James Hill
2021Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero
Gene Feldman, Suzette Winter
Gary Cooper, Maria Cooper Janis
Known for his personification of the Western Hero, it was Montana-born Cooper's horse-riding skills that first brought him bit parts in movies. And he never lost his love of the great American outdoors. Though he rarely played a villain and was an adept comedian, Cooper is best remembered for his strong, silent heroes. With his lanky countryboy looks and shy hesitancy he created a unique screen presence, though his real life was one of sophisticated elegance. Over 100 movies brought him three Academy Award Nominations and two Academy Awards. Cooper's most memorable films include A Farewell to Arms, Mr. Deeds Goes To Town, Meet John Doe, The Pride of the Yankees and High Noon. Daughter Maria Cooper Janis and actors George C. Scott, Charlton Heston, Patricia Neal and Joan Leslie are among those appearing in this profile of one of Hollywood's greatest stars.
Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero
Burt Lancaster: Daring to Reach
Gene Feldman
Burt Lancaster, Jeff Corey
Born November 2, 1913, he went from street-wise tough to art-collector liberal-activist, from circus-acrobat hunk to Academy Award winner. Burton Stephen Lancaster - later Burt Lancaster - was one of five children of a New York City postal worker. Burt recalled family life as warm and mutually supportive. At the Union Settlement House, he and boyhood friend Nick Cravat formed an acrobatic team. By eighteen, Burt was 6'2" and blessed with the athletic physique and dynamic good looks that helped make him famous. A basketball scholarship was not enough to keep him in NYU beyond his sophomore year. That's when he and the 5'2" Cravat joined a circus, earning $3 weekly between them. A stint in the Army introduced Burt to acting and led him to Hollywood where his first release, The Killers (1946), propelled him to stardom at age 32. He took control of his own career and seldom faltered.
Burt Lancaster: Daring to Reach
