Every season of Talking Film ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best seasons of Talking Film!

Producers David Picker and Walter Mirisch and producer-directors Robert Altman, Roger Corman, Sydney Pollack, and Stanley Kramer discuss their important roles, throwing light on what a producer does to ensure the success of a movie.

The Producer (1)

George Cukor, Roger Corman, Robert Wise, Abraham Polonsky, and Richard Brooks discuss the role of the film director.

The Director

Screenwriters John Milius, Sterling Silliphant, and Bernard Slade talk about the role of the screenwriter in filmmaking, the auteur theory, and working relationships between writers, directors, and producers.

The Screenwriter

Henry Fonda, Anthony Hopkins, Marsha Mason, Leslie Nielsen, Albert Salmi, Sidney Pollack, Roger Corman, and John Milius discuss acting methods for the stage and screen, the actor's relationship to the director, and reminisce about some of the films they have worked on.

Acting in the Cinema

Lee Garmes, Stanley Cortez, Haskell Wexler, and Victor Kemper discuss some of the films they have photographed and look at their varying relationships with directors and actors.

Cinematography

Richard Sylbert, one of Hollywood's foremost production designers (Chinatown, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Carnal Knowledge) talks about the function of the various people who work on design, and the relationship of the designer to the director.

Designing Movies

Elwy Yost asks three American directors about favorite films they have worked on: George Cukor talks about A Star Is Born, Henry King about Twelve O'Clock High, and Vincente Minnelli reminisces about the making of Lust for Life.

The Making of a Motion Picture (1)

The controversial twin issues of sex and violence are discussed by filmmakers Robert Altman, Roger Corman, David Picker, John Milius, Sydney Pollack, and Stanley Kramer.

Sex and Violence in the Cinema

Sidney Pollack, Robert Altman, John Milius, and Roger Corman voice their opinions on the marketing of films, the importance of profits, and the control they have over how their movies are sold.

How Movies Are Sold

Actors Henry Fonda and Frank Baker and screenwriters Nunnally Johnson and Philip Dunne reminisce about one of Hollywood's greatest film directors: John Ford.

A Portrait of John Ford (1)

A portrait of the last great movie mogul Darryl F. Zanuck, who ruled 20th Century Fox for thirty years, through the words of Fox personnel who knew him well. With director Henry King, producers Milton Sperling and Raymond Klune, screenwriter Philip Dunne, and actor Henry Fonda.

Zanuck

Ring Lardner Jr. talks about his years of blacklisting during the McCarthy era.

The Hollywood Ten: An Interview with Writer Ring Lardner Jr.

A creator of the documentary film, Pare Lorentz (The River, The Plough That Broke the Plains, and The Fight for Life), discusses his long career and aspects of the documentary genre.

The Documentary: An Interview with Pare Lorentz (1)

In an exploration of the myth and reality of Hollywood westerns, Elwy Yost interviews actor Joel McCrea and directors John Sturges, Robert Aldrich, and Mark Rydell.

The Western

Host Elwy Yost visits several Hollywood landmarks: the sidewalk in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater, the Beverly Hills Hotel, and Paramount Studios. Yost talks to actors Richard Arlen, Buddy Rogers, and Pat O'Brien about Hollywood past and present.

Hooray for Hollywood

The legendary motion picture director responsible for such screen classics as Shane and A Place in the Sun is recalled by his son George Stevens, Jr.

A Portrait of George Stevens (1)

A look at the role of the motion picture critic with guests John Simon of New York magazine and Andrew Sarris of the Village Voice.

The Critic

George Pal (When Worlds Collide and War of the Worlds) and Colin Chilvers (Superman) discuss special effects.

More Special Effects

Elwy Yost discusses techniques employed in the making of horror films, both classic and contemporary.

The Nightmare People: Horror in the Cinema

Elwy Yost talks with veteran Warner Studios animators Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng.

The Animators

Elwy Yost talks with director John Huston (The Maltese Falcon, The African Queen, and The Man Who Would Be King) about his long career and his relationships with Orson Welles, Humphrey Bogart, and Truman Capote.

The Cinema of John Huston

Actor-director John Howard, cameraman George Folsey, and Frank Capra Jr. reminisce about the life and works of the American director Frank Capra.

The Cinema of Frank Capra (1)

Husband and wife Andrew Sarris and Molly Haskell describe their careers as film critics, the difficulty of maintaining objectivity in film reviewing, contemporary trends in filmmaking, and the effect of their careers on their lives.

More Film Criticism

British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger talk about their careers and the films The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp and Stairway to Heaven; cameraman Jack Cardiff, actor David Niven, and film writer Leslie Halliwell describe what it was like to work with them.

Powell and Pressburger

Elwy Yost and industry craftspeople review the past thirty years in British cinema, including the present trend to produce dramatic television series rather than feature films. With cinematographer Jean Coquillon and actors John Justin, Anna Neagle,George Cole, and Hayley Mills.

Thirty Years of British Cinema

David Niven, Margaret Lockwood, and Phyllis Calvert discuss the work of British directors David Lean and Sir Carol Reed.

David Lean and Sir Carol Reed

Women in the Cinema

A conversation with actor Buster Crabbe and director William Witney about the making of the serial cliffhangers of the 30s and 40s.

The Serial

Elwy Yost interviews director Henry Hathaway (Lives of a Bengal Lancer, Kiss of Death, How the West Was Won, and True Grit). James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Pauline Kael, Hal Wallis, and Jet Fore share their recollections of Hathaway.

The Cinema of Henry Hathaway

Interviewing some of today's most successful directors - Stanley Kramer, Robert Aldrich, and Richard Brooks.

The Business of Directing

Explores the art of making motion pictures with film designer Saul Bass, director Robert Aldrich, and photographer William Fraker.

The Making of a Motion Picture (2)

Elwy Yost discusses cinematographic technique in action films with film designer and consultant Saul Bass, photographer William Fraker, director Franco Zeffirelli, actor Jon Voight, and makeup artist Bob Dawn.

The Making of a Motion Picture (3)

Film critic Pauline Kael talks about her career and the reactions to her harsh reviews.

A Conversation with Pauline Kael

Actors David Niven, Henry Fonda, Janet Leigh, and Vincent Price; composer Henry Mancini; director George Sidney; and producer Hal Wallis discuss the phenomenon of movie idols.

Gods and Goddesses of the Cinema

Elwy Yost discusses the films of director Elia Kazan with actors Karl Malden, Richard Widmark, and Albert Salmi.

The Cinema of Elia Kazan

A look at how suspense is developed, through the films of directors Alfred Hitchcock and Henri-Georges Clouzot and discussions with actor James Stewart, actress Janet Leigh, critic Pauline Kael, filmmaker Saul Bass, and director John Badham.

Anatomy of Suspense

Actor John Justin and director Michael Powell discuss Sir Alexander Korda's 1940 film The Thief of Baghdad, and actor Sir John Clements reminisces about his work in Korda's 1939 film Four Feathers.

The Making of a Motion Picture (4)

Guests discuss how Twentieth Century-Fox operated and flourished during its heyday. Featuring producer Milton Sperling, studio publicist Jet Fore, music department head Lionel Newman, production manager Raymond Klune, and actor Vincent Price.

The Big Studios: Twentieth Century-Fox

Elwy Yost questions the film director about his numerous works, which include Anatomy of a Murder, the once-controversial The Moon Is Blue, and Advise and Consent.

A Conversation with Otto Preminger

The second of two programs about director George Stevens, one of Hollywood's most talented filmmakers. Elwy Yost talks with actors Joel McCrea and Charlton Heston, screenwriter Evan Moffat, and editor William Hornbeck about their memories of Stevens.

A Portrait of George Stevens (2)

Elwy Yost's guests - director George Sidney and actors James Stewart and Richard Widmark - talk about veteran film director John Ford, whose films include Stagecoach, My Darling Clementine, and How Green Was My Valley.

A Portrait of John Ford (2)

The renowned director talks about his career and the artists he has launched.

A Conversation with Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Elwy Yost talks with three Hollywood producers - Richard Roth, Albert S. Ruddy, and Frank Yablans - on how they come up with ideas for movies.

The Producer (3)

Film critics Arthur Knight and Charles Champlin discuss the ethics of criticism and their favorite movies.

Two Film Critics

A conversation with Sam Fuller, director of Pickup on South Street, about his experiences as a crime reporter and his thoughts on cult films.

An Interview with Samuel Fuller

Three writers - Joan Tewkesbury, Harriet Frank Jr., and Nancy Dowd - discuss their writing techniques and their work with various directors.

Women in the Cinema: The Writer

Stewart Granger discusses the advantages and disadvantages of being a film star and his relationship with directors Compton Bennett, Sir Carol Reed, and George Cukor.

Stars of the Cinema: Stewart Granger

King Vidor, who directed his first film in 1918, talks about The Big Parade, The Crowd, and War and Peace, and offers views on the maturation of movies.

The Cinema of King Vidor

A visit to the set of Pennies From Heaven where Elwy Yost talks with the production designer, costume designer, set decorator, and choreographer.

The Making of a Musical

Richard Widmark, James Stewart, Henry King, Harry Carey Jr., Henry Hathaway, and Hal B. Wallis reminisce about early westerns.

The Western Revisited

Elwy Yost talks with composers Miklos Rozsa, Henry Mancini, and David Raskin about the role of music in movies.

Music in the Cinema

The Screenwriter (2)

Elwy Yost talks to Joseph Biroc about the distinct photographic styles of film studios and to Joseph Walker, the inventor of the zoom lens.

Cinematography (2)

In this examination of the craft and magic of special effects in the movies, host Elwy Yost interviews Bruce Pittman, special-effects specialist Joe Zomar, and optical-effects genius Linwood Dunn.

Special Effects

American director Henry King discusses his film career, which began in 1915 and includes Jesse James, The Gunfighter, and Twelve O'Clock High; film clips of Gregory Peck and Harry Morgan.

The Cinema of Henry King

Elwy Yost talks to Pare Lorentz, director of films from the 1930s.

The Documentary: An Interview with Pare Lorentz (2)

Richard Widmark talks about the difficult craft of acting.

Stars of the Cinema: Richard Widmark

Elwy Yost talks to Frank Capra about his film career.

The Cinema of Frank Capra (2)

Gregory Peck, Harry Morgan, Jack Elam, and Albert S. Ruddy discuss the development of western films.

The Classic Western

Elwy Yost interviews actor Jack Lemmon about his career, his early failures, his first big break, and his experiences with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Billy Wilder, and Delmer Daves.

An Afternoon with Jack Lemmon

Guests: Betty Robin, Monroe's assistant; Tom Ewell; Jack Lemmon; John Houseman; Brooks Clift; and Edward Dmytryk.

Two Tragic Stars: Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift

Elwy Yost interviews comedy screenwriters Irving Brecher, Nat Perrin, Robert Pirosh, and MGM story editor Sam Marx about their work with Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo Marx.

The Marx Brothers and Their Writers

Elwy Yost interviews Hollywood director Rouben Mamoulian (Blood and Sand, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Queen Christine, Summer Holiday, and The Mark of Zorro), who distinguished himself with a fluid and rhythmic style.

The Cinematic Genius of Rouben Mamoulian

Interviews with people associated with the big Broadway musicals, including actors Gene Raymond, Ray Bolger, and Rudy Vallee, and dance director Hermes Pan who worked with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

All Singing, All Dancing

Adapting stage musicals to the screen with composers Saul Chaplin, Nelson Riddle, and John Green; songwriter Leo Robin; musicologist Miles Kreuger; and lyricist Sammy Cahn.

The Music Men

The job of the screenwriter. Guests: Sterling Silliphant (The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno), Norman Corwin (Lust for Life), Daniel Taradash (Desiree), Andrew V. McLaglen (Fool's Paradise), Nicolas Meyer (The Seven Percent Solution), Robert Pirosh (The Young Lions), Richard Brooks, David S. War, and Lindsay Anderson.

The Screenwriter (3)

A look at the dark side of the Hollywood picture with authors Bob Thomas and Tony Thomas; Steffi Sidney; actors Cornel Wilde, Cesar Romero, and Tom Ewell; screenwriter Art Arthur; and director Lindsay Anderson. Richard Lamparski, author of the book Hidden Hollywood, talks about the destructive effects of fame.

Lotusland

Interviews with Selznick's son Daniel Mayer Selznick, Lyle Wheeler of MGM Studios; Ron Haver, author of David O. Selznick's Hollywood"; actors James Stewart, Janet Leigh, Tom Ewell, and Richard Deacon; director Richard Franklin (Psycho II); and screenwriter Sterling Silliphant.

Hollywood Portraits: David O. Selznick and Alfred Hitchcock

In the conclusion of a two-part look at the role of the producer in the filmmaking process, producers Tony Bill, Ralph Bakshi, Tamara Asseyev, and Alex Rose offer comment and insights from their own careers.

The Producer (2)

Hollywood stars on the subject of being famous: Ray Bolger, Noah Beery, Jr., Leon Ames, Carl Reiner, Rudy Vallee, Margaret O'Brien, Janet Leigh, Tom Ewell, Kirk Douglas, Virginia Mayo, Cesar Romero, John Houseman, Richard Deacon, Jack Lemmon, Ralph Bellamy, Cornel Wilde, and Eddie Quillan.

Stars on Stars

Film historian William K. Everson on the mystery film and the portrayal of the detective on screen. Discussed are the Charlie Chan, Thin Man, and Sherlock Holmes series. Also with actors Leon Ames, Cesar Romero, Kirk Douglas, Ralph Bellamy, and Keye Luke; screenwriters Philip Yordan, Nicholas Meyer, Art Arthur, and Irving Brecher; and director Lindsay Anderson.

Mystery Film and the Detective on Screen

Elwy Yost discusses the films of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy and interviews MacDonald's husband, actor Gene Raymond, and Bill Blass who wrote her biography.

Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy

Composer-conductor Jay Livingston, writer-film historian Tony Thomas, and actress Gloria Jean are among Elwy Yost's guests who discuss Bing Crosby and Bob Hope's road movies. (60m) [1 of 8]

Superstars: Bing Crosby and Bob Hope

Academy Award-winning actress Greer Garson recounts her experiences in the movies and shares glimpses of her life.

An Interview with Greer Garson

Elwy Yost discusses the life and work of director Preston Sturges with Sturges' widow; James Curtis, author of the Sturges biography "Between Flops"; L.A. Times film critic Sheila Benson; and actors Lionel Stander, Rudy Vallee, and Eddie Bracken.

The Preston Sturges Story (1)

Elwy Yost looks at the work of director-writer Preston Sturges, including The Great McGinty, Sullivan's Travels, and The Palm Beach Story. Rudy Vallee, James Curtis, Sandy Sturges, Cesar Romero, and Eddie Bracken are interviewed.

The Preston Sturges Story (2)

Elwy Yost interviews Richard Fleischer, who began his career as a film editor; and Ronald Neame, who began as a cameraman.

Two Film Directors: Ronald Neame and Richard Fleischer

Discussion of the film director and writer. Guests include screenwriter I.A.L. Diamond, writer Maurice Zolotow, film critic Sheila Benson, lyricist Ray Evans, composer Jay Livingston, and actors Tom Ewell and Jack Lemmon.

A Portrait of Billy Wilder

Elwy Yost talks with authors and film critics Richard Schickel (Time magazine) and David Robinson (Times of London).

Two Film Critics: Richard Schickel and David Robinson

The life and career of Cecil B. DeMille and Jesse Lasky.

Hollywood Portraits: Cecil B. DeMille and Jesse Lasky

Movie expert Elwy Yost interviews industry people on both sides of the camera, encouraging them to talk about themselves, the state of their art, and its history. The series features many famous film personalities who, along with producers, directors, designers, screenwriters, and critics, offer candid insights into the making of motion pictures.

The Best Seasons of Talking Film

The Best Seasons of Talking Film

Season 1