3 comments about Biography - General Douglas MacArthur.

1. What a joke. General Douglas MacArthur's contributions to victory in World War II are slight at best! If you want to know the truth about this man and what his accomplishments (or lack thereof) REALLY were, as well as what is taught in the military acadamies of this country, try reading some of the biographies about MacArthur that go beyond the surface. Want an example? How about letting the largest concentration of B-17 bombers west of Pearl Harbor be destroyed ON THE GROUND! Nearly 18 hours passed between the time Pearl Harbor was attacked and this man did NOTHING. His career throughout World War II is full of similar instances that cost lives, money and the foreign policy of the United States. He was against the leap-frogging policy that the he later claimed as his own idea by using the baseball phrase "hit-em where they ain't!" He fought hard against that idea until he saw that it worked. He was also against the whip-saw strategy of attack in the pacific. There are other books (Eric Larrabee's "Commander in Chief" is the best) that de-myth the mythical general. Don't buy this video! The people responsible for it should be ashamed for the poor and shameful job in not finding the truth about this man and instead, they took the easy way out in putting this superficial "biography" together. It is full of lies and distortions. A&E, you really should be ashamed!



2. It's so very easy to condem someone. Let's just take a moment to look at the BIG Picture. MacArthur was a human being if I remember correctly. We all have our weak moments. Humans some times do make mistakes and he did make a few serious mistakes. If your not biased or overly prejudice, then look at the Real complete FACTS and Big picture of MacArthur. Let us not attempt to twist and distort the true facts. Let us read the whole historical book not just one or two small paragraphs in the book. If you want to take something out of context, then just read one or two paragraphs about someone's few mistakes. Just read the facts about this Great Great man purely from a historical view point. Gerneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur, dispite a few of his human short commings was not an Angel as some may believe. He was though, a True Military Genius in every sense of the word!
   The man really had his moments of True Genius. A truly brilliant man and leader. Oh, leaders do make a few mistakes, but General Douglas MacArthur made so many great and intelligent decisions during world war II, Korea and in Japan that his human mistakes prior to WWII were blown into oblivion where they belong. His great decisions out weighed 100,000 times over and above the mistakes he made prior to WWII. Any one who can read and write and is not ignorant can easily see this. You would have to be deaf dumb and blind to read only one paragraph in a book and JUDGE a book only by its' cover, as some people are so happy to do. Gerneral Douglas MacArthur was really a true military genius and great leader who I have the greatest respect and admiration for. He was the best of the best Gernerals this country ever had. He was a God given gift to this great country and to Japan after the war ended.



3. Plain and simply a man who stood behind
   his words, and his military actions spo-
   ke even louder! Bravo to A & E again!

2 comments about Biography - Mozart.

1. Born into a family surrounded by music, Mozart was like many of today prodiges, with one exception... he excelled at what he did inspite of his father's ruthless treatment and pursued music because he truly felt it with his soul. Beautiful footage, historically accurate and filled with the wonderful splendor of Mozart's music, this video brings you in touch with the very soul that Mozart put into his music. Starting with his very first piano sonata at the age of six, which made his father realize his child's genius, to the funeral piece he was working on at the time of his death, we see a man with a burning soul to express his feelings and thoughts through his music. A genius tortured by emotional unrest, yet married to a very beautiful and loving wife, Mozart shows us that the dynamics of genius are truly unique to the genius himself and can only be expressed in the most unique of fashions, in his case his music. This production is appropriate in it's coverage, length of time and is filled with the thoughts of todays most celebrated pianists, violinists and conductors, all of whom share the same passion for Mozart's music as for no other master musician since his days.



2. I teach music 4-6 and made a study sheet to go along with this DVD. Wow! I could not believe how my students responded. There was much discussion after each session of the DVD. My students are now using the study sheet to write their own report on this composer. This was wonderful!

No comments about Biography - Edgar Cayce.

4 comments about Biography: Elizabeth Montgomery.

1. This is an excellent video about Elizabeth Montgomery, one of the greatest actress american television ever had ! Samantha Stephens, the main role of Liz in the long running serie "Bewitched" (1964-1972) was of course her most popular role, but in this tape, we can find the story of her debut in 1951, of her relation with her father, actor Robert Montgomery, her marriage with actor Gig Young, then with William Asher, the director of "Bewitched", and with actor Robert Foxworth. We discover also the "political" woman she was, defending people's rights, women's rights and gays's rights (her close friend actor Dick Sargent was gay). She was not afraid to walk in the streets with a rainbow flag and to be "Grand Marshall" at the Gay Parade in Los Angeles in the nineties... We also find here her work after "Bewitched", in many TV-Movies, from the excellent "A case of Rape" in 1974 to "Deadline for Murder" in april 1995, one month before her death at the age of 62 years old. Elizabeth Montgomery was a wonderful actress, an this biography can help you to discover that !



2. Quite possibly one of the most underrated actresses ever, Elizabeth Montgomery left behind an indelible body of work that not only entertains, but amazes us. This A&E "Biography" piece of the lady who is best remembered, of course, as contemporary witch Samanatha Stevens, gives us a more thorough look at the enchantress who (career-wise) traded her broomstick for an axe and endured a savage rape not once, but twice, in a risky TV movie that commanded a national dialogue. We see a young Elizabeth at odds with her legendary actor father, Robert Montgomery, steadily establishing her own identity as an actress. Along the way, though, she enters into a violent marriage with a physically abusive and alcoholic husband (Gig Young) before marrying the man (Bill Asher) who would be with her in forging her most recognizeable public personna. But after "Bewitched," Ms. Montgomery takes on the challenge of being a victim of rape ("A Case of Rape"), and it's tough to think of Samantha being raped instead of twitching and sending her assailant into the stratosphere. Another unusual but successful career move was playing the suspected spinster axe-killer in "The Legend of Lizzie Borden." From there, the documentary takes us through Ms. Montgomery's numerous later TV movies up to and including the last one just weeks before her sad and premature death in 1995 of cancer. But we also see Ms. Montgomery as a rights advocate, marching for gay rights and against nuclear proliferation. It is unfortunate that this talented and humane lady hasn't really gotten her just due, but this "Biography" profile is a respectful start.



3. This was an eye opening biography into the life of Elizabeth. I have loved her for many years, as bewitched. I had also seen her in other movies, I must praise her in "The Lizzie Borden Movie". This bio, is wonderful! It shows footage from Elizabeth as a child until the end. I had always considered her as a funny, lovable, and wonderful actress. This bio also hits on her strong points, she had tremendous strengths and values. You will truly see her shine, as one of the all time talented and beloved actress's that she was! You will not be disappointed with this bio. WE LOVE AND MISS YOU LIZ!!



4. This Biography is one of my all time favorites. I really enjoy the interviews with Elizabeth's children and (ex)husbands, as well as the candid photos from her childhood. Most people remember Elizabeth for ethereal portrayal of Samantha Stephens, but she was one of Hollywood's hardest working women carrying a hit show with two inspired characters (Samantha and Serena), while being married to the director and raising three children. This Biography shows how Elizabeth never went back to her sweet and lovely portrayal of Samantha. She took on serious issues in her TV movie work and her charitable endeavors. She was looked over for an Emmy many times and never found her nitch in feature film, yet she reamins many peoples favorite actress of all time. A true talent!

No comments about Biography - Buffalo Bill.

2 comments about Biography - Milton Hershey: The Chocolate King.

1. A & E does a terrific job of telling the story of Milton Hershey. He was one of America's truly great entrepreneurs. He made excellent quality chocolate available to the common man when previously only the rich could afford it. He cared for his employees' quality of life and well being at a time when business owners were known to be ruthless and abused their workers. This is a great video and I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever enjoyed a piece of chocolate! The video moves fast, and is fascinating, motivating, as well as informative.



2. What a success story, and what a great benefactor to the town of Hershey and surrounding area. Great to see what a caring person can do to bring work and pride to an area.

No comments about 20th Century with Mike Wallace - Born to Kill: Jeffrey Dahmer & Ted Bundy.

1 comments about Biography - Theodore Roosevelt: Roughrider to Rushmore.

1. IN A NUTSHELL: A 50 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY THAT HITS THE SALIENT POINTS
   
   This is a good video to watch if you don't feel up to the 4 hour 'AMERICAN EXPERIENCE - TEDDY ROOSEVELT' PBS HOME VIDEO. In fairness to 'Theodore Roosevelt: Roughrider to Rushmore', A&E has packed quite alot of history into 50 minutes. The following topics are touched on;
   
   - THE ROUGH RIDERS
   - THE PANAMA CANAL
   - THE CONSERVATION MOVEMENT
   - TR's 'TRUST-BUSTING' LITIGATIONS AGAINST BIG BUSINESS, including J.P. MORGAN
   - NY STATE ASSEMBLY - POLICE COMMISSIONER - GOVERNOR - VP - PRESIDENT, & MORE
   
   It is probably impossible to find out more about T.R. in 50 minutes than through this excellent and historically accurate video. Nevertheless, I would still recommend viewing the 'AMERICAN EXPERIENCE - TEDDY ROOSEVELT' PBS HOME VIDEO, if you want to see more about his early years and family/personal life.
   
   BOTTOM LINE: THE FLAVOR OF T.R. CLEARLY COMES ACROSS
   
   This film imparts one with the sense that T.R. was much more than a carricature. A very decent man, T.R. may have been the first President to actively attempt social reform and universal fairness in a big way and paved the way for others to follow and go further.

3 comments about Hail Caesar: Julius Caesar - Master of.

1. This video on the life of Julius Caesar is light information for the buyer that wants to know basic facts spiced with historiccally biased but interesting semi-facts.

   Anyway, I don't want to sound too critical I did enjoy the video though it failed to capture the true greatness of Caesar. One should not expect dsicussions on battles in ancient history nor on the policy of Clemens the shortage of food in the civil war aera but fora light overwiew that granted does not do the great man justice one couls certainly buy this as well as the one's on Trajan,Hadrian,Constantine and so on., so "Ambition should be made of sterner stuff", but ok.




2. I have bought several tapes from this outfit on Rome, but unhappily at the same time, otherwise I would have saved my money. I've been reading about this period for over 20 years and have over a thousand books in my library by the best historians. These videos are very poor and not researched well. I am just disappointed that stuff like this could be put out as history by a supposedly respected organization.



3. Julius Caesar was master of the Roman world, but this video falls somewhat short in bringing that fact to light. It is a decent production, and it does document his rise to political power, but his career was so fascinating that a program which is less than an hour in length hardly begins to cover all the bases. Caesar is unquestionably one of the biggest and boldest figures in history - this video needs to be at least twice as long, and maybe more, to give the subject a thorough review.

1 comments about Biography - Alice Faye.

1. This video has been set out in a great format. Alice was the most beautiful star of the mid thirties to early forties, with a voice to match. OK she was not in the same class as Great Actresses "Bette Davis & Katherine Hepburn" but they couldn't sing. This video shows Alice's early life in "Hell's Kitchen", with many Photo's & clips of her singing from her many films. Friends & family comment on her life, which is a great tribute to Alice as this was produced before leaving us all in 1998. I hope the studio's who own the rights to her films decide to bring out a few more of her films on video, under the heading of " The Feel Good Movies " as after seeing one of her movies this is how you felt. What more could one say.