Hollywood Backstage Online

I first saw Hollywood Backstage in the mid 1990's on American Movie Classics channel, before they sadly changed their format. Hollywood Backstage was a syndicated television series that followed the comings and goings of Hollywood's brightest stars such Katherine Hepburn, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Natalie Wood, Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda, Robert Redford, Groucho Marx,as well as movie executives like Jack Warner, Warner Brothers Pictures to name a few.

Hollywood Backstage was the Entertainment Tonight of the 1960's. The series happened to film the real life heroics of Steve McQueen putting out a fire that had erupted at 20th Century Fox studios during the premiere of his film Nevada Smith(1966). Hollywood Backstage probably would have lasted longer, I don't think the public was ready to see the excitement of movie premieres, celebrity golf tournaments, award ceremonies, celebrity car races, and celebrity charities during the turbulent 60's.

Hollywood Backstage makes an excellent period piece now, for it showed the innocence of a town (Hollywood) whose innocence vanished in the 1970's. I rate this television series **** stars/excellent. Someone should write American Movie Classics and ask them to run the show again.

I agree with the previous post. This was the ET or Insider of the 60's. These are rare 'backstage' moments of Hollywood. I never knew AMC was broadcasting these in the late 90's until one night I tuned into an episode at the 1966 Academy Awards. Thank goodness I had the VCR handy! It is one of my favorite tapes. Someone should get the rights and run it again. Perhaps add the old David Wolper show "Hollywood and the Stars" too. These are treasures of Hollwood history and should be seen and preserved. It's also too bad that AMC moved from being a great TV station honoring 'classic' films to just another commercial wasteland of a cable station! It is mourned. Long live TCM!