DOCUMENTARIES

Our Films

DOCUMENTARIES

On the subject of storytelling, a wise person told me, “Character equals narrative.” A documentary includes elements pulled from thousands of sources. Our goal is a seamless presentation of words and images, where interviews appear to be having conversations with each other, and all archival and original footage appears to have been made just for our film. The narrative voice connects dots in search of one another.

Fortunate Sons - 2024

Coming Soon! a feature-length documentary about the 1974 graduating class of the Harvard School for Boys, then a private school for sons of the Los Angeles elite. Their lives, friendships, and personal challenges from military training in 7th grade, through decades of pop culture and wrenching social changes, to a 50th reunion in 2024 make for a powerful statement of what it means to be male in America.

All Man Movie poster- a model laying on the ground

ALL MAN: The International Male Story

ALL MAN: The International Male Story journeys across three decades of the catalog’s unlikely but lasting impact on fashion, masculinity, and sexuality in America. Gene Burkard, a once-closeted Midwesterner and GI, found freedom in San Diego, where he transformed men’s fashion into something cosmopolitan, carefree and trend-setting. International Male reached gay and straight customers alike as it redefined images of masculinity in American culture, generating revenue and circulation in the millions.

This character-driven documentary crafts a portrait of a band of outsiders who changed the way men would look - at themselves, at each other and how the world would look at them. This is their story - a modern day fairy tale about a dream that really did come true.

Johnny Carson: King of Late Night

A documentary film by two-time Emmy-winning filmmaker Peter Jones about the life of American television talk show host Johnny Carson. It is narrated by Kevin Spacey, and aired on PBS on May 14, 2012, as part of their American Masters series.

Stardust: The Bette Davis Story

The film career of Bette Davis, the most gifted and versatile actress to emerge from the Hollywood studio system, includes a collection of portrayals that offers an unparalleled glimpse into the psyche of the 20th century woman. Narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon, Stardust: The Bette Davis Story takes the audience on a psychological treasure hunt for the soul of a person so buried in contradiction and self-styled legend that fact and fiction became indistinguishable.

INVENTING LA: The Chandlers and Their Times

Inventing LA employs unprecedented access to the family and The Times’ archives which span the century that Harrison Gray Otis, Harry Chandler, Norman Chandler, and Otis Chandler stood at the helm of the newspaper and at the center of the city’s economic, social and cultural growth. A character-driven film, it traces the ruthless, ingenious and often self-serving methods by which four publishers used the newspaper to turn a tiny town into a world metropolis.

Blue Sky Metropolis

An epic 4-part series that traces the 20th century emergence of Southern California as the aviation and aerospace capital of the world.

Angeleno

In the spirit of NPR’s This American Life and Storycorps, Angeleno is a character-driven documentary series that explores the many identities of multicultural Los Angeles.

Judy Garland: Beyond the Rainbow

A clear-eyed portrait of one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century. A deeply troubled human being plagued by failed marriages and drug addiction, Judy had a preternatural resilience that left her fans forever in awe of her gifts and ability to laugh at herself.

PJP Reel

A quick look at the award-winning documentaries we make here at Peter Jones Productions.

ADDITIONAL TITLES

AWARDS

Primetime Emmy - Stardust: The Bette Davis Story (2006) 

Primetime Emmy - Judy Garland: Beyond the Rainbow (1997)
Peabody Award - Inventing LA: The Chandlers and Their Times (2009)

Producers Guild of America - Producer of the Year Award (2002) 

Producers Guild of America - Producer of the Year Award (1997)

 Telly Award - Angeleno - “Dreamer” (2018)

 Telly Award - Angeleno Series (2017) 

Telly Award - Angeleno - “Light vs. Dark” (2016) 

Telly Award - Angeleno - “Portraits” (2016)

 Telly Award - Angeleno - “Healers” (2016) 

Telly Award - Carson: King of Late Night (2013) 

Telly Award - Inventing LA: The Chandlers and Their Times (2010)

 Telly Award - Glorious Technicolor (1999) 

CINE Golden Eagle Award - Stardust: The Bette Davis Story (2007)

Our Films

DOCUMENTARIES

AWARDS

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