Biography Channel Movies

This edition of Biography, the long-running documentary series from A&E, explores the life of the 16th President of the U.S., Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was born near Hodgenville, Kentucky, and was eventually elected to the Illinois legislature in 1834. He became a lawyer in 1836. A decade later, he was elected to a single term in Congress, where he spoke against the extension of slavery, became a Republican in 1856, and in 1860 was elected president on a platform of hostility toward slavery's expansion. When the Civil War began in 1861, he defined the issue in terms of national integrity, not anti-slavery, a theme he restated in the Gettysburg Address of 1863. Nonetheless, the same year, he proclaimed freedom for all slaves in areas of rebellion. He was re-elected in 1864, and after the final Northern victory, he intended to reunite the former warring parties on the easiest possible terms; but on April 14, 1865, he was shot at Ford's Theatre, Washington, by an actor, John Wilkes Booth, and died next morning. He is remembered for his considerable political skills, and his self-education and broad vision have come to be a symbol of American democracy. Lincoln's life and political career are documented using historic photographs, personal letters and interviews with historians. ~ John Patrick Sheehan, Rovi

A&E presents the life and times of a well-known soldier with Biography: Admiral Chester Nimitz -- Thunder of the Pacific. The native Texan distinguished himself as the commander-in-chief of the Pacific Fleet during World War I. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Nimitz played a cautionary hand, refusing to enter the global fray until the United States was fully prepared. His planning paid off as American ships and planes dominated the Pacific. Nimitz also came up with the strategy of island-hopping. Perhaps the highlight of the biography is when the legendary leader accepted the surrender of the Japanese aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in 1945. ~ Sarah Ing, Rovi

Discover the secrets behind the most powerful terrorist organization on the planet as the award-winning filmmakers at A&E attempt to uncover the mysterious origins and complex motivations of the group responsible for carrying out the deadliest attack ever committed on American soil. From their leader Osama Bin Laden to the associates and agents responsible for executing his nefarious orders, filmmakers attempt to uncover the source of Al Qaeda's unwavering hatred of western culture and values before turning the clock back twenty years to explore their early efforts to defeat Soviet Communism under the banner of "Arab Afghans." ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Alexander Graham Bell is renowned for his invention of the telephone. This video shows how his mind took him to the frontiers of other fields as well. He paved the way for the development of the X-ray machine, and his visions were used by the pioneers of aviation. But it is his dedication to his mother, who suffered from deafness, that is the focal point of this story. To help her hear, he helped the whole world. Using re-enactments, personal accounts, and archival photographs, the program traces Bell's story from his early days in Scotland to fame and fortune in America. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi

What really happened to Amelia Earhart? Join the award winning Biography series in their search for the truth. Earhart became the first female pilot to complete a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean (the first person to succeed since Charles Lindburgh's legendary flight in 1927). Earhart saw her first plane as a young girl at the 1908 Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, but flying would not spark her interest until many years later. After her parents' separation in 1914, Earhart traveled to Chicago with her mother and sister, Muriel. From there, Earhart traveled to Toronto, Canada, where she trained and worked as a nurses' aide for the duration of World War I. By 1920, she had purchased her first plane and taken her first solo flight. Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean in 1928, as a passenger. Earhart's subsequent solo flight across the Atlantic in 1932 set a record for speed.

In 1937 she embarked on an equatorial world trip, hoping to be the first woman to successfully circumnavigate the world. Radio contact with the U.S. Coast Guard off of Howland Island, her next stop in the Pacific, was made on several occasions, but Earhart apparently could not hear any of the coast guard's replies. Several extensive searches for Earhart's plane revealed nothing and the incident remains unsolved. Using archival footage, Biography tries to piece together some answers.
~ John Patrick Sheehan, Rovi

This documentary profiles the "vampire queen" of New Orleans, Anne Rice. The author of the popular vampire books, such as The Interview with a Vampire, talks about her life and the inspiration she takes from her native city. Before achieving literary fame with The Vampire Chronicles, Rice had long been interested in the city's colorful history, penning several historical novels about the Crescent City, including The Feast of All Saints, a story about the Free People of Color of New Orleans. The author talks of how her hometown continues to inform her work. She also shares details of the personal tragedies that have deepened her life and work. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi

The turbulent life and controversial career of Israel's eleventh prime minister is explored in this entry into A&E's long-running Biography series. A former military commander whose victories in the 1967 and 1973 Arab-Israeli wars found his popularity skyrocketing among the population of Israel, Sharon's misstep in masterminding the calamitous Lebanon invasion nearly derailed his entire political career. Sharon wasn't about to go down so readily though, and after a successful career comeback as a key architect of Israel's West Bank settlement policy, the Prime Minister would walk a precarious tightrope between maintaining Israeli security and appeasing enraged Palestinians during the volatile millennium crossover. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

World War II history will always recall one of its greatest heroes: Audie Murphy. His military exploits and courage were legendary, and became the subject of a Hollywood film. When he returned to America after the war, Murphy found success as an actor and screenwriter. This video chronicles his brilliant military achievements and Hollywood career. It reveals how the demons of his war memories haunted him, driving him to despair, drug addiction, and an untimely death at age 46. With archival film footage and accounts of soldiers and family, the documentary follows the sad story of the man who served so bravely in war, but could not save himself. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi

The name Babe Ruth is synonymous with the game of baseball. This biography looks at the man and player who achieved immortality with a bat. The Babe's home-run record stood for decades, and he is still the most revered hero of the great American pastime. Archival clips, photographs, interviews with family, friends, colleagues, and Babe Ruth himself show why he became an American legend. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi

 

This video explores the life and times of one his generation's most controversial figures, former President Bill Clinton. This tape traces Clinton's career from his high school meeting with JFK, to his eventual election and reelection, to the personal scandals that marred the end of his political career. Former staffers like James Carville, David Gergen, and Robert Reich offer revealing commentary on their former boss, while old friends illuminate the early life of this complicated man, the first Democrat since FDR to win reelection to the White House. ~ Rob Ferrier, Rovi

This episode of the long-running A&E series Biography takes a look at the career of songwriter, singer, and icon Bob Dylan. Beginning with his youth when he was known as Robert Zimmerman and following him through almost every phase of his legendary career, the documentary mixes archival footage with interviews given by many of those who came into contact with the man or were affected by his groundbreaking work. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi