Hollywood High

Too many R.I.P. headlines this year, but we don't want to miss the October passing of two of the most entertaining figures who connect us back to old Hollywood.

Robert Evans was in his mid-30s when he took over Paramount at the dawn of the American New Wave in the 1960s. The 2002 documentary "The Kid Stays in the Picture," which he narrated in that trademark gravelly voice, is one of the most memorable memoirs ever brought to the screen. Variety had a detailed obituary. Evans helmed or produced such era classics at "Bonnie & Clyde," "Rosemary's Baby," "Harold & Maude," "The Godfather," and "Chinatown." By the mid-'70s his movies and their stars were elbowing each other for awards. He was married seven times, was convicted of drug charges and perfectly encapsulated the transition from Hollywood's golden era to its decadent cocaine-fueled frenzy of the New Wave. He was 89.

A year ago we caught the highly entertaining documentary "Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood." In retrospect, it probably deserves a grade higher than a B. Scotty Bowers, the endlessly charming subject of that film, died at the ripe old age of 96. We found him to be "an engaging subject, full of stories." The Hollywood Reporter sent him off with an obit.

Those two documentaries are worth tracking down.