1 comments about Biography - Thurgood Marshall.

1. If you are a fan of African-American history and know the importance of Justice Marshall, then not much is new here. However, this documentary would be great for those unfamiliar with him, especially African-American young students. Not only did he help to end legalized segregation, but he had many wonderful qualities. He was a great speaker, an awesome writer, a hard worker, and devoted family man, and much more. He was the valedictorian of his law class and had judicial experience, so conservatives cannot maintain that yap-yap that he "wasn't qualified." This documentary reiterates what a hero he should be to many.
   According to Rachel Moran, most interracial couples are made of one person of color and one white person. Interracial couples composed of two people of color do not get enough coverage in the United States. Many people have forgotten that P. Diddy was with J. Lo. Many people do not know that Carlos Santana's wife is African American. So this documentary shows Justice Marshall's Asian-American wife, but never lists her ethnicity. (Was she Thai-American?) It never mentions if they had difficulties living as a Black-Asian couple. The couple's sons are interviewed and they have visible Asian features. I wonder if the documentary makers assumed that Asianness speaks for itself here. Still, this is an avenue that they should have explored, especially in light of the celebration of multiculturalism and mixed-race families, yet they did not.
   This documentary includes interviews from Blacks and whites, women and men. It turns out that Juan Williams wrote Marshall's biography. I had only known of him as a journalist. I am impressed that he could complete such a difficult task, unrelated to his typical work.
   This documentary only says, "Justice Marshall wished he could have seen another Democratic President" and then it mentions that he died a few days after President Clinton's inauguration. However, what really happened is that Marshall wished he could have retired under a Democratic presidency, so that another progressive or person of color could be named as his replacement. I had always heard that Marshall was emphatically irked that Clarence Thomas got his seat. So this idea that he died with everything to his satisfaction is false. Again, the Biography series waters down progressive politics, probably to appease Middle Americans and their embrace of the Right. I found this spin in the documentary very cowardice.
   Do see this work if you get the chance.

No comments about Biography - Chiang Kai-Shek.

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No comments about Biography - Marshall Fields.

No comments about Biography - Larry Flynt.

No comments about Biography - Neiman Marcus.

1 comments about Biography - Carmen Miranda.

1. This Amazing video will take you back into the life one of the best dancers and singers of all times Carmen Miranda! She is the Latin American Bomb shell for her attributes and her voice this four feet eight inches tall beauty capture the heart and soul of America in a time of war. This video truly shows how the life and history of Carmen came about from her first steps in Brasil to her last days in America.

1 comments about Bing Crosby.

1. This is a standard made-for-TV biography, but it has some excellent elements to it. There is an abundance of little-known film footage of Bing which really enhances the presentation. They include fan footage of Crosby at the horse races at Del Mar and Santa Anita and some behind the scenes footage of Hope and Crosby at charity events, on the Paramount lot and playing golf. There isn't a great deal of actual clips from Bing's movies pre-1950, which is a trifle disappointing. There is virtually no clips of him singing life, except a brief clip of him in London, entertaining the troops in 1944.

   The interviews are interesting, though not terribly revealing. Rosemary Clooney has the most depth and explains Bing's notorious reticence and distance from other people. She says he relaxed more in later years with his second family. Kathryn Crosby is also shown, though her remarks on Bing are short and she says little new. None of his children from his marriage to Dixie or Kathryn is interviewed. We are thankfully spared commentary from Gary Crosby and the "Bing beat his kids" angle is not focused. There's too much emphasis on Bing's later life, probably because they can pad the story with clips from various 60's TV shows. I'd have liked to see more material on his early career with the Rhythm Boys, Whiteman and the Philco radio show, but the program is a solid effort. If you're a Crosby fan, you'll find much to praise here.

1 comments about Hail Caesar: Nero - Power and the.

1. At last! A presentation on Nero which shows his better side as well as the atrocities. Nero wasn't a good boy for most of his life, but he wasn't all bad or always bad, and this video includes his early career and better efforts. Using actual busts and statues shows that he wasn't the grossly fat, slavering monster so often depicted. This video also reminds us that while he certainly used the real estate made available by the Great Fire of July 64, he didn't start it as so much propaganda has claimed. Thanks to A and E for presenting a balanced view.

No comments about Hail Caesar: Augustus - First of the.