David Leaf

Director

April 20, 1952 (74 years)

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. David Leaf (born April 20, 1952) is an American writer, producer and director known for documentaries, music programs and pop culture retrospectives. Among his best known documentaries are The Night James Brown Saved Boston (2008), The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006) and Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of SMiLE (2004). He also wrote the landmark Brian Wilson biography The Beach Boys and The California Myth (1978). Description above from the Wiki…

Filmography

8.0

Jack Paar: Smart Television

PBS documentary examining the work of Jack Paar.

6.7

The U.S. vs. John Lennon

A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.

8.0

You Can't Do That! The Making of 'A Hard Day's Night'

Thirty years after A Hard Day's Night, its producer, director, writer and others describe its making. United Artists Records came to Walter Shenson, asking him to produce a movie so UA could issue a soundtrack album. Shenson signed Lester to direct, and they got the Beatles to agree to star. Shenson sent Owen to Dublin to spend time with the Fab Four; from this came a script built around their being prisoners of their own success. Phil Collins, himself an extra on A Hard Day's Night, hosts this examination of a seminal film: what was ad-libbed, why was it a hit, what was its influence on other movies, and how did it define the way the public viewed each Beatle for years to come?

6.6

James Brown - The Night James Brown Saved Boston

On April 5, 1968, soul legend James Brown performed a concert in Boston that many say shielded that city from the kinds of devastating riots that ripped other cities apart after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

7.0

Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile

This film tells (using modern day interviews and archival footage and sound tapes) the story of how in 1967, while his band The Beach Boys triumphantly toured abroad, Brian Wilson was trying to push the boundaries of conventional pop music with a new follow-up to the Beach Boys' cutting-edge mega-hit, Pet Sounds. The new album was to be called "SMiLE". SMiLE pushed the envelope both musically and lyrically, and was supposed to out-do the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper record. But Brian wasn't able to sell the project to his band-mates when they returned. The project was shelved and Wilson's well-documented decline into depression, drug abuse, recluseness, and obesity had begun. Thirty-odd years later, Wilson announced that in 2004, SMiLE would be performed live in its entirety in London. This film tells the story of a damaged but healing artist bringing his greatest work to light.

5.7

The Unknown Marx Brothers

A tribute to the lives and careers of the Marx Brothers utilizing rare archival footage and personal interviews.

10.0

Jonathan Winters: On the Loose

A comic mastermind who influenced generations of comedians, Jonathan Winters has been making audiences laugh for nearly half a century. This retrospective presents rare footage of Winters -- from his first TV series ("The Jonathan Winters Show" in 1956) to appearances on dozens of talk and variety shows and in numerous feature films. Those interviewed include Robin Williams and singer Andy Williams, on whose show Winters was a frequent guest.

8.3

Bee Gees: This Is Where I Came In

This Is Where I Came In is the Bee Gees' 22nd and final studio album (twentieth worldwide), released in 2001. It is the only album of all-new material released by them on the Universal Music label (which had acquired the rights to the group's releases on Polydor Records when they bought that label's parent PolyGram). The album peaked at #6 in the UK, while the single, "This Is Where I Came In", reached #18. In the US, the album peaked at #16. The group appeared on the A&E concert series Live by Request in April, 2001 to promote the new album.

8.2

The Unknown Peter Sellers

Documentary about the life and career of a comic genius, Peter Sellers.

8.0

Dean Martin: That's Amore

Like his fellow Rat Packers, pop crooner Dean Martin was more than just an accomplished singer--he also enjoyed success as a movie star, comedian, and host of a popular television series. THAT'S AMORE pulls rare gems from the Dean Martin archive, carefully compiling the star's greatest pop hits, including "Young and Foolish," "Pennies from Heaven," and of course, "That's Amore."

N/A

Those Were the Days: The Birth of "All in the Family"

DVD featurette documenting the beginnings of "All in the Family"

N/A

The Television Revolution Begins: "All in the Family" Is On the Air

DVD featurette documenting the success of "All in the Family".

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