By Pamela Pollack-Fremd
SPOKANE, Washington — Film making is a collaborative endeavor. Many people who are essential to the film making process are not well known. The documentary film, Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Romance, written and directed by Academy Award-nominated Daniel Raim is about two of those little known, but essential people. Harold Michelson was a storyboard illustrator and production designer in Hollywood. His wife, Lillian, first worked as a volunteer at the Columbia Studio Research Library, and then, by reputation, she became the go-to person for any information needed for a film. Harold and Lillian were very well known and sought after within the film community, but not so well known among the general public. Although this film tells an important story in film history, it is repetitive and too long.
This film tells their unique love story. It also explores their working relationship and how they influenced the film industry. The story is carried along with family and professional photos. When photos are not available, the story is illustrated by original storyboards created by Patrick Mate. This is a clever way to fill in details. Lillian and Harold narrate much of the film; there are also interviews with Mel Brooks, Francis Ford Coppola, and Danny DeVito, executive producer of the film.
Harold and Lillian were involved in the making of many of the most famous movies ever made, including The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur, The Birds, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and Star Trek, the Motion Picture, and many more.
Because of the repetitive nature of Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Romance, the best audience might be a film class at a university.
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Pollack-Fremd, a retired ESL teacher, is a freelance writer specializing in cinema.