Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story

Harold and Lillian Michelson were Hollywood's best-kept secret for decades. Harold Michelson, who passed away in 2007, was an art director and storyboard artist on some of the greatest films ever made. Lillian Michelson ran a Hollywood research library that was an essential resource for hundreds of productions. Their work was strictly behind the scenes and they rarely received public credit for their contributions. Within Hollywood, however, they were legendary and beloved, not just for their work, but as teachers, inspirations, and friends. Documentary filmmaker Daniel Raim, who met Harold in 1998 and became friends with the couple soon after, creates a loving portrait of the pair in this film celebrating the work of these two great Hollywood professionals. Grounded in interviews that Raim conducted over the course of 15 years, Harold and Lillian reveals the couple's unheralded work on such films as The Graduate, Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds and Marnie, and Brian De Palma's Scarface. But it also tells the story of a lifelong love affair, presenting a complex and nuanced portrait of a marriage that was both a personal and professional partnership. Both informative and emotionally moving, this lovely tribute is presented in a playful style that includes storyboard-like sketches to illustrate scenes from the couple's early life, complemented by comments from filmmakers. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)