AN EVENING WITH GEORGE STEVENS JR. and the 4K restoration of GEORGE STEVENS: A FILMMAKER'S JOURNEY

by John Larkin

I had the immense pleasure of attending a truly special evening at The Bedford Playhouse in Bedford, NY, for a screening of the newly restored 4K edition of GEORGE STEVENS: A FILMMAKER’S JOURNEY (1985), a deeply personal and insightful documentary produced and directed by his son, George Stevens Jr.

While I was familiar with many of George Stevens’ most seminal works—A PLACE IN THE SUN, SHANE, GIANT, and THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, to name a few—I hadn’t known much about the man himself. Watching this documentary, I came to understand Stevens as a quintessential example of the tough, old-school American director: disciplined, precise, and deeply human in his approach.

He began his career in the world of comedy, working as a cameraman and eventually as a director with Laurel and Hardy. From them, he learned that humor could be “graceful and human”—a lesson that informed his early work. This sensibility carried into the romantic comedies he directed in the 1930s and early 1940s, where he played a crucial role in shaping the genre’s sophistication and emotional resonance.

Among his most notable contributions to this period were his collaborations with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Stevens directed Hepburn in the poignant coming-of-age drama ALICE ADAMS (1935), which earned her an Academy Award nomination and established Stevens as a filmmaker capable of extracting great emotional nuance from his actors. He later directed Tracy and Hepburn in WOMAN OF THE YEAR (1942), their first film together and the beginning of their iconic screen partnership. The film’s clever dialogue and sharp gender commentary were handled with a lightness of touch that became a Stevens hallmark. He was adept at capturing both the spark of romantic tension and the deeper undercurrents of character, setting a new standard and pacing for comedy on film.

When World War II broke out, Stevens left Hollywood and joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Deeply disturbed by the rise of the Nazi regime—and particularly the work of propagandist filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl—he turned his skills toward documenting truth rather than fiction. He directed THE NAZI PLAN (1945), a sobering documentary that used Nazi propaganda footage, including segments of TRIUMPH OF THE WILL, to indict the regime on its own terms.

He would later go on to document the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp—an experience that would leave an indelible mark on his worldview and alter the course of his creative life. The footage he captured there, shot on Kodak’s early color reversal film, is both visually arresting and emotionally harrowing. It is a haunting document—equal parts stunning and revolting—that forces the viewer to confront the depths of human cruelty in visceral, unforgettable detail.

After the war, Stevens’ films took on a much more serious tone. The optimism and buoyancy of his early work gave way to moral complexity and emotional gravity. In A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951), he explored the dark side of the American Dream. With SHANE (1953), he elevated the Western to a form of visual poetry. GIANT (1956) tackled race, wealth, and generational conflict in Texas. THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (1959) brought intimate human dignity to the horrors of the Holocaust. These films were not only artistic triumphs but reflections of a man grappling with the somber truths and horrors he had witnessed during the war.

Along with fellow veterans Frank Capra, William Wyler, and Samuel J. Briskin, Stevens co-founded Liberty Films—an independent production company committed to creative freedom and democratic ideals. The name itself was a tribute to the values they had fought for. Liberty Films would only produce one feature: Frank Capra’s IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946), which went on to become one of the most beloved American films of all time.

As for the quality of this documentary's restoration? The 4K restoration of GEORGE STEVENS: A FILMMAKER’S JOURNEY was nothing short of a revelation. The original interviews—shot on film—have been beautifully rescanned and color graded, giving them a stunning new clarity, warmth and immediacy. Many of the film clips featured throughout the documentary have also been upgraded to 4K, allowing Stevens’ work to shine with renewed visual power. A glaring exception was the footage from THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (1965), which was clearly sourced from an older, lower-resolution transfer—closer in quality to LaserDisc than modern standards.

On the other hand, the new 4K footage from SHANE was absolutely breathtaking. The vistas felt painterly, the light crisp and pure, and the colors natural and deeply evocative. It left me genuinely excited for Kino Lorber’s upcoming 4K release of the film this July.

To my delight, George Stevens Jr. revealed during the evening that MGM is currently undertaking an 8K restoration of THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD. I’d be surprised if a physical media release wasn’t already in the planning stages. He also shared that GUNGA DIN (1939) is currently undergoing a 4K restoration as well—welcome news for 4K junkies!

Following the screening, Stevens Jr. participated in a wide-ranging Q&A moderated by former New York Times chief film critic Janet Maslin. At 93, he remains impressively spry and passionate, speaking with reverence about his father’s work and the many collaborators who helped define Hollywood’s golden age. The conversation spanned his father’s wartime experiences, personal philosophy, and cinematic legacy, as well as Stevens Jr.’s own extensive career in the arts and public service. He was instrumental in the conception of The American Film Institute and The Kennedy Center.

Janet Maslin (left) conducting a stellar conversation with the man of the evening, George Stevens Jr.

After the event, I purchased a copy of his book, which he graciously signed—a personal keepsake from an unforgettable night celebrating one of American cinema’s great humanists.

I sincerely hope this restored version of GEORGE STEVENS: A FILMMAKER’S JOURNEY will eventually be included on a future Blu-ray or 4K UHD release of a George Stevens film, so I can own a physical copy. For now, it is available to stream on HBO MAX.

It stands as an essential tribute—not only to a singular filmmaker but to the enduring power of the story that is film history itself.