Pioneers
- Episode aired Apr 28, 1980
- 52m
IMDb RATING
8.7/10
100
YOUR RATING
Contrary to popular belief, the silent film in general had reached a high state of sophistication by the late 1920s.Contrary to popular belief, the silent film in general had reached a high state of sophistication by the late 1920s.Contrary to popular belief, the silent film in general had reached a high state of sophistication by the late 1920s.
Photos
James Mason
- Self - Narrator
- (voice)
Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson
- Self
- (archive footage)
- Directors
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFilming for this documentary began in the mid 1970s. Among those who either declined to be interviewed, or were scheduled to be interviewed, but canceled at the last minute, included: Myrna Loy, Dolores Del Río, Fay Wray, Richard Arlen, Charles Farrell, Lew Ayres, Alice Terry, Anita Page, Jean Arthur, Beatrice Lillie, Pola Negri, Loretta Young, Walter Pidgeon, Marceline Day, Frank Coghlan Jr., George O'Brien, Lina Basquette, Frankie Darro, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, Virginia Grey, Alice White, Jean Acker, Ernest Morrison, Gilbert Roland, Sally Eilers, Arthur Lake, Nils Asther, Carmel Myers, Baby Peggy (Diana Serra Cary), Noble Johnson, Dorothy Mackaill, Evelyn Brent, Joseph Henabery, George Jessel, Stepin Fetchit (nee Lincoln Perry), Joan Bennett, George K. Arthur, May McAvoy, Barbara Kent, Carolynne Snowden, Doris Kenyon, Sally Blane, Una Merkel, Esther Ralston, and Ricardo Cortez among others. Kevin Brownlow and David Gill reportedly tried to contact Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, and William Powell for interviews, but all could not be reached.
- Quotes
Byron Haskin: [of director Michael Curtiz] He was an acrobat or something from one of those obscure Magyar countries somewhere between Czechoslovakia and Yugoslovakia.
- ConnectionsFeatures Annabelle Sun Dance (1894)
Featured review
Probably my least favorite episode of a brilliant series.
This episode begins with Al Jolson and "The Jazz Singer" and works its way backward in American silent films. I didn't mind this style of doing this, though I was surprised how little attention was actually given to the earliest American films. They were VERY quickly mentioned, as if in passing--so you get almost nothing about the early Edison films as well as many of the other early filmmakers. To me, this is a mistake and the show should have talked MUCH more about these pre-Hollywood American films. After all, American silents did NOT begin in Hollywood and episodes 1 and 2 make you almost think that--or that very, very, very few films were made before filmmakers moved to California. This is NOT the case.
Now that I've completed my rant, I will say that I still thoroughly enjoyed this first episode. Like the rest of the series, I was impressed by the number of clips, interviews and information. Plus, I did appreciate how it talked about the impact of "Birth of Nation" while NOT downplaying what a racist film it was! Well worth seeing-- and the series only gets better!
Now that I've completed my rant, I will say that I still thoroughly enjoyed this first episode. Like the rest of the series, I was impressed by the number of clips, interviews and information. Plus, I did appreciate how it talked about the impact of "Birth of Nation" while NOT downplaying what a racist film it was! Well worth seeing-- and the series only gets better!
helpful•30
- planktonrules
- Oct 11, 2014
Details
- Runtime52 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
Top Gap
What is the broadcast (satellite or terrestrial TV) release date of Pioneers (1980) in Australia?
Answer