Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros.

I don't know whether the version of this documentary I saw was edited, but Spielberg is listed as one of the presenters but does not appear. Not that I mind, but I am curious.

Written and directed by Robert Guenette, the treatment and footage of mostly actors who appeared in Warner Bros movies is light without being frustrating, and has some rarities. Barbra Streisand, Goldie Hawn, and Chevy Chase pop in to relieve Clint Eastwood of narrator duties, Streisand's appearance an even more painful reminder of her far too few movie acting roles in recent years.

Here we see snippets from some of the multiple films of John Barrymore, Ruby Keeler, Edward G Robinson, Paul Muni, James Cagney (he has an odd montage of moments where he slaps men and women), Olivia de Havilland, Errol Flynn, Bette Davis, Bugs Bunny, Humphrey Bogart, James Dean, Natalie Wood, Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, Doris Day, Jack Nicholson, and Eastwood. Directors also covered include Busby Berkeley - who "blew away the proscenium", Michael Curtiz, and Stanley Kubrick.

The rarities include the footage of Barrymore, screen tests of Lana Turner and Orson Welles (no surprise he wasn't picked up), a scene from Errol Flynn's Too Much Too Soon, Marlon Brando's test where he is soft-voiced, and Paul Newman's with James Dean for East of Eden (where Dean tells Newman to kiss him). Guenette shows Night Nurse with Clark Gable as an example like Turner and Welles of people Warners let get away, with Gable as unsuitable for Warners as Cagney, Robinson and Bogart and even Davis are for MGM. Ruby Keeler is revealed to be a rather awful musical talent, and de Havilland slightly more tolerable playing opposite Flynn.

Of course, the title comes from Casablanca.

When I saw this advertised, I was excited, but then remembered that we were still in the throws of "I hate Doris Day" which started in the late '60s during the sexual revolution.

I had seen other features on Warner Brothers and they showed more Streisand, Minnelli, even Judy Garlalnd (an MGM star), more than they showed Doris Day, who was in fact, after Bette Davis, their biggest female money-maker. For years, WB did not have musical stars on par with the MGM crowd. As a matter of fact, they borrowed leading ladies from Paramount, Fox and MGM to star in their musicals. When Judy couldn't do "Romance on The High Seas," 23 year old Day was tested and got the role. Rave reviews made a star out of her, but more importantly, finally WB had a singing, dancing star that could go toe to toe with anybody at MGM.

So why in these documentaries on WB, does Doris Day get ignored? I'll tell you why. When Doris was #1 at the box office during the 1960s, the sexual revolution swept the nation. Day's husband, Martin Melcher, signed her name to scripts that she didn't want to make, but was forced to or be sued. One of them, "That Touch of Mink" was a huge hit, but an insulting film. It moved Doris to step on the "downerlator" as a result of her character in the film being terrified of sex, but at the same time, accepting expensive gifts and trips from a near total, RICH stranger (Cary Grant). Comics had a field day in clubs and on TV about Day's "virginal" persona. This feeling about her became part of the Hollywood culture, which was drugging it up AND sexing it up -- Day didn't fit in.

When the drugged-out, snot-nosed kids of the Moguls took over Hollywood, the legendary Doris Day's name was mud. Young filmmakers who produced film documentaries, authors who wrote Hollywood books would conveniently omit Doris Day or merely mention her in passing, or build up lesser stars in an attempt to disparage Miss Day. They felt obligated to "not like Doris Day." There are other documentaries, like this one, and books on Hollywood that have chapters on people like Streisand, Natalie Wood, Audrey Hepburn, Cher, Jody Foster, Sandra Dee, etc. none of whom had Day's popularity or box office power. Doris, to this day, remains the top female box office star of all time. But you'd never know it by the way she's treated. With all the hooplah surrounding Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn, you'd think that THEY were bigger than Doris Day. They were not. Ms. Hepburn never appeared among the top ten box office stars. Being a movie star boils down to how many people you bring into the theatres BECAUSE of your name.

Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros. (1991)

**** (out of 4)

Clint Eastwood hosts and narrates this wonderful documentary that take a look at the history of Warner Bros. Through interviews and countless film clips we learn about the early days of the Warner brothers and how they eventually got into the movie business and built the studio up during the silent era and became their own force in the 1930's with their gangster pictures.

Not only do we get Eastwood hosting but there are segments where we get supporting hosts like Chevy Chase, Steven Spielberg, Goldie Hawn and Barbara Streisand. If you're a film buff then there's no question that you'll enjoy this documentary as it does a really good job at taking you through the various stages of the studio's career. You learn about the earliest days where they brothers bought a print of THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY and took it on tour to get money. From here we learn about them signing John Barrymore from the stage, getting Al Jolson to agree to a talking picture and then the countless stars that were born during the 30's through the 70's.

There are countless film clips here as well as plenty of other footage including that from the Oscars as well as some bloopers, which were a lot of fun. The documentary clocks in at just under two-hours and covers a great deal of footage and there's no question that you'll get a smile on your face while watching everything. There's no doubt that after watching this you'll be wanting to check out the pictures again.

Fantastic if one is interested in the history of the movie studios. Well presented and good quality video and audio. Many clips of famous Warner Brothers movies and actors. Not the quantity of clips of MGM's "That's Entertainment" but more than on "The Republic Pictures Story". One can enjoy many films this way, via clips of their highlights, when one would not want to watch the entire film.

My laser disk of this is very well done and mine has held up well for about 15 years. Still not available on DVD (7/2006) and I could only find it for sale online as a VHS, which would have poorer video and audio. All three of these studio's history deserves to be on DVD (only MGM's is as of 7/2006)and I hope the studios don't forget.