Rudy Behlmer was born and raised in San Francisco, California. He has had a strong interest in the history and evolution of motion pictures since childhood when he began filming his own miniature dramas. He served two years in the Naval Air Corps, then was a Theatre Arts major at Los Angeles City College and Pasadena Playhouse College. He began his career with KLAC-TV (now KCOP-TV) in Hollywood as a stage manager. Two years later he became a staff director there, leaving to direct network television shows. For twenty-one years he was a producer and vice-president for Leo Burnett U.S.A. Following 'Movies' Golden Age' (1961), a syndicated TV special he produced, directed and edited, Behlmer started researching and writing articles on various aspects of film history. One project - a career piece on producer David O. Selznick - led indirectly to his book Memo from David O. Selznick (1972), followed by nine other books as well as a great many magazine articles and booklets to accompany film music recordings. Behlmer has also contributed to a wide variety of documentaries, videos, DVDs, and laser discs about Hollywood's Golden Age. For many years he lectured weekly on film subjects at Cal State University, Northridge, and Art Center College of Design, Pasadena. Behlmer is a longtime member of the Directors Guild of America where he has guest-lectured on different occasions. He has also guest-lectured at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the University of Southern California, etc.

Assistant director Reggie Callow recounts what it was like to work on such celebrated films as Gone with the Wind, Rebecca, Mutiny on the Bounty, and The Sound of Music, recalling the work of filmmakers Alfred Hitchcock, David O. Selznick, Michael Curtiz, John Huston, Carol Reed, Lewis Milestone, and Robert Wise.