Walter Cronkite Movies
Regarded by millions as the paragon of on-air trustworthiness, intelligence, professionalism, and unabashed integrity, Walter Cronkite single-handedly invented American television news as a CBS correspondent during the 1950s, with the medium still in a somewhat embryonic state. A former United Press correspondent from St. Joseph, MO -- who would purportedly "go anywhere and do anything for a story, even ride a bomber or a glider into combat" -- Cronkite moved to CBS at the behest of the legendary Edward R. Murrow circa 1952, a position he held for 10 years. In that role, Cronkite carried American audiences through the Cold War, Korea, and other pivotal currents of the 1950s. He simultaneously hosted the eccentric, Sidney Lumet-directed series You Are There (CBS, 1953-1957), which featured reenactments of historical events presented as news broadcasts with Cronkite serving as anchor. As such, the venerable newsman concluded each broadcast with the now-infamous wrap-up: "What sort of a day was it? A day like all days, filled with those events that alter and illuminate our times -- and you were there."Cronkite graduated to head anchor of the CBS Evening News in 1961, a post he retained for 20 years, until Friday, March 6, 1981, when Dan Rather inherited the job. During that time, Cronkite famously reported on such subjects as the Kennedy assassinations, the Civil Rights movement, Vietnam, the Vietnam-era protests, the Arab-Israeli Six Day War, Watergate, and the Menachim-Begin peace accords. In fact, a large percentage of Americans who learned of those subjects from nightly news broadcasts did so through Cronkite's efforts simply because they trusted him.
Save a role in 1980s little-seen drama A Private Battle, and voiceover work as Captain New Eyes in 1993's animated We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, Cronkite's feature film appearances are virtually nonexistent. His filmed work predominantly (and unsurprisingly) began after his retirement from full-time CBS work in 1981 and consists almost exclusively of hosting duties on dozens of documentary videos that intelligently treat a whirlwind of subjects, everything from South African segregation (Children of Apartheid, 1987) to welfare (Making Welfare Work, 1994) to homeland evangelical Christianity and its disturbing intersection with right-wing political factions (The Cronkite Reports: Christianity Reborn -- Prayer and Politics, 1995).
Like many of his peers in the newsroom, Cronkite also made a handful of humorous guest appearances as himself on the popular CBS series Murphy Brown: one in 1989, one in 1993, and one in 1997. Cronkite died of cerebral vascular disease in July 2009. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 1993
- G
- Add We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story to Queue Add We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story to top of Queue
In this animated children's film from Amblin Entertainment, a group of four dinosaurs, including a tyrannosaurus rex, a triceratops, a hadrosaur, and a pterodactyl, are brought forward in time to New York City to entertain and befriend the children. However, when the dinosaurs are threatened by an evil circus owner, it is up to their young friends to save the day. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Goodman, Blaze Berdahl, (more)
Filmmakers David Leaf and John Scheinfeld offer a compelling look at the efforts of the United States government to silence one of rock & roll's most outspoken war critics in this documentary detailing the Vietnam-era struggle between the Richard Nixon administration and iconic peace activist John Lennon. The Vietnam War was raging and the nightly news was filled with stories of failed offensives and massacred U.S. troops. As anti-war protests back home gained momentum, it was the hopeful voice of former Beatle Lennon that served to perfectly encapsulate the frustrations felt by many citizens that the U.S. had gotten caught up in an quagmire from which there was seemingly no end in sight. There's a high price to be paid for standing strong in your beliefs and openly criticizing the ruling elite, though, and now, through interviews with those who knew him best and revealing glimpses into an era where all hope seemed lost, filmmakers finally uncover the truth behind the Nixon administration's highly classified efforts to isolate and eventually deport the man whose powerful words threatened to actually make sense in a world slowly suffocated by the grip of insanity. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stew Albert, John Lennon, (more)
Host Walter Cronkite explores the complex relationship between the United States and England in this documentary concerning the Marshall Plan, America's ambitious plan to rebuild Europe in the aftermath of World War II. Beginning at the onset of the Cold War and following through to the dawn of the 21st Century, Legacy of War offers a unique perspective on the dramatic shifts in international relations. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
John Kirby's satirical documentary The American Ruling Class features former Harper's Magazine editor Lewis Lapham leading the viewer through a number of clips and interviews that question if America has developed a culture that runs the nation, or if it still is possible to rise up through hard work and become one of the powerful people. Among the artists and power brokers who dispense their ideas on this topic are director Robert Altman, writer Kurt Vonnegut, and folk singer Pete Seeger. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- 2007
- Add Silent Wings: The American Glider Pilots of WWII to Queue Add Silent Wings: The American Glider Pilots of WWII to top of Queue
Join narrator Hal Holbrook as he examines the crucial role that gliders played in World War II offensives in this documentary that follows the history of the glider from the race to master the sky to the beaches of Normandy and Germany's last stand. In order to emerge victorious in battle, it was crucial that pilots be able to deliver weapons and munitions deep into enemy territory. Unarmed cargo gliders provided the ideal means of accomplishing this lofty goal, and the 6,000 American volunteers who volunteered to pilot these vehicles would repeatedly risk their lives flying in the hostile territory under the most treacherous conditions. Frequently carrying out their missions in the dead of night, these brave souls would take to the skies with no motor to propel them, no landmarks to guide them, and no parachutes to ensure their safety. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hal Holbrook
Between 1939 and 1959, Toots Shor ran what was debatably the most famous saloon in America. The son of a poor family in South Philadelphia, Shor was a blustery, larger-than-life character who came to New York City in 1930 and soon landed a job as a bouncer in a mob-run speakeasy. Shor had smarts, charm, and nerve, and he soon made plenty of contacts in the liquor trade as well as befriending habitués of Manhattan nightlife. In 1939, Shor opened a bar and restaurant, simply named "Toots Shor's," and it didn't take it long for it to become the Big Apple's most celebrated watering hole, where Broadway stars, sports legends, political bigwigs, and social climbers were frequent customers but anyone with the price of a drink was welcome to belly up to the bar (among the regulars: Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Gleason, Frank Gifford, Earl Warren, and Frank Costello). While "Toots Shor's" was one of New York's most legendary nightspots, Shor sold the business in 1959, and while he opened a new bar two years later (after running through the million dollars he made from the deal), his style of saloon was falling out of fashion with the arrival of the 1960s, and the free-spending Toots died broke in 1977, six years after his last bar went under. Shor's granddaughter, documentary filmmaker Kristi Jacobson, pays tribute to the man and the era personified by his saloon in Toots, which features interviews with family and friends (including Lauren Bacall, Walter Cronkite, Yogi Berra, Pete Hamill, Mike Wallace, and Whitey Ford) as well as rare recordings of Toots telling his own remarkable story. Also known as Toots Shor: Bigger Than Life, Toots received its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival -- appropriately enough, in downtown New York. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Frank Gifford, Walter Cronkite, (more)
- 2006
- Add Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater to Queue Add Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater to top of Queue
Barry Goldwater was among the most controversial figures in American politics in the 1960s. A hard-line fiscal conservative and an outspoken supporter of the war in Vietnam, Goldwater was elected to the U.S. Congress as a senator from Arizona in 1952, and he helped galvanize the Republican party, leading the way for a bolder brand of conservative politics that many have cited as the first steps to the election of Ronald Reagan as president and the new wave of conservative thought that followed, despite Goldwater's own infamous defeat when he ran for president opposite Lyndon Johnson. However, while Goldwater was regarded as a spokesman of the far right, his political views were far broader than his reputation would suggest -- he frequently supported civil rights and environmental legislation in Congress, he was an outspoken opponent of the influence of Christian activists in politics, and his positions took an a more libertarian stance as the Republican party moved farther to the right in the 1980s. (He also once called Richard M. Nixon "the most dishonest individual I have ever met.") Goldwater also earned a reputation for his sharp sense of humor and his unflinching honesty. Barry Goldwater's granddaughter C.C. Goldwater produced the documentary Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater, in which home movies, archival interviews, newsreel footage, and conversations with Goldwater's friends, relatives, and colleagues come together to create a portrait of the public and private sides of this complicated man. Among those interviewed in the film are Walter Cronkite, Hillary Clinton, Helen Thomas, George Will, Sandra Day O'Connor, Ben Bradlee, Julian Bond, and Al Franken. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 2004
- Add Modern Marvels: Frontline Reporting to Queue Add Modern Marvels: Frontline Reporting to top of Queue
The contentious nexus of war and journalism serves as the focus of this documentary exploring the evolution of war reportage in the era of a free press and spreading democracy. From Caesar's accounts of Rome's wars in Gaul to the firsthand accounts of Napoleon and Winston Churchill, it was soldier scribes who originally assumed the responsibility of relaying the action on the battlefield. As journalism began to evolve, however, civilian reporters offered a unique perspective on battle that radically altered common perception of combat. In this film, the viewer is taken all the way back to the Civil War to inspect Matthew Brady's disturbing images before moving into modern times to explore the scripted briefings that took place during the first Gulf War and speak with the "embedded" reporters who were there to cover the second. In the process, the stories of such noted pioneers as William Russell and Walter Cronkite highlight just how drastically war coverage has changed throughout the centuries. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Walter Cronkite, Bernard Shaw, (more)
- 2004
This program takes a look at the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, one of the most well-known choirs on Earth and one that was dubbed by President Reagan as "America's Choir." From its humble beginnings to its modern day renown, this documentary chronicles the life of this institution. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
- 2004
Dream to Fly: Howard Hughes and the Flying Boat documents how the famed aviator created the first airplane that was able to land on and take off from a body of water. The film utilizes archival materials interspersed with interviews. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- 2004
- Add Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism to Queue Add Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism to top of Queue
While the Fox News cable network has promoted itself as a "fair and balanced" news outlet -- so much so that they've even trademarked the phrase -- not everyone believes that they're living up to their slogan, and this activist documentary by filmmaker Robert Greenwald takes a close look at the political perspective of Fox's coverage. Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism examines the right-wing slant of Fox News' reporting, as represented in stories the network chooses to cover and their shoehorning of editorial opinion into stories, revealed in interviews with former Fox employees and several noted journalists (including Walter Cronkite) who discuss the pro-conservative, anti-Democratic views of the channel's management and how they're manifested in their programming. The film also puts talk show host Bill O'Reilly under the microscope and offers potent examples of his frequently abrasive interviewing style. Production of Outfoxed was supported in part by the leftist political action network Moveon.org. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Douglas Cheek
- 2003
A veteran of more than 40 years in broadcasting, Jim McKay is much, much more than the "voice" of ABC's Wide World of Sports, as proven by this ambitious made-for-cable documentary. Born Jim McManus, McKay laboriously worked his way up the local-market mill to join ABC at a time when the perennial also-ran network was staking out its predominance in the realm of televised sports. The recipient of 12 Emmy awards, McKay is fully fleshed in contemporary interviews (both his own and those of his colleagues) and vintage film clips, none more poignantly powerful than those derived from his heartbreaking covering of the Munich massacre in 1972, and none more uplifting than his play-by-play description of the 1980 U.S. hockey team. In addition to celebrating his professional life, Jim McKay: My World in My Words is also a loving paean to McKay's wife, Margaret Dempsey McManus. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jim McKay, Margaret Dempsey McManus, (more)
Swim the deepest oceans and soar through the heart of the jungle with this awe-inspiring look at the plight of planet Earth that uses cutting-edge, 3-D animation to explore the environment as never before. Everyone has heard that our environment is in danger, but few have witnessed the damage firsthand. With this release viewers can find out just how mankind has affected the environment while simultaneously marveling at the majesty of mother nature and the beauty of our fragile eco-system. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2003
This four-part, eight-hour PBS miniseries was the first production of the Ted Turner Foundation's documentary division. Narrated by Walter Cronkite, the series focused on weapons of mass destruction: how they came to be developed, who has them, who might first use them, how the average person can "understand" them, and what to do to prevent the end of humankind. Individual episode titles included "Silent Killers: Poisons and Plagues," "Nuclear Nightmare: Losing Control," "The New Face of Terror: Upping the Ante," "Confronting Terrorism: Turning the Tide." When Avoiding Armageddon was originally telecast from April 14 through 17, 2003, each episode concluded with a discussion moderated by series producer Frank Sesno. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Walter Cronkite
- 2002
- Add Liberty's Kids [Animated TV Series] to Queue Add Liberty's Kids [Animated TV Series] to top of Queue
Coproduced by the DiC animation firm and PBS, Liberty's Kids was a half-hour historical cartoon series set during the American Revolution. The principal characters were Sarah Phillips and James Hiller, apprentices both to the multifaceted Benjamin Franklin. The fact that Sarah was loyal to the British and James was a 100-percent "Yankee Doodle" added to the cultural diversity of the series, as did the presence of James' friend Moses, a freed slave, and Henri, an eight-year-old French street urchin unofficially adopted by James and Moses. The series' real drawing card was its stellar cast of voice actors, portraying the many historical personages with whom Sarah, James, Moses, and Henri came into contact. For example, Ben Franklin was voiced by veteran newscaster Walter Cronkite (who even got to say "That's the way it is" on occasion); Michael Douglas was heard as Patrick Henry; Sylvester Stallone enacted Paul Revere; Dustin Hoffman interpreted notorious turncoat Benedict Arnold; and Arnold Schwarzenegger managed to sneak an "I'll be back" into his characterization of Baron Von Steuben. Geared for children aged seven to 12, Liberty's Kids joined the PBS daytime manifest on September 2, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Reo Jones, Christine Lundquist, (more)
- 2001
- Add On Common Ground: An American-German WWII Reunion to Queue Add On Common Ground: An American-German WWII Reunion to top of Queue
Over a half a century after the last shots were fired at the Huertgen, German and American soldiers agreed to reunite on the battlefield to reconcile the pains of the past, recount their wartime memories, and look beneath the surface to address the questions that have haunted soldiers on both sides of the war for decades. With a combined total of over 60,000 casualties inflicted on American and German soldiers, the battle waged in the Huertgen Forest is considered one of the bloodiest waged in all of World War II. Fought in the cold heart of a punishing winter, this six-month campaign continues to strike horror into the hearts of veterans on both sides. In addition to respectful interviews conducted with the soldiers who were right in the thick of the fight, this documentary also includes commentary by WWII news correspondent Walter Cronkite, respected newsman Tom Brokaw, and John Kenneth Galbraith, and offers rare footage captured by American combat cameramen. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2001
This video presents the personal accounts and recollections of Korean War veterans, both the famous and the ordinary. The Korean War, the first skirmish of the cold war in the 1950s, took a deadly on American and U.N. troops and the Korean forces, which included the Chinese. Yet it is known as the "Forgotten War." This video pays tribute to those who served there. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- Starring:
- Walter Cronkite
- 2000
This program is part of a series, narrated by Walter Cronkite, that chronicles some of the most outstanding events and people of the 20th century. Archival film footage, photographs, personal recollections, interviews, and commentary by journalists and scholars. This episode looks at some of the inventions that shaped the modern century, from the automobile to the spaceship. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
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