The 2004 German TV Movie documentary Hollywood Legenden explores some of the most iconic Hollywood actors and directors.

Among the luminaries interviewed are Peter Bogdanovich, Jeff Bridges, Angie Dickinson, Tippi Hedren, Tony Curtis, Samuel L. Jackson, Sidney Poitier, Mickey Rooney, and Gloria Stuart.

Author Ray Bradbury states that John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe were metaphors helping people envision themselves. He also talks about working with John Huston while writing the screenplay to Moby Dick. John Huston’s son Danny is on hand to give his perspective on his father who he regarded as a larger than life figure.

This would have been enjoyable except that those interviewed were able to say only a few words in their own language (English) and then a narrator talked over them in German. I was able to get subtitles but they only translated the German, so the viewer got an approximation of what people said rather than exact words. I wouldn’t have minded all dialogue in English with German subtitles but not hearing people’s true voices and own words was rather annoying.

Other than the narrator droning along in German it was doubtless very good.