Leachman, Etc. Set for TCM's Marlon Brando Documentary

Angie Dickinson, Dennis Hopper, Cloris Leachman, Quincy Jones, Edward Norton and John Turturro are among additions to the line-up of peers, family members and childhood friends featured in Brando, a new original two-part documentary premiering May 1-2, that sifts through the mystery behind one of Hollywood's most-respected and celebrated practitioners of the art and craft of acting. 

These actors and filmmakers join an already impressive list, including Ellen Adler, Ed Begley, Andrew Bergman, Bernardo Bertolucci, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Jane Fonda, Martin Landau, Penelope Ann Miller, Al Pacino, Arthur Penn, Martin Scorsese, John Travolta, Jon Voight and Eli Wallach.

"Piecing together performances from throughout the decades with never- before-seen footage and a series of original, in-depth interviews, TCM, along with The Greif Company (Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool), has worked to unmask the man behind the exceptional talent, captivating persona and apathy (and frequent aversion) toward his profession that was Marlon Brando," state press notes.

"The film explores the challenges he faced in almost every personal and working relationship throughout his life and highlights his most notable performances, including Broadway's Truckline Cafe, which first gained him major recognition; the phenomenon he created with A Streetcar Named Desire (1951); the classical acting in Julius Caesar (1953), which silenced critics who labeled him a "mumbler"; his awe-inspiring work in The Godfather (1972); and what was arguably his most intimate effort on screen in Last Tango in Paris (1972).

It also looks at Brando's involvement in civil rights and features interviews with Russell Means on Brando and the Native American movement; Bobby Seale, on his association with the Black Panthers; and Sacheen Littlefeather, the Native American actress whose on-stage rejection of Brando's Oscar(R) for The Godfather is the stuff of Hollywood legend.  Other interviews include family members and acquaintances that can shed light on Brando's very private life."

Accompanying the two-night premiere will be a celebration of Brando's work, including A Streetcar Named Desire; On the Waterfront (1954); The Missouri Breaks (1976); The Wild One (1953); Guys and Dolls (1955); The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956); and Sayonara (1957).

Turner Classic Movies, currently seen in more than 75 million homes, is a 24-hour cable network from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company.  TCM presents the greatest motion pictures of all time from the largest film library in the world, the combined Time Warner and Turner film libraries, from the '20s through the '90s, commercial-free and without interruption.  The network also offers critically acclaimed original documentaries and specials, including the recent Emmy-winning Stardust: The Bette Davis Story and Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool.  In addition to Brando, on the slate for 2007 are such original productions as Private Screenings: Jane Fonda, Bienvennue Cannes and Spielberg on Spielberg, among others.  Please visit tcm.com for more information.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.

Photo of Cloris Leachman (with Leslie Jordan) by Retna Ltd.