Hollywood My Hometown

Ken Murray arrived in Hollywood in 1927 and began making home movies of the stars from almost the moment he stepped off the train. In between acting and producing jobs over the course of nearly four decades, he captured the kings and queens of the screen au naturel, providing a rare personal glimpse of the most famous small town in America. Columbia Pictures first brought his short, silent films to the public in the '30s in a series of short "Screen Snapshots." In the '60s, NBC used them as filler when prime-time movies ran short, with Murray narrating the footage. Finally, in 1963 he compiled the films into Hollywood Without Make-Up, the first in a series of documentaries. Among the highlights in this compilation are Charlie Chaplin trying to ride a trick bicycle, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks at their legendary home, Pickfair, Jayne Mansfield cavorting in the swimming pool with her children, Bob Hope, Jean Harlow and John Barrymore playing golf and Bing Crosby playing softball with his three sons. More than 60 film greats, from silent legends like Lew Cody and Viola Dana, to '60s pop stars like Pat Boone are featured in this behind-the-scenes history of the film capital.

By Frank Miller