''Hollywood Greats'' is a BBC Television series, which originally ran from 1977 to 1985. The film critic

Barry Norman Barry Leslie Norman (21 August 1933 – 30 June 2017) was a British film critic, television presenter and journalist. He presented the BBC's cinema review programme, '' Film...'', from 1972 to 1998. Early life Born at St Thomas’s Hospital ...

wrote and narrated a series of in-depth profiles on major Hollywood film personalities, in which he interviewed surviving associates. He was also responsible for a series called ''British Greats'' in 1980. A series of books, titled ''The Hollywood Greats'', ''The Movie Greats'' and ''The British Greats'', which were written by Norman, were published. A series with the same title was narrated by

Ian McShane Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor, producer and director. He is known for his television performances, particularly as the title role in the BBC series ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1994), Al Swearengen in '' Deadwood'' (20 ...

in 1999 and presented by Jonathan Ross from 2002 to 2007.

Barry Norman series

Series One (1977)

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

(1901–1960) *

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...

(1909–1959) *

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

(1900–1967) *

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, ...

(1901–1961) * Humphrey Bogart (1899–1957)

Series Two (1978)

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Crawford was si ...

(1904–1977) * Ronald Colman (1891–1958) *

Jean Harlow Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American actress. Known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters, she was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the ...

(1911–1937) *

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

(1922–1969) * Charles Laughton (1899–1962)

Series Three (1979)

* Edward G. Robinson (1893–1973) * Groucho Marx (1890–1977) * Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977) *

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

(1926–1962) * Hollywood – The Golden Years

Series Four (1984–1985)

* John Wayne (1907–1979) *

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and ra ...

(1905–1982) * Steve McQueen (1930–1980) *

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in '' Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other roles ...

(1910–1983) * Bing Crosby (1903–1977)

1999–2007 series

The first series was narrated by

, the rest were presented by Jonathan Ross. The programme dedicated to Audrey Hepburn was broadcast two months before the following series. The details on the BBC website do not match the series number given here.

Series One (1999)

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

(1904–1986) *

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...

(1908–1989) *

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He rose to prominence with an Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actor for ''The Story of G.I. Joe'' (1945), followed by his starring in ...

(1917–1997) * Katharine Hepburn (1907–2003)

Special (2001)

* Audrey Hepburn (1929–1993)

Series Two (2001)

(1922–1969) * Gene Kelly (1912–1996) *

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...

(1925–1990)

Series Three (2002)

* Steve McQueen (1930–1980) * Doris Day (1922–2019) *

Tony Curtis Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor whose career spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s (Kansas Raiders, 1950) and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 f ...

(1925–2010) * Burt Lancaster (1913–1994)

Series Four (2003)

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

(born 1933) * Kirk Douglas (1916-2020) * James Stewart (1908–1997)

Series Five

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is ...

(born 1937) *

Richard Harris Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, notably as Corrado Zeller in Michelangelo Antonioni's '' Red Desert'', Frank Machin in '' This Sporting ...

(1930–2002) * John Wayne (1907–1979) *

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...

(born 1937)

Series Six (2005)

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Go ...

(born 1962) * Lauren Bacall (1924–2014) * Jane Fonda (born 1937) *

(1910–1983)

Series Seven (2006)

* Harrison Ford (born 1942) * Jack Lemmon (1925–2001) * Marlon Brando (1924–2004)

Special (2007)

* Dame Helen Mirren (born 1945)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hollywood Greats 1977 British television series debuts 2007 British television series endings BBC television documentaries 1970s British documentary television series 1980s British documentary television series 1990s British documentary television series 2000s British documentary television series English-language television shows