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Tinseltown Talks
Documenting Film Legends
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David Heeley (center) and Joan Kramer (right) with Katharine Hepburn and Susie Tracy preparing to shoot for the Spencer Tracy program
On April 7, Turner Classic Movies will present a biography feast for classic film lovers. The five documentaries to be broadcast – on Jimmy Stewart, Spencer Tracy, Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, and Humphrey Bogart – were all produced and directed by the Emmy Award-winning duo of Joan Kramer and David Heeley.“We’re co-hosting the evening with TCM’s Robert Osborne and it coincides with the release of our book, ‘In the Company of Legends’ in April,” said Kramer from her apartment in New York City.Between 1980 and 2005, Kramer and Heeley produced 17 major documentaries for Public Television, ABC News, Turner Entertainment Co., and film studios that featured legends of Hollywood’s Golden Age.“We strived to make the shows look smooth and flawless, but they were never easy to produce,” explained Kramer. “Each had hurdles to overcome and some were almost never made as a result.”