{"id":41611,"date":"2015-03-28T01:56:40","date_gmt":"2015-03-28T01:56:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/owegopennysaver.com\/?p=41611"},"modified":"2015-03-30T02:01:19","modified_gmt":"2015-03-30T02:01:19","slug":"tinseltown-talks-documenting-film-legends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2015\/03\/28\/tinseltown-talks-documenting-film-legends\/","title":{"rendered":"Tinseltown Talks – Documenting Film Legends"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Tinseltown<\/a>

Pictured, David Heeley (center) and Joan Kramer (right) with Katharine Hepburn and Susie Tracy prepare to shoot for Spencer Tracy program. (Photos provided by Joan Kramer from her private collection)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Tinseltown<\/a>

David Heeley and Joan Kramer in Jimmy and Gloria Stewart’s Beverly Hills garden, 1986.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Tinseltown<\/a>

David Heeley and Joan Kramer with TCM\u2019s Robert Osborne on March 7 taping for the April 7 broadcast of their five documentaries.<\/p><\/div>\n

On April 7, Turner Classic Movies will present a biography feast for classic film lovers. The five documentaries to be broadcast \u2013 on Jimmy Stewart, Spencer Tracy, Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, and Humphrey Bogart \u2013 were all produced and directed by the Emmy Award-winning duo of Joan Kramer and David Heeley.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re co-hosting the evening with TCM\u2019s Robert Osborne and it coincides with the release of our book, \u2018In the Company of Legends\u2019 in April,\u201d said Kramer from her apartment in New York City.<\/p>\n

Between 1980 and 2005, Kramer and Heeley produced 17 major documentaries for Public Television, ABC News, Turner Entertainment Co., and film studios that featured legends of Hollywood\u2019s Golden Age.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe strived to make the shows look smooth and flawless, but they were never easy to produce,\u201d explained Kramer. \u201cEach had hurdles to overcome and some were almost never made as a result.\u201d<\/p>\n

It began with a pair of 1980 documentaries on Fred Astaire, notorious for torpedoing most attempts to produce tributes about his life.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a public figure, we originally thought we could have gone ahead without his approval, but then discovered that Fred had control over the use of many of the clips from his films,” said Kramer.<\/p>\n

So Kramer and Heeley gently, but resolutely, prodded Astaire who not only relented, but wholly supported the production.<\/p>\n

Their next subject had the potential to be even more daunting \u2013 four-time Oscar winner Katharine Hepburn.<\/p>\n

“She didn’t trust a lot of people and rarely gave interviews. But David called her and by the end of their conversation, she gave him her permission to proceed with the program, although she wouldn’t appear on it. It was the beginning of an 18-year relationship with her.”<\/p>\n

Kramer and Heeley also produced a documentary on Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, as well as deceased stars such as Judy Garland, Errol Flynn and John Garfield. In addition to film clips, their interviews with fellow actors and family members enriched each program.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were honored that these actors and their families trusted us to produce shows that became so personal for them,\u201d said Kramer, who unearthed rare footage seen in many of the documentaries.<\/p>\n

In their upcoming book due for release on April 16, with a Foreword written by Richard Dreyfuss, Kramer and Heeley relive vivid behind-the-scenes memories of their over 25 year partnership in the documentary making business and include many photographs from their personal collections.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of the photos have never been published before,\u201d noted Kramer. \u201cWe got to work with the cream of the crop and won\u2019t see the likes of these actors again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Visit \u201cIn the Company of Legends\u201d Facebook page at www.facebook.com\/SoWhoAreYouGoingToDoNext<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and interviews for over 550 magazines and newspapers. Follow on Twitter @TinseltownTalks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On April 7, Turner Classic Movies will present a biography feast for classic film lovers. 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