walter Matthau in what is probably the actor’s finest dramatic role, airshow pilot turned crop duster turned bank robber turned mob target Charley Varrick. This feature-length documentary takes the viewer back to the time of the shooting of this cult item and features original interviews with Siegel’s son, Kristoffer Tabori, actors Andy Robinson and Jacqueline Scott, stunt driver and actor Craig R. Baxley, composer Lalo Schifrin and Howard A. Rodman, whose father co-wrote the screenplay.

A War in Hollywood

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) caused a great impression on the lives of most of the American artists of that era, so many movies were made in Hollywood about it. The final defeat of the Spanish Republic left an open wound in the hearts of those who sympathized with its cause. The eventful life of screenwriter Alvah Bessie (1904-1985), one of the Hollywood Ten, serves to analyze this sadness, the tragedy of Spain and its consequences.

A Tribute to Douglas Sirk by Allison Anders

Allison Anders talks about her love for the work of film director Douglas Sirk.

Contract Kid: William Reynolds on Douglas Sirk

Interview with actor William Reynolds about his role in Douglas Sirk's ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS (1955).

Out of the Closet, Off the Screen: The Life of William Haines

Chronicles the life of William Haines, Hollywood's first openly gay movie star, who sacrificed his career to live openly with his lover.