For old time classic movie buffs, a film like this is a neat diversion. Where else can you catch so many celebrity faces of an era gone by? In this case it's a whole slew of actors, directors and production folks from the Thirties through the Fifties. The 'home movie' concept was the brainchild of Ken Murray, a would be actor who self deprecatingly calls himself 'a method actor with no method' while showing a quick scene he made with Greta Garbo.
To get an idea of all the celebrities who appear here, one need only take a look at the extensive cast list offered on the IMDb title page for this picture. Sometimes you only get a quick glimpse of a famous star, but there are also longer segments like Dick Powell snagging a two hundred pound marlin and Cary Grant hosting a pool party at his Malibu beach house. Kirk Douglas is featured in a nifty segment from his very first TV appearance on, what else - 'The Ken Murray Show'.
Personal favorites of mine appearing here included Bob Hope, Groucho and Harpo Marx, Cary Grant and in what has to be a rare film moment, Humphrey Bogart sharing a kiss with third wife Mayo Methot. Strangely enough, there's also a snippet featuring Dr. Albert Schweitzer in Africa, one of the handful of non-Hollywood folks who show up.
Capping things off, there's a fairly long segment on famed newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst at his Xanadu-like estate, the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. His private zoo stocking all manner of wildlife from all over the planet was a highlight of the film, showcasing the largest private animal collection in the world. Hearst was also America's greatest art collector with a collection valued at over fifty million dollars. You get the idea that the man had a lot of money.
So this is not the kind of picture one rates for story or cinematic quality; with the myriad of personalities and subjects gracing the fifty minute 'home movie', the value in seeing it lies in catching so many stars in one place at one time. I caught this on the Turner Classic Movie Channel recently, where I also ran across another Ken Murray feature titled "Hollywood My Home Town". If you get the chance, try to sample both.
To get an idea of all the celebrities who appear here, one need only take a look at the extensive cast list offered on the IMDb title page for this picture. Sometimes you only get a quick glimpse of a famous star, but there are also longer segments like Dick Powell snagging a two hundred pound marlin and Cary Grant hosting a pool party at his Malibu beach house. Kirk Douglas is featured in a nifty segment from his very first TV appearance on, what else - 'The Ken Murray Show'.
Personal favorites of mine appearing here included Bob Hope, Groucho and Harpo Marx, Cary Grant and in what has to be a rare film moment, Humphrey Bogart sharing a kiss with third wife Mayo Methot. Strangely enough, there's also a snippet featuring Dr. Albert Schweitzer in Africa, one of the handful of non-Hollywood folks who show up.
Capping things off, there's a fairly long segment on famed newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst at his Xanadu-like estate, the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. His private zoo stocking all manner of wildlife from all over the planet was a highlight of the film, showcasing the largest private animal collection in the world. Hearst was also America's greatest art collector with a collection valued at over fifty million dollars. You get the idea that the man had a lot of money.
So this is not the kind of picture one rates for story or cinematic quality; with the myriad of personalities and subjects gracing the fifty minute 'home movie', the value in seeing it lies in catching so many stars in one place at one time. I caught this on the Turner Classic Movie Channel recently, where I also ran across another Ken Murray feature titled "Hollywood My Home Town". If you get the chance, try to sample both.