TVF Docs: Cinema Nostalgia

This tribute traces the early career of Charlie Chaplin from utter destitution to his meeting with Fred Karno and his rise to stellar status. In 1913, Karno’s company was invited by Mack Sennett to join the Keystone Film Company. Using hilarious footage from the early Chaplin movies, this powerful documentary follows the early career of one of the world’s greatest ever comic geniuses.

The story of the man who personified the tough lconic peace-maker of the prairie before his rise to stardom. John Wayne made 80 films in eight years prior to "Stagecoach", and during this time developed the swaying walk and lopsided grin that was to become his trademark. From his first film job as an extra, this programme features many of his early roles.

Long before Hollywood was invented, three Frenchmen pioneered the art of the cinema. As early as 1900, the Lumiere brothers exhibited film on the world’s largest screen to an audience of 25,000 people. The brothers Pathé had branches in London, Moscow, New York and the Far East in the early 1900s. George Melies by accident invented the jump-cut stop-motion transition in the same period. This programme features incredible footage, rarely seen, and some of it hand-coloured. A fascinating insight into the birth of cinema.

This star-studded record of the early Hollywood musicals not only traces the development of sound from the original disc, but also features many Hollywood legends, including Al Jolson, James Cagney, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Betty Grable.

This programmes traces the rise of Hungary’s most noted star, from his struggle to reach the top of the Broadway stage, to his success as Count Dracula and finally to the unfortunate typecasting that led to his demise. With Ralph Bellamy and John Carradine.