Animal House became the most successful comedy of all time. ibid.
For Saturday Night Live he [Belushi] had devised the Blues Brothers – their records sold millions: The Blues Brothers: a musical with crazy car chases. The film cost $27 million … A triumphant return for John. But shooting was overshadowed by Belushi’s alcohol and drug excesses. ibid.
Shot, stabbed, massacred: In the months it took place to find the murderers, fear and panic spread. Four members of the so-called Manson Family were arrested, convicted and sentenced. Driven into a homicidal frenzy by the crude apocalyptic visions of their guru Charles Manson, they had committed this appalling crime and others. Too Young to Die s1e4: Sharon Tate
Charles Manson became an evil icon of the twentieth century. The man with a long criminal record who could hardly read or write and who saw himself as Jesus and Satan in one person still has followers today. ibid.
London had a new celebrity romance … The couple [Tate & Polanski] were a sensation … They ignored conventions and enjoyed life. ibid.
Sharon’s next roll earned her a Golden Globe nomination: Valley of the Dolls. ibid.
The 13 Chairs was a highly promising comedy to be filmed in London and in Rome. ibid.
She was set on having the baby at home. ibid. director
Early morning on 29 November 1981: Actress Natalie Wood was found dead today. Her body was discovered fully clothed in the waters off Catalina Island. Too Young to Die s1e5: Natalie Wood
It was the death of an actress who even as a little girl had given the term ‘child star’ a new meaning. ibid.
The death of Natalie Wood is one of Hollywood’s great mysteries. ibid.
‘God created my daughter. But I made her.’ ibid. mother
Natalie took refuge in a dream world. She fell for a handsome film actor eight years her senior: Robert Wagner. ibid.
In those years Natalie Wood belonged to everyone … except herself. ibid.
Natalie was nominated for an Oscar and signed an exclusive contract with Warner Brothers. ibid.
Hollywood loved Natalie and Natalie loved her life as an actress. ibid.
The two led a life in the public spotlight. ibid.
Who was River Phoenix? … the reluctant star. River grew up with four siblings … David Berg was the founder of a Christian sect known as the Children of God. John and Arlyn were sent by the sect to Venezuela. Too Young to Die s1e6: River Phoenix
The talented River was soon getting work … Stand By Me made River Phoenix a star … He was repeatedly voted the world’s favourite TV star. ibid.
Running on Empty made River Phoenix the most promising star of his generation. ibid.
River Phoenix won the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival. As an actor he had scaled the heights. ibid.
Dark Blood was River’s last film, shot in the mountains of Utah. ibid.
On 31st October 1993 River Phoenix died of a mixture of heroin and cocaine. ibid.
Judy Garland was born Frances Gumm in 1922. Her life was marked by triumphs and tragedies. She was a Hollywood star, a goddess on stage, and the most famous drug addict of her day. Too Young to Die s1e7: Judy Garland
‘The Wizard of Oz has been seen by more people than any other movie in history.’ ibid. biographer
‘She needed to take off weight and they did that with pills. It was some kind of speed that she took.’ ibid. personal assistant
Within fifteen years Judy Garland made over thirty films. She was the most commercially successful star of her time. ibid.
On 22nd June 1969 Judy Garland died in London of an overdose of tablets. She was 47 years old. Her body was flown to New York for the funeral. ibid.
He was a star who didn’t want to be, certainly not one from Hollywood. He wanted to be an actor pure and simple: an actor from New York. Philip Seymour Hoffman refused to be typecast. He seemed to fit every film perfectly. Too Young to Die s1e8: Philip Seymour Hoffman
‘A truly kind wonderful man and one of our greatest actors – ever.’ ibid. Mia Farrow tweet
The news of Philip Hoffman’s death in February 2014 hit an exceptional number of people exceptionally hard. ibid.
‘The greatest character actor of his generation.’ ibid. Jack Garner, film critic
He demonstrated his versatility in over fifty films; he was nominated for an Oscar four times, and was awarded one. He appeared in the theatre on Broadway and off of Broadway and was regarded as one of the top stage actors. ibid.
He was found dead in his apartment from an overdose of heroin. ibid.
He blurred the boundaries between Fiction and Reality. He made only one single Hollywood film and yet he revolutionised the action-film genre. A martial artist whose principle asset was his body. He braved prejudice and racism, and made it from Chinese underdog to the first Asiatic world star. When he died in 1973 at the age of 32, millions of people around the world mourned the passing of Bruce Lee, the star and the man. Too Young to Die s1e9: Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee and his legacy are now part of our culture. ibid.
All of these people credit Karen as a pioneer … They would describe her are looking like the winner of a baking contest. Too Young to Die: Karen Carpenter, biographer, Sky Arts 2022
Karen Carpenter was born in New Haven Connecticut in 1950, three years after her brother Richard. ibid.
1970: The Carpenters had made it right to the top. ibid.
It’s lonely at the top: Karen struggled with her eating disorder and Richard had problems too: he went into rehab for his prescription drug addiction. ibid.
Karen had therapy sessions five days a week for months on end. ibid.
Meeting Gobachev by a German is burdened by History. The Nazi invasion left Russia a devastated country with some 25 million dead. Mikhail Gorbachev witnessed the war as an adolescent. Meeting Gorbachev, Werner Herzog reporting, Sky Documentaries 2020
He was 87 years now … [born] 1931 as the son of peasants … All of his family has been laid to rest … He lived much of his time with his maternal grandparents who treated him with tenderness. ibid.
‘I entered politics in my final year of school. That’s when I joined the communist party.’ ibid. Gorbachev
‘He proposed, as we all remember, Perestroika and Glasnost. He really believed that he could reform communism.’ ibid. Lech Walesa
‘The proposals to end the Cold War first came from the Soviet Union.’ ibid. Gorbachev
‘I still believe we need to keep moving forward, and rid the world of nuclear weapons – just as Reagan and I proposed.’ ibid.
‘We were able to eliminate an entire class of nuclear weapons … I believe we can resume our cooperation and nuclear disarmament.’ ibid.
‘Some people were in a rush. They wanted to seize power and they had plans of their own.’ ibid.
Thomas Edward Lawrence: The brilliant British army officer depicted in these exhilarating moments from the movie classic Lawrence of Arabia. He is seen as a military visionary who led an Arab uprising and changed the world for ever. But Lawrence is one of the most enigmatic figures of the 20th century. Was he a man simply running from his past? A man tormented by doubts about his identity. How much was Lawrence driven by escapist fantasy? His journey took him into the heart of the Middle East, transformed by monumental forces. A lifetime of guilt was Lawrence’s reward. This is the story of the real Lawrence of Arabia. Lawrence of Arabia: Britain’s Great Adventurer, Channel 5 2020
Lawrence of Arabia is the most famous man in England. He counts kings among his friends. His name sells newspapers in their thousands. But the most famous man in England may well be the unhappiest. T E Lawrence is running for his life … [from] the fame that is killing him. ibid.
‘Lawrence did seem to have a high threshold of pain.’ ibid.
Having survived his Syrian experience, he returns to Oxford where in 1910 his research brings his a first class degree and a chance to return to the desert he loves. ibid.
Lawrence reports back that the revolt needs guns, money and support. It also requires an Arab leader worth the British investing in. ibid.
Lawrence is harbouring a secret: knowledge of a confidential British/French understanding that breaks their promise of a kingdom for the Arabs. ibid.
Deep down he feels he is to blame … Camelot with camels has crumbled before his eyes: he is full of regret and remorse. ibid.
On screen we saw the master fool, a cheeky comic character with great musical talent and a physical prowess which made Norman Wisdom Britain’s biggest and most bankable film star of the fifties and sixties. His was a natural talent. Norman Wisdom: His Story, BBC 2012
They regularly stole food to survive. ibid.