Narrated by Bushman's grandson and produced by Lon Davis, this is an outstanding documentary on Bushman's life, one with which I was not at all familiar until I watched this documentary.
If Francis X. Bushman had not lived this life, Hollywood would have invented it, and they actually did over the years, since elements of Bushman's life are often seen in rags to riches to rags and back stories. Bushman became a matinee idol in the 1910's, becomes a spendthrift, divorces his wife of 15 years to marry his glamorous costar but the marriage fails, gets wiped out by the 1929 crash, can't make the transition to talking film because of changing tastes, and ironically finds a career in radio. The last act of his life was happy and professionally successful with appearances on TV and in film up until his death in 1966.
Often stars who made the mistakes and had the misfortunes that he did became bitter, became alcoholics, and died early sad deaths in poverty. So what really stood out to me was Bushman's eternal optimism - He never let circumstances get him down. Instead he persisted. Bushman himself is a co-narrator of sorts as a surviving interview of him plays at appropriate points in the documentary. I'd highly recommend this one if you think you'd have any interest in Bushman. You don't need any prior knowledge of the man to appreciate it.
If Francis X. Bushman had not lived this life, Hollywood would have invented it, and they actually did over the years, since elements of Bushman's life are often seen in rags to riches to rags and back stories. Bushman became a matinee idol in the 1910's, becomes a spendthrift, divorces his wife of 15 years to marry his glamorous costar but the marriage fails, gets wiped out by the 1929 crash, can't make the transition to talking film because of changing tastes, and ironically finds a career in radio. The last act of his life was happy and professionally successful with appearances on TV and in film up until his death in 1966.
Often stars who made the mistakes and had the misfortunes that he did became bitter, became alcoholics, and died early sad deaths in poverty. So what really stood out to me was Bushman's eternal optimism - He never let circumstances get him down. Instead he persisted. Bushman himself is a co-narrator of sorts as a surviving interview of him plays at appropriate points in the documentary. I'd highly recommend this one if you think you'd have any interest in Bushman. You don't need any prior knowledge of the man to appreciate it.