Hollywood and the Stars was a 1963 NBC television documentary series produced by the David L. Wolper Production Company in association with United Artists Television. It was narrated by Joseph Cotten with the theme music and several episodes composed by Elmer Bernstein. Jack Haley, Jr. was the series' producer He also produced the hour-long pilot episode "The Great Stars" (narrated by Henry Fonda), originally syndicated in February 1963.

This is a great little 2 x 400ft film, my two boxes state it was a Perry's film release. Well done Ian. I bought this one several years ago and have only actually viewed it once until tonight. I forgot how good this one was. Normally i would join it onto one spool but i think i will leave it as it is. Quality is Good,nothing too special, but good. Image is fine, good focus with some items being slightly better contrast than others, but overall, a very good release and some very good movie extracts from many very well know movies. Such a pity it wasn't in colour. I could recommend this to anyone with the slightest interest in movies.
The other excellent film in this similar style is the 3 x 400ft film The Selznick Years, this is another we have and last time i viewed it colours were still excellent so next week i will take a look at that one.

Very nice Tom,not seen this one but looks an interesting film,Mark

It is well worth adding to your collection when one comes up next time. There are some good extended excerpts from some very well know movies including Lawrence of Arabia, Key Largo Marty, Yankee Doodle Dandy, and many others.
Its nice to see the actors and actresses collecting there Oscars without droning on.

I never watch the Oscars or Academy Awards any more because today they are all up there own asses, they talk utter crap and all seem to want to make a statement and think there politicians and seem to want to make a point of women are the big deal. Funnily enough there was no shortage of ladies collecting Oscars in these two old reels so im not too sure what all the fuss is. They all put on an over the top act, what you see on here is great actors collecting an Oscar, saying there thank you's and maybe making a one liner joke, then they leave the stage happy to have won.
I wish the modern young actors and actresses would remember what they do for a living. They act, they get too much money and that they dont need to preach. This film really does show who the true Hollywood great actors were.

The only one I have is the Swashbucklers. I don't know who released this, but the sound is the worst I ever heard. Good for the clips of Errol Flynn, including some rare private footage. Perry's was Keith Perry; I don't know what part Ian O'Reilly played in his business.

I have always been curious about why it's called Perry Films, and not O'Reilly Films.....must have changed hands somehow over the years.

Am I correct in my understanding that Perry Films issued prints in addition to the retail sales store---similar to how Derann issued prints and had a retail store. I know I have seen film boxes with the Perry Films logo etc on them. Did Perry Films focus on any particular market segment or film studio's releases?

As far as I know, Ian O'Reilly was just an employee. The company was owned by Keith Perry, who I believe retired overseas. At the beginning of my collecting I bought some silent 1 reelers, of Tom Mix, Felix the Cat, Melies 'Trip to the Moon', and The Great Train Robbery (1902), all put out by Perrys. I read some years later that Keith Perry had acquired the only known surviving 35mm print of 'Dick Turpin', a 1930s film starring Victor McLaglen, and also appearing was Jimmy Finlayson of L&H fame. He had copies released on Super 8.

The image quality on that looks really good by your screen shots. I have one title from the series in 400' called The Great Directors....the content is great but the print quality is not so good. It is soft focus and dupey looking. I wish it looked like The Oscars!

I have a couple of these films. The first was a Derann 400ft on monsters. Movieland released it complete later. Perry's released Hollywood Goes To War from the same series I think on a 600ft spool complete with 'insert commercials' Nice series.

Hollywood And The Stars


Movie Maker ad for Perry's 1976

The company was owned by Keith Perry. When he retired it was inherited/bought by Ian.

As I noted on the box,this print was probably a reissue one,as it runs for 65 minutes from the original 79. Unless he had more footage in the original,Finlayson appears briefly,sans moustache and in a serious role as McLaglen/Turpin's valet.The film is a good medium budget adventure (in relation to the big budget Korda spectaculars!) and ...look who is the production supervisor,Finlayson's co-star from the Roach days,Clyde Cook! I also have in my collection two of the four "Adventures of Dick Turpin" two reelers from 1929,starring brother Kenneth McLaglen.

The BFI have a VHS tape at 77 minutes, and the Super 8 print.