Life Goes to the Movies (1976 TV Movie) User Reviews

Reminds Us Why We Love Movies

[Lemeritus · 8/10 · 27 October 2010]

I ran across a copy of this special in a box of old recorded-from-television videos and thought I'd give it another viewing before tossing it. For the next 2 1/2 hours, I was enthralled.

I can't think of a beloved movie that was missed and every entry was placed against the backdrop of American history. It's all there -- film noir, cheesy '50s sci-fi, musicals, romance movies, westerns and war films. And there's a special tribute to the touchstone year of movie making: 1939. It ends, of course, in 1972 when Life stopped publishing, but it does a great service to the movies to that point. Well worth the time if you ever have an opportunity to see it.

A lost gem

[writer10-1 · 10/10 · 19 April 2004]

I saw this three-part series on TV when it first aired, with Henry Fonda, Shirley MacLaine, and Liza Minnelli as hosts. Occasionally PBS would re-run it, but it hasn't appeared in years. It's an insightful, poignant, affectionate look at America's love affair with the movies. From Frank Capra to Woody Allen, it spans the decades when some of our greatest actors, directors, and writers were turning out films that would become classics. A shame that you don't see it on cable somewhere -- perhaps Turner Classic Movies or American Movie Classics. More's the pity that it's not available on DVD. If you love movies, cast a vote to bring this documentary back to life.