Intimate and compelling documentary on the life and career of Leslie Howard (1893-1943)Intimate and compelling documentary on the life and career of Leslie Howard (1893-1943)Intimate and compelling documentary on the life and career of Leslie Howard (1893-1943)
Nick Cull
- Self - Interviewee
- (as Professor Nicholas Cull)
Doug Wheeler
- Self - Interviewee
- (as Professor Douglas Wheeler)
Olivia de Havilland
- Self
- (archive footage)
Sidney Franklin
- Self
- (archive sound)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaNarrator, host, and producer Derek Partridge had, at the age of 7, given up his seat to actor Leslie Howard for the ill-fated Flight 777.
- Quotes
Self - Interviewee: Broadway is full of Hollywood Producers trying to find this next generation of stars who will be able to replace the ones who can't speak for themselves in silent cinema - the ones whose voices don't match their faces. So, from the moment that Al Jolson sings, then, that's a very good time to be performing the lead in a play on Broadway; because, the audience is full of talent scouts waiting to put you on the 20th Century ship you West.
- Crazy creditsMonty Montgomery's services courtesy of Sparrows and Hawks
- ConnectionsFeatures Outward Bound (1930)
Featured review
l howard
I started this documentary mildly interested in its subject. About halfway through, though, I became quite taken with the subject's daughter who, as depicted onscreen, was a tough, clear eyed but not insensitive old gal, certainly fond of her dad and admiring of his virtues but able, as a previous reviewer stated, to see his flaws. Chief among these was serial adultery which, in Howard's case, included using his daughter as a deux ex machina to break up with Merle Oberon, a stunt that I would place somewhere between weak and appalling. In addition to chronic philandering there was a failing I noticed that seemed to escape the daughter, namely a supercilious attitude toward Hollywood which went something like this: "If I must endure the vulgarians on the coast then I will at least be compensated with lots of weekends at San Simeon". This is doubly snobby in that Howard feels superior to both the American film industry as a whole and to all the American film industry boobs who can't crack the A list.
Howard's good points, however, chiefly his anti Nazi patriotism and courage in wartime, along with solid craftsmanship as an actor, clearly more than balance the shortcomings and, as filtered through the charming, intelligent and acerbic eyes of his daughter, make this documentary's subject a beguiling combination of good and not so good. Is there any greatness in the mix? Not in my opinion, but you might have a different view. Give it a B.
PS...Big dropoff in talking head quality from Leslie Ruth to Howard's son, as well as various film historians and biographers.
Howard's good points, however, chiefly his anti Nazi patriotism and courage in wartime, along with solid craftsmanship as an actor, clearly more than balance the shortcomings and, as filtered through the charming, intelligent and acerbic eyes of his daughter, make this documentary's subject a beguiling combination of good and not so good. Is there any greatness in the mix? Not in my opinion, but you might have a different view. Give it a B.
PS...Big dropoff in talking head quality from Leslie Ruth to Howard's son, as well as various film historians and biographers.
helpful•00
- mossgrymk
- Jan 9, 2023
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Leslie Howard: A Quite Remarkable Life
- Filming locations
- Dorking, Surrey, England, UK(Stowe Maries, Leslie Howard's home)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- £220,000 (estimated)
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Top Gap
By what name was Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn (2016) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer