Christopher Frayling

Acting

Christopher Frayling

Born

1946-12-25 (79)

Place of birth

Hampton, Middlesex, England, UK

Known for

Acting

Credits

42 titles

Known for

Timewatch poster
6.9

Timewatch is a long-running British television series showing documentaries on historical subjects, spanning all human history. It was first broadcast on 29 September 1982 and is produced by the BBC, the Timewatch brandname is used as a banner title in the UK, but many of the individual documentaries can be found on US cable channels without the branding.

Timewatch

1982

Karloff: The Gentle Monster poster
7.6

Film historians, and producer Richard Gordon, talk about the horror movie career of cult star Boris Karloff.

Karloff: The Gentle Monster

2006

Sad Hill Unearthed poster
7.0

Province of Burgos, northern Spain, October 2015. A group of fans undertake the titanic task of restoring the location of the last scene of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the mythical spaghetti western directed by Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone in 1966.

Sad Hill Unearthed

2018

No artwork available
6.0

An entertaining look at Clint Eastwood's storied career as a Western icon and filmmaker, featuring interviews with Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Costner, Frank Darabont, John Lee Hancock and many more.

Clint Eastwood's West

2011

Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America poster
7.4

To mark the recent thirtieth anniversary of Sergio Leone’s death, this documentary sets out to pay tribute to one of the great legends of world cinema. The singular artistic vision of Sergio Leone has transcended national borders, creating the Spaghetti Western genre and transforming the international cinematic panorama forever with his innovative stylistic and narrative solutions, which have now become part of the language of the movies. The film, which is enriched with precious archive footage from the Cineteca di Bologna, including rare audio recordings and film clips shot behind the scenes, sees for the first time the direct participation of the Leone family and has interviews both with Leone’s longtime collaborators and with icons of Hollywood who have been profoundly influenced by his work.

Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America

2022

Once Upon a Time: Sergio Leone poster
6.1

A short documentary based on Sergio Leone's life and career, and the making of the film "Once Upon a Time in America."

Once Upon a Time: Sergio Leone

2000

Film credits

2020s · 5 titles

Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America poster
7.4

To mark the recent thirtieth anniversary of Sergio Leone’s death, this documentary sets out to pay tribute to one of the great legends of world cinema. The singular artistic vision of Sergio Leone has transcended national borders, creating the Spaghetti Western genre and transforming the international cinematic panorama forever with his innovative stylistic and narrative solutions, which have now become part of the language of the movies. The film, which is enriched with precious archive footage from the Cineteca di Bologna, including rare audio recordings and film clips shot behind the scenes, sees for the first time the direct participation of the Leone family and has interviews both with Leone’s longtime collaborators and with icons of Hollywood who have been profoundly influenced by his work.

Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America

2022

No artwork available
NR

Documentary from Hammer Historian Marcus Hearn tracking the career of director Jimmy Sangster.

Hammer and Beyond: The Jimmy Sangster Legacy

2026

Humphrey Jennings: The Man Who Listened to Britain poster
10.0

Documentary about Humphrey Jennings, an English documentary filmmaker from the 1930s to 1950.

Humphrey Jennings: The Man Who Listened to Britain

2025

No artwork available
10.0

Boris Karloff: The Rest of the Story takes a deeper look at the life and career of Boris Karloff, from 1931 to 1969, exploring films such as The Ghoul, The Walking Dead (1936), Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936), the Mr Wong series, The Climax (1944), Lured (1947), The Strange Door (1951), Grip of the Strangler and Corridors of Blood(1958), The Comedy of Terrors (1963), The Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968), the Mexican quartet, some of his major TV appearances (The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., Wild Wild West, I-Spy) as well as taking a deep look at his often ignored Broadway career in the 1940s and 50's. There is also much time devoted to Karloff's more personal side and his relationship with his daughter, Sara.

Boris Karloff: The Rest of the Story

2022

In Search of Dracula poster
8.0

Mark Gatiss explores and celebrates Dracula, an icon of popular culture, asking just why we keep coming back to the count.

In Search of Dracula

2020

2010s · 10 titles

Sad Hill Unearthed poster
7.0

Province of Burgos, northern Spain, October 2015. A group of fans undertake the titanic task of restoring the location of the last scene of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the mythical spaghetti western directed by Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone in 1966.

Sad Hill Unearthed

2018

No artwork available
6.0

An entertaining look at Clint Eastwood's storied career as a Western icon and filmmaker, featuring interviews with Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Costner, Frank Darabont, John Lee Hancock and many more.

Clint Eastwood's West

2011

Hammer Horror: The Warner Bros. Years poster
7.3

The untold story of Hammer at Warner Bros, and the relationship that produced some of the British company's finest films.

Hammer Horror: The Warner Bros. Years

2018

David Bowie Is Happening Now poster
6.0

Directed by BAFTA Award winner Hamish Hamilton, the movie was filmed during the closing night of the V&A installation and features appearances by Pulp leader Jarvis Cocker, fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto, and more, as well as insight from David Bowie Is curators Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh.

David Bowie Is Happening Now

2013

Turning Like Clockwork poster
4.0

A look back on A Clockwork Orange

Turning Like Clockwork

2011

The Flesh and the Fury: X-posing Twins of Evil poster
3.8

The shocking true story behind the making of Hammer Films notorious vampire saga.

The Flesh and the Fury: X-posing Twins of Evil

2012

The Strange Life of Dr. Frankenstein poster
8.1

In 1818, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, a powerful and timelessness novel which eternal theme is nothing other than man's quest for the secret of life. Since then, the Creature became a pop culture icon, overshadowing the novel and Doctor Frankenstein himself.

The Strange Life of Dr. Frankenstein

2018

No artwork available
7.0

Lifting the lid on the world of cinema censorship, this programme has unique access to the files of the British Board of Film Classification. Featuring explicit and detailed exchanges between the censor and film-makers, 'Dear Censor' casts a wry eye over some of the most infamous cases in the history of the board. From the now seemingly innocuous Rebel Without a Cause, the first 'naturist' films and the infamous works of Ken Russell, and up to Rambo III, this frank and surprisingly warm documentary demonstrates how a body created by the industry to safeguard standards and reflect shifts in public opinion has also worked unexpectedly closely with the film-makers themselves to ensure that their work was able reach an audience.

Dear Censor…: The Secret Archive of the British Board of Film Classification

2011

No artwork available
NR

The writer and cultural historian discusses the work of the great director.

Christopher Frayling on Budd Boetticher

2018

Christopher Frayling on Things to Come poster
NR

In this interview, conducted in 2013, writer and cultural historian Christopher Frayling discusses the groundbreaking design of THINGS TO COME.

Christopher Frayling on Things to Come

2013

2000s · 17 titles

Karloff: The Gentle Monster poster
7.6

Film historians, and producer Richard Gordon, talk about the horror movie career of cult star Boris Karloff.

Karloff: The Gentle Monster

2006

Once Upon a Time: Sergio Leone poster
6.1

A short documentary based on Sergio Leone's life and career, and the making of the film "Once Upon a Time in America."

Once Upon a Time: Sergio Leone

2000

The Spaghetti West poster
6.0

A visual history of Italian western cinema in the 60s and 70s.

The Spaghetti West

2005

The Wages of Sin poster
7.5

Second part of a three-part documentary series on the making of Once Upon a Time in the West, Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone's masterpiece, released in 1968. (Preceded by An Opera of Violence; followed by Something to Do With Death.)

The Wages of Sin

2003

Sergio Leone: The Way I See Things poster
9.6

Documentary about Sergio Leone

Sergio Leone: The Way I See Things

2006

He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce poster
8.4

Tribute to Universal make-up artist Jack Pierce who created some of the studio's most famous works including Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolf Man, the Mummy and countless other creatures. Rick Baker, Tom Savini, Howard Berger, Bob Burns, Scott Essman, Kim Newman, Gregory Nicotero and others discuss the work of Pierce and his enduring legacy.

He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce

2008

Sergio Leone: cinema, cinema poster
6.4

The life and work of one of the great masters of Italian cinema, Sergio Leone (1929-89); a rich and fascinating portrait through unpublished testimonies of collaborators, actors, directors and critics who reconstruct every aspect of his creative activity.

Sergio Leone: cinema, cinema

2001

Something to Do with Death poster
6.3

Third part of a three-part documentary series on the making of Once Upon a Time in the West, Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone's masterpiece, released in 1968. (Preceded by The Wages of Sin.)

Something to Do with Death

2003

No artwork available
NR

Richard E. Grant looks at the history of Sherlock Holmes, including the many movie and TV adaptations.

Elementary My Dear Viewer

2007

Attenborough the Controller poster
NR

A completely fantastic programme, charting the time of our favorite presenter at the head of the then struggling and controversial BBC2. Packed chock full of interviews, clips and reminiscences both old and new, including the very tasty Joan Bakewell of the 60s. Sir David Attenborough's reign as controller of BBC TWO, from 1965 to 1973, is still thought of as the golden age of television. He was responsible for a number of programme strands that were, and many argue still remain, the high point of public service broadcasting. Match of the Day and Pot Black sat alongside comedy such as The Likely Lads and Not Only But Also. Horizon, Man Alive, One Pair of Eyes, Masterclass, The Forsyte Saga and The Money Programme set the standard for years to come. Sir Attenborough also commissioned series on a grand scale: Kenneth Clark's Civilisation and Jacob Bronowski's Ascent of Man remain two of the great creations of television.

Attenborough the Controller

2002

Lugosi: The Dark Prince poster
7.6

Film historians, and producer Richard Gordon, talk about the horror movie career of cult star Bela Lugosi.

Lugosi: The Dark Prince

2006

An Opera of Violence poster
6.8

First part of a three-part documentary series on the making of Once Upon a Time in the West, Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone's masterpiece, released in 1968. (Followed by The Wages of Sin.)

An Opera of Violence

2003

In the Beginning: Quo Vadis and the Genesis of the Biblical Epic poster
6.0

The making of Quo Vadis (1951).

In the Beginning: Quo Vadis and the Genesis of the Biblical Epic

2008

Unraveling the Legacy of the Mummy poster
NR

Documentary on the Mummy film(s) by Universal Studios.

Unraveling the Legacy of the Mummy

2008

Railroad: Revolutionising the West poster
8.0

A documentary about the railroads and the Robber Barons that got rich as the exploited the people why building their networks and the reality conveyed in Sergio Leone's C'era una volta il West (Once Upon A Time In The West).

Railroad: Revolutionising the West

2003

The Myth of Revolution poster
NR

Christopher Frayling's in-depth analysis, a behind-the-scenes study of Leone's deepening artistic maturity, as manifested in Duck You Sucker's cynical view of political revolution

The Myth of Revolution

2007

Sir Christopher Frayling On 'The Magnificent Seven' poster
NR

Christopher Frayling analyzes the importance of the film's influence on the making of later films and its impact on directors and writers

Sir Christopher Frayling On 'The Magnificent Seven'

2006

1990s · 3 titles

Series credits

Behind the camera