Anyone notice

the predominance of female stars, muses, anecdotes?

Out of the more than 140 theatrical stars interviewed, there seem to have been only a handful of American actors (rather than actresses) from that time: Eli Wallach, Karl Malden, Hume Cronyn, Jerry Ohrbach, Martin Landau, Marlon Brando, John Raitt, Ben Gazzara, Robert Goulet, Hal Linden, and Robert Morse. (Tommy Tune does not really appear to be from this 1945-1970 era).

(There were also a few English actors who didn't really belong in the movie: Jeremy Irons, Derek Jacobi and Alan Cummings - and also Alec Baldwin and James Naughton - none of whom worked on Broadway during that 1945-1970 golden age period).

As I watched the clips and saw the copies of programs and stills, it left me wondering whether he was simply unable (before they died) to get interviews with such as Rod Steiger, George C. Scott, Jason Robards, Tony Randall -- or to interview those such as Jack Warden, Arthur Hill, Joel Grey, Christopher Plummer, George Grizzard, Larry Kert, John Cunningham, John Collum, Len Cariou, Jack Klugman, or to discuss those such as Lee J. Cobb, Sam Levene, Enzio Pinza or Alfred Drake.

Even the wonderful old film about a young working actor was about an actress.

As wonderful as it was to hear from Patricia Morison (I could listen to her speak all day - what a lovely voice) or Julie Harris or Bea Arthur or Rosemary Harris, Angela Lansbury, Karen Ziemba or Elizabeth Ashley or Marian Seldes, from Eva Marie Saint or Patricia Neal or Kim Hunter or Betsy Blair, from Jane Powell or Gretchen Wyler or Shirley MacLaine or , from Elaine Strich and Fay Wray and Carol Channing and Carol Burnett, from Lainie Kazan and Michele Lee and Janis Paige, from Tammy Grimes and Betty Garrett and Maureen Stapleton and Liliane Montevecchi, from Phyllis Newman and Barbara Cook and Carol Lawrence and Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera - and dozens of other women -- about their lives, their anecdotes of famous shows --

-- but relatively little about the male stars.

There were Carol Lawrence and Chita Rivera talking about West Side Story and we SEE Larry Kert, but don't hear him even referenced.

There is Elizabeth Ashley talking about Barefoot in The Park and we SEE Robert Redford but again don't hear him referenced.

As a result, the great inspirations cited were: Laurette Taylor, Lillian Gish, Judy Holliday, Geraldine Page, Ethel Waters, Kim Stanley, Katharine Cornell -- and Marlon Brando. (However, Naughton made a point of citing the wonderful Eli Wallach). It made for a somewhat lopsided movie -- but still highly enjoyable.

I actually wonder whether the movie was making a point that Broadway during this period had become a more female-oriented venue - from Mame to Gypsy, from Trip to Bountiful to Chicago -- or whether this all simply reflects the greater longevity of women.