Turner Classic Movies

The story of the gold-plated statuette that became the film industry's most coveted prize, AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... traces the history of the Academy itself, which began in 1927 when Louis B. Mayer, then head of MGM, led other prominent members of the industry in forming this professional honorary organization. Two years later the Academy began bestowing awards, which were nicknamed "Oscar," and quickly came to represent the pinnacle of cinematic achievement.

A survey of movies about politics, with clips from several films and interviews with filmmakers and actors.

A look at thrillers from all sides, including different types of thrillers and the stylistic tools filmmakers use to give their audiences a shot of adrenaline.

A look at the life and work of legendary film producer Richard D. Zanuck.

Directors Stephen Spielberg, George Lucas, Ridley Scott and James Cameron discuss the science fiction movies of the 1950s that influenced them.

Documentary about the making of Alfred Hitchcock's 1946 film "Notorious."

Samuel Fuller discusses his career as a filmmaker, illustrated by plenty of clips.

From 1915-1939, Frances Marion was one of the most powerful talents in the movie industry. In one of the most liberating eras for women in film, she wrote more than 200 movies and was the world's highest paid screenwriter - man or woman. Kathy Bates gives voice to Marion's words from her letters, diaries, and memoirs. Includes commentary by silent film historian Kevin Brownlow, critic Leonard Maltin, and Marion's celebrated biographer Cari Beauchamp. Current women filmmakers reflect on the legacy left to them by Marion and the pioneering women of early Hollywood.

For 4 decades movie funnyman Gene Wilder has been keeping audiences in stitches with his combination of over-the-top neurosis and sweet vulnerability. Gene sits down with Alec Baldwin for an intimate conversation about matters both professional and personal, including Wilder's first meeting with Mel Brooks, the time Zero Mostel kissed him on the lips just before his audition for Brooks' The Producers, and his marriage to SNL star Gilda Radner.

A reclusive millionaire who owed his fortune to his father, Howard Hughes staked his fame on many things, including his credits as a producer, director and aviator. But he is perhaps best known for his skills as a Casanova, reportedly romancing Jean Harlow, Ginger Rogers, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth and Bette Davis. Actor Billy Zane narrates this documentary, which offers a glimpse of the man behind the glamour.

A rare behind the scenes look at the tragedies and bitter disappointments that plagued one of MGM's most popular leading ladies

A documentary filmography of Howard Hawks, including lengthy footage of Hawks himself discussing his films and many clips from his best-known pictures.

Blonde, beautiful and talented, Marion Davies was the first and funniest screwball comedienne. As star of two of the best comedies ever made, Show People and The Patsy, she combined zany slapstick and exuberant mimicry. Glamorous, witty and kind, both on screen and off, Davies was also famous for her 35-year-long love affair with William Randolph Hearst.

Documentary about filmmaker Budd Boetticher.

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

A reconstruction, made from still photographs, of the lost 1927 Tod Browning film London After Midnight (1927) starring Lon Chaney.

This documentary explores the incredible life of Merian C. Cooper, from his time as a soldier and pilot in three different wars, to his exploits in Hollywood, as a director, producer and cinematic innovator.

Writers of crime fiction and nonfiction discuss influential movies about police officers and the criminal element.

The story of the short film from the beginning of the movies in the 1890s, when all movies were shorts, through the 1950s when short subjects virtually disappeared from theaters.

A TCM original production on why silent movies matter, featuring new interviews with Honorary Academy Award winner Kevin Brownlow, filmmaker Bill Morrison, TCM Silent Sunday Nights host Jacqueline Stewart, and film collector/expert Shane Fleming. They discuss the beauty, cultural importance, and long-standing impact that silent film holds in its celluloid.