Famous Stars #5

Mario Lanza's rise from a truck-driving kid in a musical Philadelphia family to Hollywood's hottest tenor traces back to a fateful moment when maestro Serge Koussevitsky heard him singing in the Philadelphia Academy of Music—and everything changed. With a manager's belief in his talent, vocal training from a legendary teacher, and the backing of MGM's Louis B. Mayer, Lanza transformed from semi-pro athlete to leading man, landing the role that would define his career: playing the great Caruso himself. It's the true story of how a boy who grew up on his family's Caruso records became the voice to resurrect that legend on screen.

Elizabeth Taylor's fairy tale childhood in England—where a Hollywood scout discovered her at age six—blossoms into stardom when her family moves to America, with roles alongside Nigel Bruce and Roddy McDowell launching her to instant success. But as she grows into a beautiful young woman courted by the most eligible men in Hollywood, everything changes when she falls for the charming hotel heir Nicky Hilton, leading to a whirlwind romance that culminates in marriage at eighteen. What begins as a storybook romance soon reveals cracks as the relentless demands of fame and public life test their bond in ways the young bride never anticipated.

Betty Grable rose from Broadway singer to Hollywood contract player in 1933, but found herself typecast in college-girl roles for nearly six years before returning to New York to revive her career. When band leader Harry James entered her life in the early 1940s, her fortunes shifted dramatically—by 1943 she'd become 20th Century Fox's most valuable star, famous for her pin-up photographs that inspired over a million copies sent to G.I.s worldwide. Now one of the highest-paid women in entertainment, Grable reflects on her success with characteristic practicality, knowing exactly where her talents—and her fortune—truly lie.

"Behind the Scenes" pulls back the curtain on the skilled craftspeople who make Hollywood magic possible—the makeup artists who transform faces on camera, the wardrobe mistress juggling thousands of costumes for stars and extras alike, the cameraman whose technical eye can make or break a picture, and the electricians who master the crucial art of lighting. This 1951 feature celebrates the often-invisible hands that build a film from the ground up, proving that cinema is truly a collaborative craft.

Young Irish patriot George Brent fights alongside Michael Collins and fellow rebels against the British forces occupying Dublin in 1920, undertaking dangerous courier missions to keep the resistance alive. When the struggle reaches its end and a price is placed on his head, Brent escapes to America aboard Captain O'Farrell's ship, where he trades revolution for the stage—landing roles in New York theater alongside a fellow unknown named Clark Gable before eventually finding his way to Hollywood stardom. A thrilling biographical portrait of how a freedom fighter became the screen's charming "Fighting Irishman."

Esther Williams started as a young swimmer with Olympic dreams, but when circumstances changed course, she discovered a talent for business that would prove just as rewarding. From launching a filling station to opening a restaurant and developing an entire housing community, Williams and her business partner Ben transformed her celebrity into genuine entrepreneurial success. This is the story of how one of Hollywood's most level-headed stars turned her star power into lasting ventures that benefited everyone around her.