Kevin BrownlowFilmography

I'm Kong: The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper

Crew: Director

Cecil B. DeMille: American Epic

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Legendary film preservationist Kevin Brownlow (infamous for his 1982 restoration of Abel Gance's Napoléon) and Patrick Stanbury co-helm the affectionate cinematic homage Cecil B. DeMille: American Epic. As narrated by Kenneth Branagh, this documentary explores the life, legacy, and cultural Read More

So Funny It Hurt: Buster Keaton at MGM

Crew: Director

Actors: James Karen, Buster Keaton

The Cinerama Adventure

Actors: Debbie Reynolds, Carroll Baker, Eli Wallach, Russ Tamblyn, Leonard Maltin

The Tramp and the Dictator

Crew: Director

Actors: Walter Bernstein, Ray Bradbury, Sydney Chaplin, Al Hirschfeld, Stanley Kauffmann

Synopsis: One of the most compelling strokes of fate in the past millenium is the fact that the 20th century's most hated dictator and most beloved film comedian were born within four days of each other in 1889. Although Adolf Hitler probably never gave Charlie Chaplin a second thought during his rise to Read More

Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces

Crew: Director, Editor

Actors: Kenneth Branagh

Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood

Synopsis: Though there may have been an unofficial glass ceiling for most women in the motion picture industry of the 1920s and 1930s, for many years the most successful and highest-paid screenwriter in Hollywood was a former actress named Frances Marion. Born in 1899, Marion entered the fledgling movie Read More

The Race to Save 100 Years

Actors: Martin Scorsese, Kevin Brownlow, Robert L. Rosen, Mary Lea Bandy, James H. Billington

Synopsis: Peter Brooks narrates this documentary on film preservation, covering the replacement of nitrate film by safety film, fading colors, and various problems faced by archivists such as Robert Rosen (UCLA Film & Television Archive) and Mary Lea Bandy (MOMA). Clips show restoration efforts on Meet Me in St. Louis, Read More

Universal Horror

Crew: Director, Editor

Actors: Kenneth Branagh, Forrest J. Ackerman, Turhan Bey, Ray Bradbury, Jim Curtis

Synopsis: Assembled by film historian Kevin Brownlow and narrated by actor Kenneth Branagh, this 90-minute special celebrates the classic horror films that emanated from Hollywood's Universal Studios. Beginning with such silent classics as The Phantom of the Opera and The Cat and the Canary, Universal went Read More

Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood, Part 2 - Art's Promised Land

Crew: Producer

Synopsis: Hollywood has long been revered as the mecca of the movie world, and many people have forgotten -- if they ever knew -- that a thriving cinema scene developed in Europe during the great silent film era. British film historians Kevin Brownlow and David Gill, who years ago made a comprehensive Read More

Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood, Part 1 - Where it All Began

Crew: Producer

Synopsis: Hollywood has long been revered as the mecca of the movie world, and many people have forgotten -- if they ever knew -- that a thriving cinema scene developed in Europe during the great silent film era. British film historians Kevin Brownlow and David Gill, who years ago made a comprehensive Read More

Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood, Part 6 - End of an Era

Crew: Producer

Synopsis: Hollywood has long been revered as the mecca of the movie world, and many people have forgotten -- if they ever knew -- that a thriving cinema scene developed in Europe during the great silent film era. British film historians Kevin Brownlow and David Gill, who years ago made a comprehensive Read More

Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood, Part 5 - Opportunity Lost

Crew: Producer

Synopsis: Hollywood has long been revered as the mecca of the movie world, and many people have forgotten -- if they ever knew -- that a thriving cinema scene developed in Europe during the great silent film era. British film historians Kevin Brownlow and David Gill, who years ago made a comprehensive Read More

Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood, Part 4 - The Music of Light

Crew: Producer

Synopsis: Hollywood has long been revered as the mecca of the movie world, and many people have forgotten -- if they ever knew -- that a thriving cinema scene developed in Europe during the great silent film era. British film historians Kevin Brownlow and David Gill, who years ago made a comprehensive Read More

Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood, Part 3 - The Unchained Camera

Crew: Producer

Synopsis: Hollywood has long been revered as the mecca of the movie world, and many people have forgotten -- if they ever knew -- that a thriving cinema scene developed in Europe during the great silent film era. British film historians Kevin Brownlow and David Gill, who years ago made a comprehensive Read More

D.W. Griffith: Father of Film

Crew: Director, Producer, Screenwriter

Synopsis: Two of the most renowned film historian-archivists, Kevin Brownlow (Abel Gance's Napoleon) and David Gill, team up for this epic three-part documentary on the rise and fall of David Wark "D.W." Griffith, still widely regarded by many as the most brilliant and intuitive filmmaker in modern history. Read More

Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow, Vol. 3 - A Genius Recognized

Crew: Director

Synopsis: The final part of this series deals with Buster Keaton's triumphant return to the movies. ~ All Movie Guide Read More

Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius

Crew: Director

Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow [TV Documentary Series]

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Originally telecast on PBS as a three-part American Masters presentation, Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow uses film clips and interviews to trace the life and career of legendary comedian Buster Keaton (1895-1966). Born into a family of vaudevillians, Keaton entered films as a member of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle Read More

Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow, Vol. 2 - A Star Without a Studio

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Part two of the series deals with what happens to Buster Keaton once he becomes embroiled in a bad studio contract situation. ~ All Movie Guide Read More

Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow, Vol. 1 - From Vaudeville to Movies

Crew: Director

Synopsis: This first part of the series covers the early portion of Buster Keaton's career. ~ All Movie Guide Read More

Hollywood

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Produced for Britain's Thames television in 1979, Hollywood is a 13-part overview of the silent film era, lovingly assembled by historian Kevin Brownlow and David Gill. Each episode runs one hour, and each concentrates on a separate aspect of the art of the silent cinema. Chapter titles include Read More

No Surrender

Crew: Editor

Actors: Michael Angelis, Avis Bunnage, J.G. Devlin, James Ellis, Tom Georgeson

Synopsis: A moribund nightclub on the fringes of Liverpool's sprawl is the primary setting for this frenetic, dark, and confusing comedy done in a heavy regional "dialect" by director Peter Smith. Set on New Year's Eve, the film chronicles the rivalry between elderly Irish Catholic and Protestant attendees Read More

Unknown Chaplin [Documentary Series]

Crew: Producer, Screenwriter

Actors: Virginia Cherrill, Georgia Hale, Alistair Cooke, Lita Grey Chaplin

Synopsis: The Charlie Chaplin outtakes in this documentary that was first shown at the 1983 Venice film festival kept the audience at that time laughing -- and hoping that similar finds might be made in the future. In Part I, takes from the years 1916-17 are shown including variations on a theme in The Read More

Unknown Chaplin: Hidden Treasures

Crew: Director

Synopsis: This three part documentary offers interesting insight into the artistry of comedian Charles Chaplin between the years 1916-31. This part presents rare film clips from Chaplin's home movies, outtakes, and segments of projects that were later abandoned. The program includes excerpts from City Read More

Unknown Chaplin: My Happiest Years

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Narrated by the incomparable James Mason and co-directed by David Gill and Kevin Brownlow, this documentary features rare behind-the-scenes footage of the great filmmaker and comic actor Charles Chaplin at work creating his films. The program offers commentary and interviews with numerous people Read More

Unknown Chaplin: The Great Director

Crew: Director

Synopsis: The second volume in a three-part series on the life and career of legendary director Charlie Chaplin. Unknown Chaplin, Vol. 2: The Director focuses on the heart of his directorial heyday and his development into one of the most successful and respected movie directors of all time. The video Read More

Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, Vol. 4 - Hollywood Goes to War

Crew: Director

Synopsis: This nostalgic video uses five short films to look back at Hollywood's efforts to bolster both overseas G.I.s and the folks back home during WW II. Each of the five shorts features an all-star cast doing things to cheer people up during a difficult time. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide Read More

Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, Vol. 5 - Hazard of the Game

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Hollywood's silent screen era is captured in this 13 volume series as narrated by James Mason. Volume 5 discloses the stuntmen's secrets of the trade. ~ All Movie Guide Read More

Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, Vol. 6 - Swanson & Valentino

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Hollywood's silent screen era is captured in this 13 volume series as narrated by James Mason. Volume 6 profiles Swanson and Valentino, 2 silent film greats. ~ All Movie Guide Read More

Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, Vol. 3 - Single Beds and Double Standards

Crew: Director

Synopsis: This documentary is part of a 13 video series collection that looks at the history of Hollywood. Hollywood 3 is a celebration of how Hollywood grew into an industry and the people who shaped its personality. Hear about the memorable performers who made Hollywood famous. Some of the talented Read More

Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, Vol. 13 - End of an Era

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Silent films were once thought of as a technological wonder, but advances in film science soon followed with "talkies." Movies began being filmed with sound starting with The Jazz Singer in 1927. Many actors and actresses of the time feared that their speaking voices might cause them to lose favor Read More

Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, Vol. 1 - The Pioneers

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, Vol. 1 -- The Pioneers is this first installment in the documentary miniseries directed by Kevin Brownlow. Produced by Thames Television in the U.K., the 13-part series was broadcast on HBO in 1980. This volume focuses on the penny arcades and Read More

Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, Vol. 2 - In the Beginning

Crew: Director

Synopsis: This documentary is part of a 13 video series collection that looks at the history of Hollywood. It is a step back in time to see how it all began from its silent screen beginnings and a celebration of how Hollywood grew into an industry. See the people who shaped Hollywoods fasinating and Read More

Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, Vol. 7 - The Autocrats

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Hollywood's silent screen era is captured in this 13 volume series as narrated by James Mason. Volume 7 compares and contrasts directors De Mille and Von Stroheim. ~ All Movie Guide Read More

Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, Vol. 10 - The Man with the Megaphone

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Brought to video by broadcast giant HBO, this tenth entry from the Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film series, Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, Vol. 10 - The Man with the Megaphone is a close-up of silent-film directors and the art they created. A celebration Read More

Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, Vol. 11 - Trick of the Light

Crew: Director

Synopsis: In this episode of Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, viewers are introduced to the critical role played by cameramen in the early days of American cinema. In a time when technology was still primitive, motion picture photography was as much art as science, and this documentary Read More

Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, Vol. 12 - Star Treatment

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Hollywood's silent screen era is captured in this 13 volume series as narrated by James Mason. Volume 12 plays tribute to the era's greats, Clara Bow, Lillian Gish and John Gilbert. ~ All Movie Guide Read More

Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, Vol. 8 - Comedy - A Serious Business

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, Vol. 8 -- Comedy, A Serious Business is this eighth installment in the documentary miniseries directed by Kevin Brownlow. Produced by Thames Television in the U.K., the 13-part series was broadcast on HBO in 1980. This volume focuses on Read More

Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, Vol. 9 - Out West

Crew: Director

Synopsis: This series segment looks at how William Cody was portrayed in The Life of Buffalo Bill, in 1913 and at the enduring popularity of Tom Mix. In addition to footage from various films, the show also includes interviews with such individuals as John Wayne Colonel Tim McCoy and Yakima Canutt. Others Read More

Winstanley

Crew: Director, Producer, Screenwriter

Actors: Miles Halliwell

Synopsis: Winstanley is the dramatized history of a Reformation-era religious sect called the Diggers. A nonviolent aggregation, the Diggers are devoted to tilling the soil that has been neglected by the British bluebloods. It isn't long before the landowners send their minions to burn out and kill the Read More

The Charge of the Light Brigade

Crew: Editor

Actors: Trevor Howard, Vanessa Redgrave, John Gielgud, Harry Andrews, Jill Bennett

Synopsis: During the ill-fated charge of British troops at Balaclava in the Crimean War, loyal soldiers who blindly followed orders were led to certain death. This is the fifth time the story has been told on film, but the actual event is an afterthought to the main plot. Snobbish aristocrats and Read More

Millay at Steepletop

Crew: Director

Synopsis: This documentary takes the viewer to Steepletop, the 700-acre farm in upstate New York, where Edna St. Vincent Millay lived with her husband. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author is shown in the serene landscape that she loved, and which informed and inspired her poetry. The beauty of the countryside Read More

It Happened Here

Crew: Cinematographer, Director, Editor, Producer, Screenwriter

Actors: Pauline Murray, Sebastian Shaw, Nicolette Bernard, Bart Allison, Stella Kemball, Fiona Leland

Synopsis: Fledgling filmmaker (and future film historian) Kevin Brownlow worked in collaboration with Andrew Mollo for nearly ten years to create It Happened Here. Shot on 16-millimeter stock in stark quasi-documentary fashion, the film is predicated on the postulation that Germany had invaded--and Read More

The Cat and the Canary

Crew: Producer

Actors: Laura La Plante, Creighton Hale, Forrest Stanley, Tully Marshall, Gertrude Astor

Synopsis: Frank Willard's barn-storming stage melodrama Cat and the Canary was filmed four times over a fifty-year period. This silent 1927 version stars Laura LaPlante as one of several potential heirs to a huge fortune. Brought to a foreboding mansion on the 20th anniversary of their eccentric Read More

How to Make Movies

Crew: Editor

Synopsis: In this comedy documentary begun during the construction of his new studios in 1917, and continued after its completion, Charlie Chaplin gives us a look, however staged, inside the Chaplin workplace. Although never completed by Chaplin, who wanted to use it to help fulfill his First National Read More