PBS Specials

Cinema's Exiles: From Hitler to Hollywood (2009x24)

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Sigourney Weaver narrates this documentary telling the story of a diaspora that resulted in some of the biggest names in the German film industry seeking their fortunes in Hollywood. When Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933, one of his earliest actions was to ban Jews from working in the country's film industry. The following years saw more than 800 film professionals fleeing their homeland and escaping to Hollywood. They included actors Hedy Lamarr and Peter Lorre; directors Fritz Lang, Billy Wilder and Fred Zinnemann; and composers Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Franz Waxman. Through film clips, rare footage, photographs and first-person accounts, the film traces the experiences of the exiles and examines their impact on the big screen on both sides of the Atlantic. Not all were successful, but some went on to play major roles in the history of American cinema, producing such classics as The Bride of Frankenstein, Ninotchka, To Be or Not To Be, Casablanca, Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, High Noon, The Big Heat, and Some Like It Hot. The documentary features personal contributions from some of the actors and directors who exerted a profound influence on the culture of their adopted country.