Frank Capra's American Dream

An expansive, sympathetic and well-illustrated survey of Capra's career, this bio-doc by-passes archive interviews with the garrulous and self-centred director, but then sometimes dwells too long on celebrity gush. Concentrating on the golden '30s and '40s, and skipping over Capra's decline in the '50s, the film gives due weight to such significant collaborators as screenwriter Robert Riskin. Especially piquant is the loyal sound man (sole survivor of the team) declaring his exasperation over Capra's indulgences on Lost Horizon.