Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Joan Kramer and David Heeley, Renowned Documentary Filmmakers, Authors of “In the Company of Legends”.
Joan Kramer and David Heeley are two of the most respected and highly acclaimed documentary filmmakers of our generation – or of any generation. They have produced illustrious profiles of some of the greatest legendary stars in the history of show business.
Their prestigious body of work, which has aired over the years on PBS, TCM, TNT, Starz and other TV networks, includes THREE programs about Fred Astaire: “Fred Astaire: Puttin’ on His Top Hat”, “Fred Astaire: Change Partners and Dance”, and “The Fred Astaire Songbook”, hosted by Audrey Hepburn. They produced TWO programs about Katharine Hepburn – the first in 1981, entitled, “Starring Katharine Hepburn”, and the second in 1993 entitled, “Katharine Hepburn: All About Me”. And in 1985, they brought us “The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn.”
Some of their other renowned programs include, “Judy Garland: The Concert Years”, hosted by Judy’s daughter Lorna Luft, “James Stewart: A Wonderful Life”, hosted by Johnny Carson, “Bacall on Bogart”, which is a tribute to Humphrey Bogart hosted by Lauren Bacall, “Fonda on Fonda”, hosted by Jane Fonda, paying tribute to her father Henry Fonda, “The John Garfield Story”, “The Adventures of Errol Flynn”, and TWO monumentally important documentaries about Hollywood studios: “The Universal Story”, honoring the 80th birthday of Universal Studios, hosted by Richard Dreyfus, and “The Lady With the Torch”, in honor of the 75th anniversary of Columbia Pictures, hosted by Glenn Close.
Let’s not forget the terrific profile they produced in 1984 about Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, which aired on ABC’s 20/20. Their programs have received 5 Emmy awards, 20 Emmy nominations, and dozens of other national and international honors.
In 2015 they wrote a wonderful book entitled “In the Company of Legends”, which is a must-read for EVERY fan of the Golden Age of Hollywood. This fascinating book takes us on the remarkable journey of their professional partnership, and we learn what really happened behind the scenes with all the big stars they worked with while making their many brilliant documentaries.
Harvey Brownstone is a retired judge of the Ontario Court of Justice and was the first openly gay judge in Canada. He is also the bestselling author of “Tug of War: A Judge’s Verdict on Separation, Custody Battles and the Bitter Realities of Family Court” and hosted “Family Matters with Justice Harvey Brownstone,” a television talk show on matters involving the family justice system.
After a distinguished legal career, Harvey was appointed a judge at the age of 38 in 1995. He has presided in family and criminal courts. He has been a trailblazer in several ways. He was the first openly gay judge in Canada. He was the first sitting judge in the world to write a national best seller and to host a TV talk show.
Harvey has been a role model and icon in the LGBTQ community. When same-sex marriage was legalized in Canada in 2003, he was the only judge to make himself publicly available to officiate at weddings for lesbian and gay couples travelling to Toronto from all over the world to get married. In 2007, he officiated at the wedding of Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer, the American couple whose marriage triggered the 2013 United States Supreme Court decision overturning the definition of “spouse” in the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
In February 2021, Harvey launched his online talk show “Harvey Brownstone Interviews” on his own YouTube channel. He saw this as an interesting hobby. Within several months, the show attracted hundreds of thousands – and then eventually, millions – of viewers. Because of the overwhelming success of the show, Harvey decided to retire from the judiciary on December 31, 2021 after having presided as a full-time judge for 26 1/2 years. Free from the constraints imposed upon judges regarding the expression of opinions and the endorsement of private enterprise, Harvey now happily devotes his full-time attention to hosting “Harvey Brownstone Interviews” as a regular member of the public – albeit one with a rather illustrious and unique career history.
Watch David Heeley & Joan Kramer on Harvey Brownstone Interviews on Youtube here:
The official website for Harvey Brownstone Interviews may be found at https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com
Get “The Talk Show Blend” – Coffee For The Modern Day Trailblazer! By Harvey Brownstone from Breakfast At Dominique’s available at https://www.HollywoodBlends.com
For more information about Harvey Brownstone, here’s his Wikipedia page: