ptb-8 This is a very good documentary and I strongly believe anyone who is remotely interested in live and musical theater, and the who's who of American theatrics will lap it up with glee. Great interviews with possibly everyone you might want to see (preserved and lucid) as well as incredible footage of the relevant past. It is the old footage that for me is the riveting charm of such a doco and it is as delightful as it is startling. The roll call of those recently departed is a touching climax to what has already been a most heartfelt experience. If you have relatives or friends who know of even a few of the astonishing talented genuine human beings celebrated here it will be one of the major highlights of your shared film viewing. I saw this doco as a cinema film and it truly is captivating and astonishing. If only we can have more of this type of doco capturing those who were there in those legendary times, I believe there is a solid and appreciative audience. Don't miss this!

jotix100 Rick McKay is an invaluable source when it comes to what theater is all about. His other documentary, Elaine Stritch at Liberty, was excellent. In this new work, instead of concentrating on a single performer, he explores the best years of Broadway and the commercial theater during the era when it was at its peak.The strength of the film is the intimacy one feels whenever the stars, being interviewed, speak directly to the camera, and thus to us. It's just as if these performers are telling us their secrets. There is an immediacy that no other documentary on the subject ever projected before.In a way it is a world that is no longer here. The fact is that not only it's almost prohibitive to go to the Broadway theater, but it's also about the quality of what's being shown these days. When ticket prices for musicals go over $100.00, producers can only bring to the stage only those shows that might prove to be money makers. Then, of course, there is no guarantee for commercial success.Sadly, most so called stars working in musicals these days have no voices to fill a theater. Since everything is amplified, it's as though one is listening to the cast album of the show, not to a live performance. These days producers will import a Hollywood star to do a musical for the name and possible revenue that will be generated, rather than for artistic merit.It was delightful to hear actors talking about their peers. How a Laurette Taylor, a Marlon Brando, a Kim Stanley, were admired for their talent as well as for the integrity they brought to each performance. Since theater happens whenever actors are on a stage, most of the last century's historical performances can't be appreciated because they weren't done in front of a camera.This film is a must see for theater enthusiasts.

mrichards2004 Saw this film recently in a festival and thought, "Thank God for festivals, for where else would I ever see this film?!" But, the filmmaker did an interview with the audience afterwards and said that a distribution company has taken the film and it is going to open in theaters around the country this summer. What great news!This is a movie every young person should see who likes movies, tv or theater. It is so inspiring and it truly captures the brilliance of great actors, singers, writers and composers. I always thought the world would continue to create great creative geniuses who came to places like New York and made history, but it doesn't seem to be any more. Much like the people in this film, "I thought it would go on forever."But, this movie makes me feel optimistic again because any time you see something this powerful (and this is a powerful movie) I begin to believe again in the hope of great art, whether on stage or film or tv or maybe the next era is digital video. Who knows? But, run don't walk to see this movie if it opens anywhere near you!

hoorayforindyhollywood I just saw this movie last week on the Floating Film Festival where top critics are all on a cruise ship and as we sail they present the films that they love to the audience. Roger Ebert, Richard Corliss (Time), etc. This one was presented by Kathleen Carrol from the New York Daily News and boy was she popular after she showed this film!The ship projectionist screwed up the film and when they first showed it they could only show 20 minutes and the projector broke. What a crazed audience! Everyone was dying to see what happened. Well, by the time they got it fixed and showed the full film later in the week the anticipation was impossibly high, what with the word of mouth and all! But, the film completely lived up to it!It was introduced as a documentary, but it was more like time travel where you see 100 different great stars (Shirley MacLaine, Angela Lansbury, Carol Burnett, Ben Gazzara, Stephen Sondheim, Martin Landau, Kaye Ballard and Alec Baldwin and a lot more) all talk about struggling and coming to New York City to follow a dream. Well, in fiction you would never believe a movie that had 100 people whose dreams all come true - but this one - reality - it did happen. It was really inspiring to me and to the rest of the audience!And the old footage of New York! Times Square in the 40's! It really was a trip back in time to a bygone time that I am too young to have ever lived through! And the performances! A woman I had never heard of named Loretta Taylor who almost everybody in the film said changed their lives. And then the filmmaker found footage of her that he got in the film. Just beautiful. The original stars of "West Side Story" singing live - not dubbed like in the movie. And Bob Fosse dancing - with his wife Gwen Verdon. Ohmigod. Carol Hanie in "Steam Heat" - Marlon Brando in "A STreetcar Named Desire" - on and on. I have never seen a really passionate story about following dreams, New York, time travel and great peformances all combined in one film. AS much as it made me sorry I had missed this era on Broadway (Cats?! Les Miserable?! NO thanks!) it made me really love film even more to realize that one guy (the director) could make this movie alone. The critic who introduced the film talked about him and it is amazing that he shot it and edited it and directed it all alone and if he hadn't we would never have this movie. PBS does nice documentaries (Baseball, Civil War, NYC, Jazz, etc.) but they are always scholarly and have an "educational" feel. THIS did not. It was intelligent and passionate and had a REAL PERSON narrating it, not a disembodied, stentorian voice, and you really felt like someone was guiding, or walking you through this trip back in time.Am I going on a bit? Yes I am! The most wonderful news is that we were told that the film is opening in movie theaters around the country this summer so everyone can see it. And also exciting is that the DVD has even MORE of this same. I can't wait. Everyone on the ship was asking for it all week. Bravo. Movies like this are why I love independent film!