Margaret Bourke-White

Cable-made television biography of American photographer Margaret Bourke-White (June 14, 1904 - August 27, 1971) starring Farrah Fawcett as the celebrated shutterbug who suffered later in life from Parkinson's disease. The daughter of an inventor, flirtatious Margaret first became noticed by a Cleveland camera shop proprietor in the 1920s impressed with her unerring eye; soon, her architectural photographs have put her in the circles of influential men, including future husband Erskine Caldwell, all eager for her company. Story of a headstrong, independent woman would seem to be the perfect fit for Fawcett, though the filmmakers here are mostly interested in getting attractive shots of their star standing atop perilous structures or looking through her viewfinder. Period flavor fine, but substance is substituted for with gloss. One Emmy nomination: for Outstanding Sound Mixing. *1/2 from ****