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Screen Goddesses

Documentary about the early female movie stars: Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe - immortal goddesses made by Hollywood to reign over the silver screen.

Documentary about the early female movie stars: Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe - immortal goddesses made by Hollywood to reign over the silver screen.

With the beginnings of Hollywood, the star system was born with an archetypal bad girl - the vampish Theda Bara - and the good girl - the blazingly sincere Lillian Gish. From the 1920s, vivacious Clara Bow and seductive siren Louise Brooks are most remembered, but none made the impact of Marlene Dietrich, an icon of mystery, or Greta Garbo, with her perfect features and gloomy introspection.

From the power of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis to the seductiveness of Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner, Hollywood studios produced their own brand of beautiful, sassy and confident women. But it wasn't to last. The era drew to a close with the supreme fame of Elizabeth Taylor and the tragic death of Marilyn Monroe.

Narrated by Elizabeth McGovern.

Available now

59 minutes

Last on

Thu 7 Dec 2023 23:50
±«Óãtv Four

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:01

    The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra

    Vertigo - Prelude

  • 00:07

    Bernard Herrmann

    Carlotta's Portrait

  • 00:07

    Erwin Schulhoff

    Tango

    Performer: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig.
    • Erwin Schulhoff: Die Mondsuchtige.
  • 00:08

    Jules Massenet

    Manon Ballet - "Scene One"

    Performer: Jules Massenet.
    • Jules Massenet: Manon Ballet.
  • 00:10

    Bix Beiderbecke

    The Baltimore

    Performer: Danni Healy. Performer: Irving Kahal. Performer: Jimmy McHugh.
    • Bix Biederbecke: Volume 1 Singin' The Blues.
  • 00:13

    Jules Massenet

    Nocturne

    Performer: Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • Massenet: Suite No. 1.
  • 00:15

    Bernard Herrmann

    The Ghost and Mrs Muir

    Performer: The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • Essential Film Music Collection.
  • 00:17

    Kurt Weill

    The Ballad of Mack the Knife

    • Kleine Dreigoschenmusik.
  • 00:21

    Benjamin Britten

    Variation - Fish Creatures

    • The Prince of the Pagodas.
  • 00:25

    Tony Martin

    You Stepped out of a Dream

  • 00:25

    Duke Ellington

    The Mooche

    Performer: Duke Ellington.
    • Cotton Club Days.
  • 00:28

    Not Credited

    Voice of The Stars

  • 00:29

    Max Steiner

    Dark Victory

    Performer: National Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • Classic Film Scores for Bette Davis.
  • 00:35

    Max Steiner

    Casablanca

    Performer: National Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • Classic Film Scores for Humphrey Bogart.
  • 00:37

    Bernard Herrmann

    Love Music

    Performer: Sinfonia of London.
    • Vertigo: The Original Soundtrack.
  • 00:38

    Bernard Herrmann

    Scene D'Amour

  • 00:41

    Bernard Herrmann

    Madeleine and Carlotta's Portrait

    Performer: Sinfonia of London.
    • Vertigo - Original soundtrack.
  • 00:42

    Nino Rota

    La Dolce Vita (Finale)

    • Essential Nino Rota Film Music Collection.

  • Miles Davis

    Solea

    Performer: Miles Davis.
    • Miles Davis: Sketches of Spain.
  • 00:47

    Bernard Herrmann

    Obsession: Valse Lente

    Performer: City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • The Essential Film Music Collection.

  • Bernard Herrmann

    Citizen Kane: Theme and Variations

    Performer: National Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • The Classic Film Scores of Bernard Hermann.
  • 00:47

    Bernard Herrmann

    Obsession: Valse Lente

    Performer: The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
  • 00:50

    Franz Waxman

    Sunset Boulevard: A Place in the Sun

    Performer: National Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • Sunset Boulevard: Classic Film Scores of Franz Waxman.

  • Bernard Herrmann

    North by Northwest: Conversation Piece

    Performer: City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • The Essential Film Music Collection.
  • 00:54

    Johnny Mercer, Marilyn Monroe

    Something's Got To Give

  • 00:54

    Bernard Herrmann

    Vertigo: Scene D'Amour

    Performer: City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.

  • Bernard Herrmann

    Vertigo Prelude and Rooftop

    Performer: Sinfonia of London.
    • Vertigo - The Original Soundtrack.
  • 00:00

    Brian Eno

    Another Green World

  • 00:01

    Bernard Herrmann

    Vertigo: Prelude - Nightmare

    Performer: City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • Bernard Herman: Essential Film Music Collection.
  • 00:55

    Bernard Herrmann, Royal Scottish National Orchestra & Joel McNeely

    Prelude and Rooftop from Vertigo

  • 00:55

    Bernard Herrmann

    Prelude and Rooftop

Credits

Narrator Elizabeth McGovern
Editor Alex Jones
Series Editor Anthony Wall

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