Ken Murray hosts this made-for-TV special and narrates many clips from his home movies of Hollywood, spanning the year 1927 to the early 1960s. (Note that these home movies are silent, and Ken's narration is a voice-over.) You'll see clips of some stars at home, including Robert Cummings swimming with his toddler daughter in their swimming pool, and Jayne Mansfield at home with her husband and children. Ken also shows clips from his vacation in Montana with Glenn Ford, Charles Ruggles, and Van Heflin. You will see Bob Hope in several separate clips, including one with him on the golf course. There's also clips of Bing Crosby playing baseball on an empty sandlot with his three sons. Ken includes some good footage of Sunset Boulevard, Paramount Studios, and Hollywood Boulevard. I also enjoyed seeing clips from a celebrity baseball game used to raise funds during WWII. Other classic stars featured in short clips include Jane Russell, Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, Frank Capra, Hope Lange, W.C. Fields, Charlie Chaplin, Elizabeth Taylor, John Barrymore, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Thomas Mitchell, and others. This hour-long presentation is a cute, nostalgic, and "happy" glimpse at the old studio days of Hollywood. It's completely clean and positive, with no gossip thrown in. Turner Classic Movies shows this documentary at times, and you'll probably enjoy watching it if you love classic film stars.
Review of Hollywood My Home Town
