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American Masters is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and others who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the United States.
Episode 9 : The Boomer List
September. 23,2014
From the time of its birth, the baby boomer generation (1946-1964) has significantly and uniquely changed our world. 2014 marks an important shift in American culture, as the last boomers turn 50. American Masters: The Boomer List, tells the story of this influential generation through the lives of 19 iconic boomers—one born each year of the baby boom:
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Episode 8 : Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
September. 23,2014
American Masters – Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work takes the audience on a year-long ride with Joan Rivers in her 76th year of life; it peels away the mask of an iconic comedian, laying bare both the struggle and thrill of living life as a groundbreaking female performer. The film by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg premieres September 23, 2014 at 10:30 pm on PBS (check local listings).
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Episode 7 : Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning
August. 29,2014
A profile of photographer Dorothea Lange (1895-1965), who captured iconic images of the Great Depression, Dust Bowl and WWII Japanese-American internment camps, by her granddaughter (and acclaimed cinematographer) Dyanna Taylor. The personal documentary incorporates family memories, journals, photos and film footage; interviews and vérité sequences of Lange at her Bay Area home studio, circa 1962-1965; and insights from family, friends and colleagues.
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Episode 6 : Tanaquil Le Clercq: Afternoon of a Faun
June. 20,2014
Tanaquil Le Clercq (1929–2000) was a star ballerina with the New York City Ballet who greatly influenced choreographers George Balanchine (her husband) and Jerome Robbins (her friend). Filmmaker Nancy Buirski spotlights Le Clercq’s ballet career, influence on dance, and her struggle with polio, which paralyzed her at the height of her fame.
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Episode 5 : Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton as Himself
May. 16,2014
Profiling George Plimpton (1927-2003), whose exploits in participatory journalism led to such fun reads as "Paper Lion" (about how he tried out for the Detroit Lions) and "Out of My League" (about his stint pitching to baseball all-stars). He also edited the literary journal Paris Review; hung out with U.S. presidents; and served as the Big Apple's (unofficial) fireworks commissioner. The documentary includes archival footage; and remarks from such notables as Robert Kennedy Jr. and Hugh Hefner.
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Episode 1 : Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did for Love
December. 27,2013
A profile of composer Marvin Hamlisch (1944-2012), featuring remarks from family and such friends as Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, Steven Soderbergh, Quincy Jones, Tim Rice, Christopher Walken, Joe Torre, Woody Allen, John Lithgow and Ann-Margret. Among his credits: the hits "The Way We Were" and "Nobody Does It Better"; and the scores for "The Sting," "Sophie's Choice" and the Broadway smash "A Chorus Line."
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