Rudy Behlmer

Actor

October 13, 1926 (92 years)

† September 27, 2019

San Francisco, California, USA

Biography

Rudy Behlmer (October 13, 1926 – September 27, 2019) was an American film historian and writer. He was an expert in the history and evolution of the motion picture industry. Behlmer began his career with KLAC-TV in Hollywood as a stage manager. At the beginning of the 1960s, Behlmer started researching and writing articles on various aspects of film history. One such project, a career piece on film producer David O. Selznick (Gone with the Wind, Rebecca), led to his book Memo from David O. Selzn…

Filmography

6.8

The Dick Cavett Show

Self - Guest

The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks.

7.5

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

Self

This documentary focuses on 1939, considered to be Hollywood's greatest year, with film clips and insight into what made the year so special.

6.5

A Streetcar in Hollywood

Self

How the play was adapted to Film

6.5

Casablanca: An Unlikely Classic

Self

The behind-the-scenes story of how "Casablanca" became an American film classic.

6.5

Robin Hood: The Myth, the Man, the Movie

Self

U.S. network TV special surveying the history of Robin Hood in popular culture, emphasizing the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves". Interviews with principal cast and crew from that film highlight the special. Pierce Brosnan hosts.

7.7

The Adventures of Errol Flynn

Self - Author and Film Historian

A documentary about the life of Errol Flynn, with recollections from friends and family.

7.0

Embracing Chaos: Making The African Queen

Self

The epic story of how the film The African Queen (1951), directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, was shot on real African locations, barely overcoming all kinds of hardships and disasters.

7.0

Jezebel: Legend of the South

Self

Short documentary about the making of the 1938 film "Jezebel."

5.7

The Universe According to Universal

Narrator

Narrator Rudy Behlmer guides a look through Universal's place in film history as a source of alien visitation, extraterrestrial life, and other Science Fiction staples. The piece further looks at the political and social implications, parallels, and escapism in the movie. The piece spends much of its screen time on how 'It Came From Outer Space' echoed and influenced the genre, its legacy, performances, adherence to Ray Bradbury's source material, 3D photography and presentation, score and effects, and more. This is a quality piece that informs and entertains alike, one that fascinatingly examines the film, and others like it, as both entertainment and echoes of real life.

7.0

Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed

Self - Host

Documentary featured on the Classic Monster Collection and Monster Legacy Collection for The Mummy (1932).

8.0

RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”

Self

The astonishing story of the genesis, production, worldwide success, and legacy of King Kong (1933), directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, a landmark of cinema, one of the most influential motion pictures in history.

7.8

The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird

Self

An appreciation and the story of the making of the 1941 film "The Maltese Falcon."

6.9

Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film

Self

Produced for Turner Classic Movies, this documentary looks at the early days of the gangster film.

6.7

Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul

Self

An insider's account of Jack Warner, a founding father of the American film industry. This feature length documentary provides the rags to riches story of the man whose studio - Warner Bros - created many of Hollywood's most classic films. Includes extensive interviews with family members and friends, film clips, rare home movies and unique location footage.

6.5

A Streetcar on Broadway

Self

Interviews and photos about the play on Broadway

7.7

The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster

Self

The history of Frankenstein's journey from novel to stage to screen to icon.

6.1

Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood

Self

A look at the forces that shaped Pre-Code Hollywood and brought about the strict enforcement of the Hays Code in 1934.

8.0

The Fantasia Legacy: The Concert Feature

Self

Documentary on the making of Walt Disney’s Fantasia.

6.7

Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of

Self

Documentary about the work of film director Michael Curtiz.

N/A

Backstory: 'How Green Was My Valley'

Self

Documentary about how the creative energies of Darryl F. Zanuck and John Ford combined to forge an enduring masterpiece despite the challenges of wartime production.