This Is Joan Collins

Fun documentary about Joan Collins, who, 30 years after entering films became one if the biggest stars in the world as Dynasty's Alexis Carrington.

We see Joan in the beginning instructing the camera on the light - "see, this light is much better." And she should know!

Joan narrates her own story here with bluntness and a lot of humor, including a story about her appalling first marriage to actor Maxwell Reed. On a talk show, she said he had been her favorite actor. When asked what happened on her wedding night, she said, "not much." Four marriages and three children followed.

Joan's affairs, her marriages, her children, her work - she goes through it all in lively detail and great footage.

You come away with knowing she loves being Joan Collins. It's definitely been a blast.

There comes a point in this documentary in which, talking about her stint at Fox in the 1950s, Joan Collins says she was a utility star: she got the part when a bigger star didn't want it. That pretty much sums up her career as recounted in this BBC documentary, in between the affairs and marriages, accompanied by film clips of other glamorous stars.

One of the compensations in not being the supernova is that you don't burn yourself out. You can work forever, following the natural course from Juliet to Lady Capulet to the Nurse. Also, every once in a while, you get the job because you haven't priced yourself out of the market, or because you can convince your sister to turn her best-seller into a screenplay that you can flog with a juicy role for yourself. Plus, there's the chance you get the role that turns you into a true star for a bit.

That's what happened to Miss Collins when she was cast in Dynasty, even though she notes that she was probably third or fourth choice. Being a utility star means you get to play a wide range of roles, and when one of them clicks, you make some hay while the sun shines. Otherwise, it's a typical life, with highs, lows, and an outsized appreciation of how to look good for the camera.

Well, that was nothing but fun! And considering that the subject of this most entertaining of show biz docs never came close to making a great film and damn few good ones, while competing for 80s TV schlock monarch with Larry Hagman, the reason must lie not with Ms. Collins' career, and certainly not with her four rather schlubby ex husbands, but with the amusing, chatty, occasionally bitchy, more frequently insightful and blessedly unpretentious personality of the dame herself. Give it a B.

Top 5 tidbits/anecdotes (in no particular order):

1) RFK propositioning her 2) Marilyn M warning her away from Zanuck 3) John Forsythe insisting in his contract on center billing on all "Dynasty" PR shots 4) Brando having no respect for his craft (somehow, I always suspected this) 5) Richard Burton as the mother of all skirt chasers.

I must admit I only knew Joan Collins superficially before watching this, but I am glad I did watch it as her story was really well told whilst at the same time giving you a flavour of the eras she has lived through. I was aghast at the sleaziness and lack of morals that was rife amongst the film stars and moviehouse bosses of the golden age of Hollywood. I never thought I'd find Joan Collins inspirational, but she truly is! There is something inherently likeable about her, good-natured mischief, eyes that sparkle with life and joy. I think that's a wonderful way to be, to live life to the fullest. To think that her career started in the early 1950s is pretty amazing to be honest.

Joan Collins is fun. She is also a survivor. She survived the studio system, the casting couch, many career and personal ups and downs and several relationships with men who were not nice.

Of course this is about her and from her perspective only. She seems pretty open about her foibles, her mistakes and her actions.

Joan is as fun as she is on the screen. She has a sense of humor about herself and her life.

This was surprisingly uplifting and inspirational. If glamorous, charismatic, fiesty and talented Joan Collins has to face life's constant punches, you realize everyone does. Don't take is personally just soldier on the best you can.