Inventing David Geffen

Inventing David Geffen

2012 · 120 min · ★ 7.6 · Documentary

Notoriously press and camera-shy, David Geffen reveals himself for the first time in this unflinching portrait of a complex and compelling man. His far-reaching influence - as an agent and manager, record industry mogul, Hollywood and Broadway producer, and billionaire philanthropist - has helped shape American popular culture for the past four decades. This documentary offers a rare insight into the world of the man responsible for launching the early successes of Joni Mitchell, Tom Cruise, and Guns N’ Roses; co-founded DreamWorks; produced Cats and Dreamgirls; and is one of the largest contributors to the fight against AIDS. (SBS AU) Geffen narrates his unorthodox rise from working class Brooklyn boy to billionaire entertainment power broker in extensive interviews. American Masters explores the highs and the lows in Geffen’s professional and personal life through more than 50 new interviews with his friends, colleagues and clients, as well as other media luminaries. (PBS)

Directed by Susan Lacy

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 24m together

Inventing David Geffen

The Education of Gore Vidal

Both from Susan Lacy.

More from Susan LacySee all →

Walter Winchell: The Power of Gossip

Walter Winchell: The Power of Gossip · 2020

Walter Winchell: The Power of Gossip

MovieDocumentaryHistory

The life and times of radio commentator and syndicated newspaper gossip columnist Walter Winchell, who reached an audience of 50 million at his peak.

Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage

Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage · 1994

Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage

MovieDocumentary

A study of Tennessee Williams's life and work as a whole, ranging from his youth in Mississippi and in St. Louis to success and acclaim, followed by the final difficult years. Includes some of the most celebrated scenes from film adaptations of Williams' work, among them extracts of A Streetcar Named Desire (1951),Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Night of the Iguana, The (1964), and Suddenly, Last Summer (1993) (TV). Contains footage of Williams being interviewed, including conversations with David Frost, 'Edward R. Murrow (I)', and Melvyn Bragg, as well as reminiscences from people who knew and worked with him, among them Edward Albee, Gore Vidal, and his lifelong friend, Lady Maria St. Just. Features readings from Elia Kazan's Notebook by Kim Hunter.

Martin Scorsese Directs

Martin Scorsese Directs · 1990

Martin Scorsese Directs

MovieDocumentary

Providing behind the scenes footage of the director on set with clips from his own films, Martin Scorsese Directs depicts to riveting effect the way Scorsese brings the written story to life on the big screen. Additional interviews with the likes of Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Thelma Schoonmaker, the director’s own parents, and others build a perception of Scorsese that not everybody knows.

The Education of Gore Vidal

The Education of Gore Vidal · 2003

The Education of Gore Vidal

MovieDocumentary

A contrarian and wickedly funny man, this PBS American Masters special explores Gore Vidal's extraordinary life and work, joining him at his cliff-side villa in Ravello, Italy.

Billy Joel: And So It Goes

Billy Joel: And So It Goes · 2025

Billy Joel: And So It Goes

SeriesDocumentary

An expansive portrait of the life and music of Billy Joel, exploring the love, loss, and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting. With unprecedented access to never-before-seen performances, home movies, and personal photographs, along with extensive, in-depth one-on-one interviews, the documentary intimately explores the life and work of Joel, whose music has endured across generations.

Judy Garland: By Myself

Judy Garland: By Myself · 2004

Judy Garland: By Myself

MovieDocumentary

As Hollywood biographies go, Judy Garland's story is one of the saddest success stories you'll ever hear. The sanitized studio version of her life presented a smiling kid with the big voice, who, alongside Mickey Rooney, just wanted to put on a show. But drugs, overwork, even psychological abuse at the hands of the studio is now part of the Garland legend. But despite the number of Garland books and documentaries, one account has always been missing -- Garland herself never managed to write a memoir. She did make several attempts at an autobiography, often recording stories on a tape recorder. Judy Garland: By Myself (2004), finally fills in the blanks - using Judy's personal recordings to tell the story in her own words.

Paul Robeson: Here I Stand

Paul Robeson: Here I Stand · 1999

Paul Robeson: Here I Stand

MovieDocumentary

Paul Robeson: Here I Stand presents the life and achievements of an extraordinary man. Athlete, singer, and scholar, Robeson was also a charismatic champion of the rights of the poor working man, the disfranchised and people of color. He led a life in the vanguard of many movements, achieved international acclaim for his music and suffered tremendous personal sacrifice. His story is one of the great dramas of the 20th century, spanning an international canvas of social upheaval and ideological controversy.

Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens

Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens · 2007

Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens

MovieDocumentary

An account of the professional and personal life of renowned American photographer Annie Leibovitz, from her early artistic endeavors to her international success as a photojournalist, war reporter, and pop culture chronicler.

Spielberg

Spielberg · 2017

MovieDocumentary

A documentary on the life and career of one of the most influential film directors of all time, Steven Spielberg.

Rod Serling: Submitted for Your Approval

Rod Serling: Submitted for Your Approval · 1995

Rod Serling: Submitted for Your Approval

MovieDocumentary

The life and career of the renowned television writer and creator of the classic science fiction series, "The Twilight Zone."

Janis: Little Girl Blue

Janis: Little Girl Blue · 2015

Janis: Little Girl Blue

MovieDocumentaryMusic

Janis Joplin is one of the most respected and iconic rock & roll singers of all time, a tragic and misunderstood figure who captivated millions of listeners and blazed new creative trails before her death in 1970 at age 27. Director Amy Berg explored Joplin's story in depth. A portrait of a complicated, driven and often beleaguered artist. Joplin's own words recount a series of letters she wrote to her family over the years. Janis was a vessel of energy when she sang. Her rapid rise and untimely death changed music forever.

Jane Fonda in Five Acts

Jane Fonda in Five Acts · 2018

Jane Fonda in Five Acts

MovieDocumentary

Girl next door, activist, so-called traitor, fitness tycoon, Oscar winner: Jane Fonda has lived a life of controversy, tragedy and transformation – and she’s done it all in the public eye. An intimate look at one woman’s singular journey.

Eames: The Architect and the Painter

Eames: The Architect and the Painter · 2011

Eames: The Architect and the Painter

MovieDocumentary

Interviews with the junior designers swept into the 24-7 world of "The Eamery" are the heart of this complex picture of a husband-and-wife creative team that define the era of Mid-Century Modernism. Narrated by James Franco, the film draws from a trove of archival material, primarily the stunning films and photographs produced in mind-boggling volume by Charles, Ray, and their staff during the hyper-creative forty years of the Eames Office.

American Masters

American Masters · 1986

American Masters

SeriesDocumentary

American Masters is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and others who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the United States.

Sketches of Frank Gehry

Sketches of Frank Gehry · 2006

Sketches of Frank Gehry

MovieDocumentary

First and foremost, Frank Gehry is an artist. Described as a young child as having golden hands, Frank begins his creation through sketch. Forming thought into substantive sculpture, the marriage of art and architechure is brought to life. Join director Sydney Pollack on a journey into the world and work of the most important architect of our Age.

Nichols and May: Take Two

Nichols and May: Take Two · 1996

Nichols and May: Take Two

MovieDocumentaryTV Movie

A documentary made for the PBS program American Masters about the comedy team Nichols and May.

More Like This

Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations

Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations · 1938

Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations

MovieDocumentary

Starting with a long and lyrical overture, evoking the origins of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, Riefenstahl covers twenty-one athletic events in the first half of this two-part love letter to the human body and spirit, culminating with the marathon, where Jesse Owens became the first track and field athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympics.

Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty

Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty · 1938

Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty

MovieDocumentary

Part two of Leni Riefenstahl's monumental examination of the 1938 Olympic Games, the cameras leave the main stadium and venture into the many halls and fields deployed for such sports as fencing, polo, cycling, and the modern pentathlon, which was won by American Glenn Morris.

More on MaxSee all →

Interstellar

Interstellar · 2014

MovieAdventureDrama

The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight · 2008

The Dark Knight

MovieActionCrime

Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker.

Inception

Inception · 2010

MovieActionScience Fiction

Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone · 2001

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

MovieAdventureFantasy

Harry Potter has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house his whole life. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he's a powerful wizard—with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he learns to harness his newfound powers with the help of the school's kindly headmaster, Harry uncovers the truth about his parents' deaths—and about the villain who's to blame.

The Matrix

The Matrix · 1999

MovieActionScience Fiction

Set in the 22nd century, The Matrix tells the story of a computer hacker who joins a group of underground insurgents fighting the vast and powerful computers who now rule the earth.

Dune

MovieScience FictionAdventure

Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence - a commodity capable of unlocking humanity's greatest potential - only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

Superman

Superman · 2025

MovieScience FictionAdventure

Superman, a journalist in Metropolis, embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets · 2002

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

MovieAdventureFantasy

Cars fly, trees fight back, and a mysterious house-elf comes to warn Harry Potter at the start of his second year at Hogwarts. Adventure and danger await when bloody writing on a wall announces: The Chamber Of Secrets Has Been Opened. To save Hogwarts will require all of Harry, Ron and Hermione's magical abilities and courage.

The Batman

The Batman · 2022

MovieCrimeMystery

In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.

Mortal Kombat II

Mortal Kombat II · 2026

Mortal Kombat II

MovieActionFantasy

The fan favorite champions—now joined by Johnny Cage himself—are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King · 2003

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

MovieAdventureFantasy

As armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome--one member of the Fellowship of the Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne of the Kings of Men. Yet, the sole hope for triumph over evil lies with a brave hobbit, Frodo, who, accompanied by his loyal friend Sam and the hideous, wretched Gollum, ventures deep into the very dark heart of Mordor on his seemingly impossible quest to destroy the Ring of Power.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 · 2011

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

MovieAdventureFantasy

Harry, Ron and Hermione continue their quest to vanquish the evil Voldemort once and for all. Just as things begin to look hopeless for the young wizards, Harry discovers a trio of magical objects that endow him with powers to rival Voldemort's formidable skills.

Lee Cronin's The Mummy

Lee Cronin's The Mummy · 2026

Lee Cronin's The Mummy

MovieHorrorMystery

The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace—eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring · 2001

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

MovieAdventureFantasy

Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mt. Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed.

One Battle After Another

One Battle After Another · 2025

One Battle After Another

MovieThrillerCrime

Washed-up revolutionary Bob exists in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa. When his evil nemesis resurfaces after 16 years and she goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her, father and daughter both battling the consequences of his past.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban · 2004

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

MovieAdventureFantasy

Harry Potter's life is in danger once more as dangerous wizard Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban Prison and is heading to Hogwarts.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 · 2010

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

MovieAdventureFantasy

Harry, Ron and Hermione walk away from their last year at Hogwarts to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes, putting an end to Voldemort's bid for immortality. But with Harry's beloved Dumbledore dead and Voldemort's unscrupulous Death Eaters on the loose, the world is more dangerous than ever.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire · 2005

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

MovieAdventureFantasy

When his name emerges from the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter becomes a competitor in a grueling battle for glory among three wizarding schools. Signs of Voldemort's return emerge as Harry's friends help him prepare for the Triwizard Tournament.

Barbie

MovieComedyAdventure

Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.

Joker

MovieCrimeThriller

During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter