Sharon Grimberg Movies

Documentary filmmaker Sarah Colt draws on personal accounts of polio survivors to trace the story of the tireless crusader who rallied a nation against a little known virus that spread terror through the town of Wytheville, Virginia back in the summer of 1950. It was an epidemic the likes of which Wytheville had never seen: Parents kept their kids locked safely indoors as movie theaters went dark and baseball fields fell silent for fear that simply walking outdoors would be enough to get infected with polio. Some died from infection, and others were left paralyzed as outsiders raced through town with bandanas over their faces and car windows securely rolled up. Over 33,000 Americans fell ill from polio that year alone, with approximately half of the infected being under the age of ten. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The five-part "We Shall Remain," which explores the Native-American perspective of American history, opens in March 1621 with "After the Mayflower," about the alliance the Wampanoag leader Massasoit struck with the Plymouth colonists. The deal succeeded, providing peace and trading opportunities between the two. Some 50 years on, however, war erupted, with Massasoit's son Metacom (also known as King Philip) leading his people against the colonists. ~ Jeff Gemmill, All Movie Guide

The life and legacy of atomic bomb creator J. Robert Oppenheimer serves as the subject of this installment of PBS's American Experience. His name forever bound to the Manhattan Project, America's most famous top-secret initiative, Oppenheimer presided over the assembly of the atomic bomb that helped end World War II. The legacy of the charismatic scientist would soon be tainted, however, by accusations of treason. Why did the country who once hailed Oppenheimer as a national hero suddenly turn their backs on him? Academy Award-nominated actor David Strathairn stars as Oppenheimer in a documentary profile of the man who would ultimately emerge as one of the 20th Century's most important, yet controversial figures. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Whether you view him as one of the great American heroes or a deplorable crusader who savaged one of the West's most mighty Native American tribes, there's no denying that Christopher "Kit" Carson played a crucial role in the development of the United States. In this documentary, director Stephen Ives explores the journey of the Indian Tracker who was immortalized in dozens of bestselling novels. While Carson spent a substantial portion of his life advocating for the Native Americans, history would ultimately dictate that his name be forever associated with the "Long Walk" of the Navajos - a tragic campaign in which thousands of men, women, and children were forced on a 3000 mile journey that survivors branded a death march. Archival materials, detailed recreations, and conversations with prominent authors and historians bring the story of this infamous trapper, scout, and soldier to life while illuminating a crucial but seldom-discussed period in American history. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

In this installment of American Experience, filmmakers take a closer look at one of the most controversial medical procedures in the history of medicine. Back in the early-20th Century, individuals suffering from mental illness had little hope of ever staging a full recovery: Psychiatric medications had not yet been discovered, and the afflicted were often herded into overcrowded state asylums. Despite the fact that Freudian psychoanalysis and "talk" therapy were slowly gaining in popularity, an enterprising young neurologist named Walter Freeman proposed a radical new form of brain surgery in order to lessen the severity of psychotic symptoms in his patients. Having hailed from a long line of medical professionals, Freeman was no stranger to the inner workings of the body, and after learning of a Portuguese neurologist who operated on the frontal lobes of the mentally ill by using a thin steel instrument, he set about perfecting the procedure and importing it for practice in the United States. The procedure, known as the lobotomy, may have only yielded mixed results in the early 1940s, yet doctors in nearly fifty state asylums began performing lobotomies on their patients and as a result Freeman was hailed a hero of modern medicine. A decade later, however, the same procedure that some claimed brought hope to the utterly hopeless was hailed as barbaric, and Freeman was labeled a moral monster. How is it that opinion could have changed so drastically in such a short amount of time? Now, as filmmakers speak with a series of medical historians, psychiatrists, colleagues of Dr. Freeman, and the families who sought him out as a last resort, viewers are offered a revealing glimpse into the origins of a medical procedure that ruined countless lives. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Explore the tragedy that inspired Grand Central Terminal and follow the dramatic construction of this awe-inspiring landmark as the filmmakers from American Experience reflect on the origins and history of a spectacular monument to the railway era. The date was January 8, 1902: A southbound commuter train was barreling through a congested Grand Central Depot tunnel when it collided with the rear end of another train. By the time the firemen arrived to search for survivors, seventeen people were dead and thirty-eight more were seriously injured. That day, an ambitious self-taught engineer made it his mission to ensure that New York City commuters never again experienced a tragedy of this magnitude. Christened Grand Central Terminal when it opened on February 2, 1913, the resulting complex was a true marvel of technological and architectural innovation. But building such a living monument was no simple task, and now viewers can find out exactly how much heart and soul went into he construction of a railway terminal that still stands proudly as one of our nation's crowning achievements. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

American Experience: The Berlin Airlift documents the time in 1948 that the Soviet Union blocked off all land access to Berlin, forcing humanitarian efforts to deliver food, medical supplies, and other necessities by plane for almost twelve months. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Ever since its post-World War II boom, Las Vegas has had many identities, in this documentary originally seen on PBS, the city that has been known as everything from "Sin City" to a family-friendly desert oasis is explored in all of it's glittering glory. Few American cities have received as many identity makeovers as Las Vegas, now look beyond the history books to investigate the fascinating story of this gambler's paradise from a new and unique perspective. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Following up his 2000 Academy Award-nominated Scottsboro: An American Tragedy, documentary filmmaker Barak Goodman helmed this film, exploring boxing's heavyweight championship match of June 22, 1938. The match, between African-American Joe Louis and Nazi Germany's Max Schmeling, gained world-wide attention and garnered the largest radio audience in history, as the fighters became unwitting representatives for each of their respective homelands and races. Narrated by actor Courtney B. Vance, Goodman's film uses archival footage of the fight and the events leading up to it to examine the men and the weighty meaning attached to their face-off. The Fight screened in competition at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

Daniel McCabe and Paul Steckler direct this scrupulously-balanced and exhaustively-researched documentary on reactionary Alabaman firebrand George Wallace. The film opens with the outset of Wallace's public career, when -- surprisingly -- he had a reputation of being progressive in regards to race. After a bruising defeat in a 1958 gubernatorial election in which his fire-breathing racist rival John Patterson painted him as something terrifyingly close to being a liberal, Wallace vowed to be seen as soft on race. In 1962, Wallace was swept into office promising "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever." In spite of this confrontational stance and his outspoken opposition to the NAACP, Wallace was, as McCabe and Steckler argue, genuinely furious over the brutal violence against civil rights activists -- if only because it made Alabama look bad. Of course, it was this very violence that eventually gave him a national platform. By the 1968 presidential election, George Wallace garnered 46 electoral votes as a third party candidate, nearly forcing the race into the House of Representatives. For the 1972 race, he was a serious presidential contender, this time for the Democrats, before he was crippled by an assassin's bullet. After being wounded, Wallace claimed that he had found God, and he abandoned his politics of hate. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Part one of American Experience: The Rockefellers chronicles the rise of John D. Rockefeller from the son of a gambler to the owner of Standard Oil. Born in 1839, Rockefeller gained his mother's prudent disposition, but learned about the value of money from his unreliable father, nicknamed "Devil Bill." When oil was discovered in Pennsylvania in the mid-1800s, the young commodities trader decided to make money by refining it. At 25, he owned one of the largest oil refineries in the world; at 30, he founded Standard Oil. Rockefeller married the progressive-minded Laura Spellman in 1864 and they raised four children on their country estate on Cleveland's millionaire's row. By 1880, Standard Oil controlled 90% of the world's oil refineries while the Rockefeller fortune grew to over a billion dollars. In 1902, however, Ida Tarbell published an expose in McClure's on the predatory practices Rockefeller had utilized against competitors. John Rockefeller Jr. faced even more intense criticism following the deadly coal strike at a family-owned mine in Ludlow, CO, in 1913. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Movie Guide

Part of the American Experience series on the presidents, this three-hour documentary examines the quest, triumph, fall, and legacy of one of America's most fascinating and controversial presidents. From his modest beginnings among the lemon groves in Yorba Linda, CA, to his taking on the highest position in the nation, the story of Richard Milhous Nixon is characterized by contradiction. A staunch anti-communist, Nixon opened up relations with China and the Soviet Union and took steps to end the conflict in Vietnam. American Experience describes how Nixon promoted family values and how he used his poker earnings to finance his first political campaign. From congressman to senator to vice president under Eisenhower, a man uncomfortable in his own skin, Nixon was nonetheless a tireless campaigner. The program details the "Pink Lady" campaign, the "Checkers" speech, and the humiliation of Watergate. ~ Brooke Hodess, All Movie Guide