The best Lionel Barrymore’s documentary movies

Lionel Barrymore

Lionel Barrymore

28/04/1878- 15/11/1954
We present our ranking of the best Lionel Barrymore’s movies. Do you love cinema? Or are you looking for a movie of your favorite actor to watch tonight? Surely you have some to see or that you did not know yet about Lionel Barrymore.

That's Entertainment!

That's Entertainment!
7.8/10
Various MGM stars from yesterday present their favorite musical moments from the studio's 50 year history.

That's Entertainment, Part II

That's Entertainment, Part II
7.3/10
Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire present more golden moments from the MGM film library, this time including comedy and drama as well as classic musical numbers.

And the Oscar Goes To...

And the Oscar Goes To...
7.1/10
The story of the gold-plated statuette that became the film industry's most coveted prize, AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... traces the history of the Academy itself, which began in 1927 when Louis B. Mayer, then head of MGM, led other prominent members of the industry in forming this professional honorary organization. Two years later the Academy began bestowing awards, which were nicknamed "Oscar," and quickly came to represent the pinnacle of cinematic achievement.

Complicated Women

Complicated Women
7.7/10
A look at actresses who starred in films with thought-provoking subjects made between 1930 and July 1934, before the Hollywood Production Code —the infamous Hays Code— was enforced.

James Stewart's Wonderful Life

James Stewart's Wonderful Life
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 22/11/1988
  • Character: (archive footage)
Documentary about James Stewart's long career as an actor and positive personal life.

Hollywood: Style Center of the World

Hollywood: Style Center of the World
4.9/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 29/05/1940
  • Character: Self
This short promotes the premise that movies often create a demand for the fashions seen in them. It starts with a vignette in rural America. A mother and daughter go to town to buy a new dress. In the dress shop window is a designer dress worn by Joan Crawford in a recent movie. We then go to Hollywood and visit Adrian, MGM's chief of costume design, and see how multiple copies of a single clothing pattern are produced. The film ends with short segments of several MGM features.

A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound

A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound
5.5/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 01/01/1940
  • Character: Self
This short documentary, presented and directed by MGM sound engineer Douglas Shearer, goes behind the scenes to look at how the sound portion of a talking picture is created.

From the Ends of the Earth

From the Ends of the Earth
4.7/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 28/05/1939
  • Character: Self
An MGM short showing how materials are shipped by boat 'From the Ends of the Earth' to Hollywood. Featuring footage from the MGM films being made at the time. Such as The Women, Thunder Afloat, Siren of the Tropics, Ninotchka, Northwest Passage, and At the Circus.

Twenty Years After

Twenty Years After
5.8/10
This short celebrates the 20th anniversary of MGM. Segments are shown from several early hits, then from a number of 1944 releases.

Cavalcade of the Academy Awards

Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
8.5/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 31/07/1940
  • Character: (archive footage)
This 1940 presentation features highlights of earlier (1928 onward) Oscar ceremonies including Shirley Temple and Walt Disney, plus acceptance speeches for films released in 1939 with recipients and presenters including Vivien Leigh, Judy Garland, Hattie McDaniel, Fay Bainter, Mickey Rooney, Thomas Mitchell, Sinclair Lewis, and more, with host Bob Hope.

Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn

Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn
7.8/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 18/08/2015
  • Character: Himself (archive footage)
Documentary looking at the life and career of 1930s film star Leslie Howard. It features exclusive home movie footage, including footage from the Gone with the Wind set. The film includes extensive interviews with Howard's daughter, Leslie Ruth "Doodie" Howard, and contributions from friends and colleagues.

The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story

The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story
6.1/10
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release: 12/03/1951
  • Character: Himself - Giving Introduction
Dore Schary presents clips from upcoming Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films.

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