Documentaries
List activity
43 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
61 titles
- DirectorGeorge ScottStarsCarole KingEugenia KleinSidney N. KleinRare home movies, performances and photos help illustrate the life and career of songwriter-singer Carole King, from 1960s New York to Los Angeles in the 1970s to extensive present-day interviews with King and and those who know her best.
- 1985– 1h 25mTV-148.1 (150)TV EpisodeDirectorGary GiddinsKendrick SimmonsStarsLouis ArmstrongHattie WinstonMelvin Van PeeblesHome movies, film clips, and interviews provide insight into the remarkable life and career of jazz trumpeter and bandleader Louis Armstrong.
- DirectorRita CoburnBob HerculesStarsMaya AngelouJames BaldwinDiahann CarrollSinger, dancer, activist and writer Maya Angelou inspired generations with boundary-pushing African-American writings. Trace her incredible journey as she unwraps untold aspects of her life with rare footage, photographs and her own words.
- 1985– TV-147.4 (76)TV EpisodeDirectorJoe LauroStarsDavid BartholomewFats DominoCosimo MatassaThe New Orleans rhythm and blues of Fats Domino helped aid integration in the South.
- This episode page reflects the reshowing of the original title Janis: Little Girl Blue (2015) as part of the American Masters Series
- 1985– 1h 24mTV-PG8.2 (105)TV EpisodeDirectorHeidi EwingRachel GradyAnnette JollesStarsJohn AmosBea ArthurAdrienne BarbeauWith unprecedented access to Norman Lear, his work and his massive personal archives, this documentary combines stories from his turbulent childhood and early career with his groundbreaking TV success and social activism.
- An updated version of Mary McDonagh Murphy's documentary - Hey, Boo: Harper Lee and 'To Kill a Mockingbird' (2010). Renamed and originally aired on American Masters season 26 as 'Harper Lee: Hey, Boo' (2012).
- An updated version of Mary McDonagh Murphy's documentary - Hey, Boo: Harper Lee and 'To Kill a Mockingbird' (2010). Renamed and originally aired on American Masters season 26 as 'Harper Lee: Hey, Boo' (2012).
- An updated version of Mary McDonagh Murphy's documentary - Hey, Boo: Harper Lee and 'To Kill a Mockingbird' (2010). Renamed and originally aired on American Masters season 26 as 'Harper Lee: Hey, Boo' (2012).
- DirectorRex MillerStarsAlthea GibsonTennis champion Althea Gibson (1927-2003) was the unlikely queen of the segregated tennis world in the 1950s. She was the first African American to play and win at Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals (precursor of the U.S. Open).
- DirectorTimothy Greenfield-SandersStarsMadeleine AlbrightGloria AllredLaurie AndersonDirector Timothy Greenfield-Sanders spotlights 15 women who define contemporary American culture; included are Madeleine Albright, Margaret Cho, Edie Falco, Betsey Johnson, Alicia Keys, Nancy Pelosi, Rosie Perez and Wendy Williams.
- DirectorShane SalernoFilmmaker Shane Salerno reveals Salinger's private world: how WW II influenced his life and work, his painstaking writing methods, his many relationships with young women, and the literary secrets he left behind after his death.
- DirectorRobert TrachtenbergStarsLouis ArmstrongFred AstairePearl BaileyAmerican Masters looks at one of the most prolific entertainers in history; Bing Crosby. The special looks into his family life and into a career that spanned decades over film, music, and live entertainment.
- DirectorJames ErskineStarsPeaches BartkowiczRosie CasalsHillary ClintonThis documentary looks back to the 12-year-old southern California girl who played tennis on public courts, observed disparity and unfairness and, as she soared athletically, never stopped trying to remedy both.
- DirectorGail LevinStarsJoan AllenKaren AllenMartin Bell
- 1985– 1h 41mUnrated8.1 (136)TV Episode58MetascoreDirectorMorgan NevilleStarsLou AdlerPeter AsherPaul BodyA musical journey tracing the lives and careers of James Taylor and Carole King, pillars of the California singer/songwriter scene, which converged in and around LA's Troubadour Club in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
- DirectorJohn AntonelliStarsLou AdlerHerb AlpertJames BrownA documentary capturing the life of Sam Cooke.
- DirectorPeter AskinWhat the Stalin-stooges actually said at the time of the Hollywood Blacklist - spoken by some of today's greatest actors.
- 1985– 1h 26mNot Rated7.4 (145)TV EpisodeDirectorPeter RosenStarsPat DonahueRichard A. DworskyYvonne FreeseWidely admired and regarded as 'a modern day Mark Twain', Garrison Keillor has established himself as one of the most popular personalities in the American entertainment industry.
- DirectorMary WhartonStarsJoan BaezAlbert BaezPauline BaezAmerican Masters explores fifty years of folk legend and human rights activist Joan Baez
- Pete Seeger helped introduce America to its own musical heritage, devoting his life to using the power of song as a force for social change. With his deeply-held beliefs, Pete went from the top of the pop charts to the top of the blacklist
- 1985– 1h 23mTV-148.0 (121)TV EpisodeDirectorSam PollardStarsKim BrockingtonCab CallowayFrank Robertson Jr.Author Zora Neale Hurston died in poverty in 1960 but today her novels are read throughout the world. Her controversial life story is explored in this biopic.
- DirectorSam PollardStarsJesse L. MartinWhen Marvin Gaye died in 1984, he left behind one of the great legacies in American music.
- 1985– 3h 48mTV-147.7 (301)TV EpisodeDirectorRichard SchickelStarsClint EastwoodSusan OrleanJohn BarrymoreDocumentary about the first 85 years of Warner Bros. Studios, with scenes from hundreds of films that reflect the values, morals and attitudes of several generations, especially in the United States.
- 1985– TV-PG8.4 (157)TV EpisodeDirectorKyra ThompsonStarsCarol BurnettBetty WhiteKenny SolmsAt 10pm every Saturday night, in living rooms and bedrooms across the country, Americans watched The Carol Burnett Show. For 11 years, this wacky performer yelled like Tarzan and won our hearts, with her edgy always sympathetic characters.
- DirectorIan A. HuntStarsAndré 3000Eden AhbezPearl BaileyEdited version of an 89 minute UK documentary on the life of the singer with recollections from family, friends, and famous fans.
- 1985– 1h 37mTV-147.2 (180)TV EpisodeDirectorSam PollardStarsPeter BogdanovichHarry Carey Jr.Harry CareyJohn Ford and John Wayne - a friendship and professional collaboration that spanned 50 years, changed each others' lives, changed the movies, and in the process, changed the way America saw itself.
- 1985– 1h 25mTV-147.6 (147)TV EpisodeDirectorPeter FrumkinStarsPeter CoyoteRick SharpRobin WileyHear the story of Woody Guthrie's creative energy, personal imperfections and family tragedy.
- DirectorGail LevinStarsEve ArnoldCecil BeatonPatricia BosworthExplores Monroe as the icon of the 20th century via photography, perhaps, her greatest "love affair".
- 1985– TV-148.4 (113)TV EpisodeDirectorCatherine TatgeStarsSpiro AgnewMenachem BeginBen BradleeHe was the man who told us that President Kennedy had been shot, the man who told us that we had put a man on the moon, and the man who told us that we couldn't win the war in Vietnam. For 20 years he anchored the evening news on CBS.
- DirectorKyra ThompsonStarsTim ConwayLawrence J. EpsteinStephen C. GrossmanShy and unassuming, the "Dean of Deadpan" exploded on the comedy scene in 1960. Over the years, Newhart's cool, calculated routines became part of Americana, from his one-way telephone conversations to the "nervous monologue" sketch.
- 1985– 1h 24mTV-148.0 (93)TV EpisodeDirectorStanley NelsonStarsArnaéYsaye M. BarnwellNitanju Bolade CaselThis uplifting musical doc explores the powerful legacy of the beloved African-American female acapella group as they embark on their 30th anniversary tour.
- DirectorGail LevinStarsMark RydellMartin LandauEli WallachDocumentary exploring the life and career of James Dean.
- 1985– TV-147.4 (566)TV EpisodeDirectorBarbara LeibovitzStarsMikhail BaryshnikovGraydon CarterHillary ClintonAnnie Leibovitz enrolled in the San Francisco Art Institute intent on studying painting. It was not until she traveled to Japan with her mother after her sophomore year that she discovered her interest in taking photographs.
- 1985– 1h 23mPG-137.1 (1.6K)TV Episode71MetascoreDirectorSydney PollackStarsFrank GehrySydney PollackJulian SchnabelA look at the life and work of the renown architect.
- 1985– 4hTV-147.8 (422)TV Episode86MetascoreDirectorRic BurnsStarsLaurie AndersonIrving BlumDeVeren BookwalterRic Burns unearths rarely seen footage and offers keen observations on the life and artistic influence of Andy Warhol.
- 1985– 1h 30mTV-148.0 (100)TV EpisodeDirectorJoel GeyerStarsJoan AcocellaWilla CatherRichard GiannoneCather had the great good fortune to have lived among the first generation of white settlers in 1880's Nebraska, and she gives witness to their time and place in such a way that American literature will never forget them.
- 1985– 1h 30mTV-146.2 (119)TV EpisodeDirectorDeWitt SageStarsKate BurtonJames NaughtonHemingway was an American journalist, novelist, short-story writer, and sportsman. His economical and understated style-which he termed "the iceberg theory" had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction.
- 1985– 3h 28mNot Rated8.4 (12K)TV EpisodeDirectorMartin ScorseseStarsBob DylanB.J. RolfzenDick KangasA chronicle of Bob Dylan's strange evolution between 1961 and 1966 from folk singer to protest singer to "voice of a generation" to rock star.
- DirectorJeremy MarreStarsDan AykroydAfrika BambaataaJames Brown"The Hardest-Working Man in Show Business," "Soul Brother Number One," "the Godfather of Soul," - in whatever guise, James Brown is unquestionably one of the most charismatic musical icons of the 20th century.
- DirectorRobert TrachtenbergStarsHelen MirrenJeremy NorthamCary GrantAmerican Masters explores the life and career of Cary Grant (born Archie Leach) with celebrity interviews.
- DirectorSusan LacyStarsHarris YulinJune AllysonDel ArmstrongActress Judy Garland tells her own story through recordings she made while preparing to write her autobiography.
- 1985– 1h 24mTV-147.7 (82)TV EpisodeDirectorSteven CantorStarsWillie NelsonHe's been instrumental in shaping both country and pop music, yet his appeal crosses all social and economic lines. Sometimes he's called an outlaw, though it is Willie Nelson who brings us together.
- DirectorDeWitt SageStarsLaura LinneyAmy IrvingWilliam SandlerThe dreams that all came true for Scott Fitzgerald - once he was in his grave.
- DirectorPamela Mason WagnerStarsEdie AdamsCynthia AdlerDesi Arnaz Jr.For more than 30 years, Lucille Ball was one of the most recognized and loved entertainers in the world. Known to all simply as Lucy, she portrayed a scatterbrained housewife with the ability to turn simple chores into humorous disasters.
- DirectorJeremy MarreStarsRita MarleyBob MarleyProfile of the life and music of the legendary reggae singer.
- 1985– 1h 26mTV-147.6 (391)TV EpisodeDirectorMichael EpsteinStarsGene HackmanAlfred HitchcockDavid O. SelznickWith Hitchcock's career just beginning and Selznick's on the decline, the final year of their collaboration would mark turning points in both men's lives.
- A documentary about American artist Norman Rockwell, featuring his biography accompanied with opinions by the artist's son, movie director Steven Spielberg, two of the artist's models, and art critics.
- 1985– TV-147.5 (141)TV EpisodeDirectorCharlotte ZwerinStarsElla FitzgeraldCount BasieTony BennettThrough fifty-eight years of performing, thirteen Grammys and more than forty million records sold, she elevated swing, bebop, and ballads to their highest potential. She was, undeniably, the First Lady of Song.
- 1985– 55mTV-147.9 (156)TV EpisodeDirectorLee GrantStarsAkihitoJames BaldwinJanet G. BostwickThe actor discusses his life and career, with recollections from friends and colleagues.
- 1985– TV-148.3 (14)TV EpisodeDirectorChuck WorkmanWhen Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs met in New York City in the 1940's, they had no intention of starting a social revolution. According to Ginsberg, "We were just trying to propose our own souls to ourselves."
- 1985– 1h 30mTV-147.7 (240)TV EpisodeDirectorSusan LacyStarsLee GrantRod SerlingMitchell GreenbergThe life and career of the renowned television writer and creator of the classic science fiction series, "The Twilight Zone."
- DirectorSusan LacySusan SteinbergStarsPaul SimonArt GarfunkelMiriam MakebaIn the 1960's, Paul Simon's moving lyric "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was an anthem for a generation. With Art Garfunkel he made moving testaments to the times, fusing folk and rock music.
- 1985– TV-147.0 (78)TV EpisodeDirectorDennis PowersStarsEllen BurstynFrank CorsaroLee GrantFor the past fifty years, the Old Labor Stage on 44th street in New York City has been home to some of the most inventive acting, directing, and playwrighting in the country.
- DirectorYvonne SmithStarsRay CharlesBilly JoelQuincy JonesThey call him the "genius" and they call him the "father of soul." With perfect pitch and an expressive voice, he combines jazz, country, rhythm and blues, and gospel to break your heart or make you dance. His name is Ray Charles.
- 1985– 56mTV-147.8 (145)TV EpisodeDirectorAllan AlbertStarsBobby ShortRichard AdlerFred AstaireBiographical portrait of one of Broadway's most brilliant songwriters. Told through the use of archival material and interviews with the rich and famous that knew him, this portrait concentrates on his career and his public life events.
- 1985– 59mTV-146.6 (123)TV EpisodeDirectorGary GiddinsStarsRebecca DavisLeonard FeatherDizzy GillespieAt age eleven, he had just begun to play the saxophone. At age twenty he was leading a revolution in modern jazz music. Today, Charlie "Yardbird" Parker is considered one of the great musical innovators of the 20th century.
- 1985– 1hTV-147.7 (105)TV EpisodeDirectorCathe NeukumStarsAretha FranklinC.L. FranklinCarolyn FranklinAretha Franklin's recording career is examined through archival footage and interviews with family and prominent figures within the music industry.
- A look at Buster Keaton, an early star of film comedies.
- 1985– TV-148.8 (65)TV EpisodeDirectorAndy HarriesThroughout his career, Truman Capote remained one of America's most controversial and colorful authors, combining literary genius with a penchant for the glittering world of high society.
- 1985– 1h 30mTV-147.9 (80)TV EpisodeDirectorJohn JeremyStarsBillie HolidayMilt HintonPeter O'BrienConsidered by many to be the greatest jazz vocalist of all time, Billie Holiday lived a tempestuous and difficult life. Her singing expressed an incredible depth of emotion that spoke of hard times and injustice as well as triumph.