American Masters
Season 23
2009 • 8 Episodes
Episodes
1. Jerome Robbins: Something to Dance About
February 18, 2009
The work of the American dance pioneer and choreographer who brought ballet techniques to the Broadway stage.
2. Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
April 8, 2009
Scott Hicks' acclaimed 2007 film on a year in the life of the modern experimental composer.
3. Hollywood Chinese
May 27, 2009
From the first Chinese-American film produced in 1916, to Ang Lee's triumphant Brokeback Mountain nine decades later, this films brings together a group of actors, writers, directors -- and iconic film images -- to examine Chinese contributions to an industry that was often ignorant and dismissive about race. Such artists as Wayne Wang, Joan Chen, David Henry Hwang, Nancy Kwan and Amy Tan share their experiences of being "the other." These stories and film clips from more than 90 films -- some dating back to the 1890s -- weave a rich tapestry and complex history.
4. Neil Young: Don't Be Denied
June 10, 2009
The work of the legendary rock musician and his artistic and intellectual transitions over the decades.
5. Garrison Keillor: The Man on the Radio in the Red Shoes
July 1, 2009
A retrospective on the famed radio personality and author centering on A Prairie Home Companion.
6. Trumbo
September 2, 2009
An account of Dalton Trumbo, a powerful motion picture screenwriter who refused to succumb to the stigma of the Hollywood "blacklist" and rose to prominence once again.
7. Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound
October 14, 2009
The folk music career of Joan Baez and the progressive movements she both participated in and influenced.
8. Louisa May Alcott: the Woman Behind 'Little Women'
December 28, 2009
The author of 'Little Women' is an almost universally recognized name whose reputation as a morally upstanding New England spinster masked a literary double life.