The title says it all: a terrific TV documentary on the History of Republic PICTURES.... not so much the creation of and decline of THE STUDIO. Clearly lovingly crafted and well edited there are dozens of clips from every genre of feature film made at the studio from 1936 to the mid 50s. The serial chapters and the musical chapters are possibly the zaniest and the witty narration speaks in appreciation to the silliness of a lot of the ideas and spectacle presented. This doco is a must for any collectors of B movie magic.... but I do have serious disappointments about this film and that is the fact that it is only a valentine to the films... the really fascinating (to me and anyone to whom REPUBLIC PICTURES appeals) is the way the studio was formed and why it collapsed in 1958. It is not an honest portrayal of the man behind the Studio: Herbert J Yates, to have omitted his startling and successful business practices, the history an value of Consolidated film laboratories, the use of trucolor, and the maddening promotion of his wife Vera Ralston... just presenting the clips is one wonderful thing, when for another 15 minutes of running time throughout the film (it is only 95 mins or so anyway) we interested viewers could have had a more honest account of this extraordinary production house that only existed for 23 years but had a massive impact on pop culture world wide. Anyone who watches this doco even by mistake will find it fascinating and if greater detail of the rise and decline was presented would only make this good documentary into a great one. THE RKO STORY presented in 6 parts was an epic revelation, and this one could have easily been at that A grade level had it chosen to present the 'behined the scenes' business data and scheming (and uproar). A part 2 as suggested would be equally fascinating.
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ptb-824 January 2008
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mark.waltz12 August 2016The good old wild west; on the battle front; creatures from another world; laughs and music. Republic had it all with many of Hollywood's top stars. For well over 20 years and over a thousand films, Republic was the top studio for B movies, and the occasional "A".
This documentary covers it all, from the singing westerns with Gene Autry and Roy Rogers; serials with strangely dressed heroes and hissable villains. Lovable sidekicks, lovely leading ladies, and of course, the Duke. Even the studio's not necessarily popular leading lady, Vera Hruba Ralston, who married the boss, gets in there, many of her films rarely seen and only a few commercially available.
Surviving stars add their own commentary to the story of the studio's history. Profiles on each of the genres which also included lavish musicals and color action films. This flies by, filled with action, comedy, songs and romance. Made for T.V., it covers the end of the studio as well, coming with the advancement of television. It is a testimony to what influenced many modern filmmakers and many blockbusters which have dominated recent box office. The original film creators may not have realized that they were making art, but they certainly did. -
glenaobrien10 February 2024This is an interesting documentary that lovers of film history will enjoy. The voiceover has a somewhat dated feel but there are some good interview sequences from participants and plenty of clips from Republic serials and feature films. Given that I watched this as a special feature on the Blu-ray of The Catman of Paris (1946), it's ironic that none of the Republic horror films are discussed. Okay there weren't that many of them but in an otherwise fairly exhaustive treatment they deserved a mention. Overall it's an entertaining made-for-TV documentary about one of the lesser studios which nonetheless managed to create some classics.