The Lady with the Torch

Lady with the Torch, The (1999)

*** (out of 4)

Glenn Close hosts this documentary that celebrates the 75th Anniversary of Columbia Pictures. Hundreds of movie clips are shown from the silent era all the way up to the 1999 release date so if you're interested in the history of the studio then this is a great way to get some ideas about how the studio started and their biggest achievements. It also shows us how many of Columbia's big films still aren't on DVD as of this date. That said, I think there are a few too many clips shown and not enough information given. The silent era is pretty much jumped over and goes directly into the Frank Capra era of the studio. This Capra era gets a lot of time, which is certainly fair considering how critically loved his films are. The documentary also covers times during the 1970s when the studio almost went out of business and how they got back into the game.

A loosely structured chronological overview of the history of Columbia Pictures, upon the occasion of its 75th anniversary as a movie studio. Hosted by Glenn Close, this is on the fluffy side, but it's a decent piece of nostalgia.