“Backstory”

The 411: American Movie Classics premieres this documentary series on vintage movies Saturday at 2:30 and 9 p.m. by examining the making of “Bonnie and Clyde.”

Who’s Who: Written and directed by David Schiff, it features interviews with the 1967 film’s actors (Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman, Estelle Parsons) and director (Arthur Penn). Series executive producers are Marc Juris and Jessica Falcon. Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato are executive producers of the series’ premiere episode.

Get a Clue: The half-hour weekly series dishes behind-the-scenes dirt on classic films, in this case the hit based on the Depression-era bank-robbing crime spree of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. Tidbit from the opener: Warner Bros. head Jack Warner called “Bonnie and Clyde’s” first cut “too brutal and weird”; early reviews of the movie, which got 10 Oscar nominations, were atrocious.

The Past: AMC did a test run of “Backstory” this past spring using the 1953 romantic comedy “Roman Holiday” before committing to a series.

The Future: The making of “Norma Rae” hits Aug. 19, “The Seven Year Itch” on Aug. 26 and “The Longest Day” on Sept. 2.

Pause for Thought:

Director Arthur Penn said, “Warren Beatty was very influential in my doing the film. We had worked together before [on “Mickey One”]. So he really came and got me and made me go to work. The visual ideas for the film--the things that made it so new--were essentially in my head before I got out to where we were filming . . . based on many conversations [with the writers]. . . . I think [the look of the film] took people by surprise. It was different in style from American films that had been made up to that point. It threw them. They were somewhat offended by it I think--certainly at Warner Bros. There is a time for a film, and that was the time for that film. It suited the times perfectly, and for that I think Warren gets the credit.”