Harry Belafonte

Celebrated newsman Tom Brokaw headlines this feature-length, eponymous documentary portrait of the life of revered civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.. A program originally produced for cable's History Channel to commemorate the 40th anniversary of King's death, it affords equal attention to King himself, the myths and legacies that have gestated in the wake of his assassination, and the enduring messages from King that will live on permanently, passed down to successive generations. A who's who of interviewees also turns up for rare insights and revelations, including President Bill Clinton, Bono, Condoleezza Rice, Harry Belafonte, and King's son, Martin Luther King III. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Twenty-two people become unwitting participants in a tragic and defining moment of the 1960's in this period drama from actor and director Emilio Estevez. It's early June in 1968, and the California presidential primary elections are occupying the minds of many in the Golden State, with Robert F. Kennedy in a close race against Eugene McCarthy and Hubert Humphrey. The Kennedy campaign staff has set up camp at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, while the staff and guests become observers as the brother of fallen president John F. Kennedy sets out to pick up where his sibling left off. Paul (William H. Macy) is the manager of the Ambassador, and his wife Miriam (Sharon Stone) is a hairdresser who runs's the hotel's beauty salon. Angela (Heather Graham) is a receptionist working the hotel's switchboard who has been sleeping with Paul behind Miriam's back. Timmons (Christian Slater) is in charge of the hotel's restaurant and catering department, and makes no secret of his dislike of the African-Americans and Latinos under his employ. Miguel (Jacob Vargas) and Jose (Freddy Rodriguez) are two young Chicanos on the kitchen staff who have it in for Timmons, while Robinson (Laurence Fishburne) is an older black man who counsels them on dealing with their rage. Virginia Fallon (Demi Moore) sings in the hotel's cocktail lounge and has a serious problem with alcohol; her husband Tim (Emilio Estevez) is a Kennedy supporter and also her manager, and he's nearing the end of his rope in dealing with her problem. William (Elijah Wood) is a young man desperate to avoid being drafted and sent to Vietnam; Diane (Lindsay Lohan) is a pretty young woman dating William's brother who agrees to marry him so William can avoid being drafted, though William is clearly infatuated with her while she considers this a marriage in name only. John Casey (Anthony Hopkins) is one of the owners of the Ambassador, and Nelson (Harry Belafonte) is an old friend who works at the hotel. And Jack (Martin Sheen) is a wealthy Kennedy campaign financier who is married to Samantha (Helen Hunt), an attractive but much younger woman. Bobby also features Joshua Jackson, Nick Cannon and Shia LaBeouf as young Kennedy campaign volunteers, while Ashton Kutcher, Joy Bryant, Kip Pardue and Mary Elizabeth Winstead also highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This documentary from filmmaker Geoffrey Dunn explores the history of calypso music in Trinidad and Tobago. Featuring performances by such seminal acts as Mighty Sparrow, Calypso Rose, Lord Superior, Brother Valentino, Regeneration Now, and Mystic Prowler, Calypso Dreams also includes archival footage of Calypso pioneers Grandmaster Kitchener and Lord Pretender. The winner of the Best Caribbean Documentary Film at the 2002 Jamerican Film Festival, the film also screened at the 2003 Mill Valley Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

With their blend of folk singing and stand-up comedy, Tom and Dick Smothers became a popular nightclub attraction in the early 1960's and were frequent guests on many television variety shows of the day. In 1967, in a bid to win younger viewers away from NBC's perennially popular western series Bonanza, CBS gave The Smothers Brothers an hour-long comedy-variety series airing on Sunday evenings The show became an unexpected hit, and in their second season, The Smother Brothers and their writing staff (which at the time included Rob Reiner and Steve Martin) began using the show as a platform for satiric humor which examined key issues of the day, including the war in Vietnam, drugs, racism, and the right-wing policies of the Nixon White House. While the show remained popular, it also became wildly controversial, and the Smothers Brothers soon found themselves battling their network and the FCC for the right to say what they wanted on their own show. Smothered: The Great Smothers Brothers Censorship Wars is a documentary which explores the history of the show, and how network brass and Nixon's cabinet worked together to pull the plug on a hit TV series; the film includes interviews with Tom and Dick Smothers, Rob Reiner, Pete Seeger, Harry Belafonte, and Joan Baez. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In 1962, Jamaica won its independence from the United Kingdom, and the island nation, which had long struggled with poverty, attempted to use its agricultural resources in order to create a sound economic base. As Jamaica's financial problems grew more severe with time, prime minister Michael Manley struck a deal in 1977 with a consortium of economic institutions through the International Monetary Fund, who would loan money to the nation in exchange for removal of trade restrictions and subsidized exports. Twenty-five years later, most Jamaicans would agree that the deal drove a stake through the island's agricultural and industrial economy; imports from America have ruined the island's dairy industry, interference from growers and merchants in the United States and Latin America have effectively ended the growing of onions, bananas, carrots, and potatoes as cash crops, the value of the Jamaican dollar has plummeted, and the island is now seven billion dollars in debt to the IMF, with interest driving that figure higher each day. Filmmaker Stephanie Black examines the sad state of Jamaica's economy in the face of "free trade" in the global economy in the documentary Life + Debt, which includes interviews with Michael Manley and IMF director Stanley Fischer; the Jamaica Kincaid novel A Small Place provides some of the text for the film's narration. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Scandalize My Name provides a searing examination of how "Red Scare" politics were used to hinder America's civil rights movement. This powerful film documents the first-hand experiences of African-American performers faced with blacklists, loyalty oaths and other discrimination. It explores the impact these tactics had on the performers' careers and on civil rights as a whole. Paul Robeson, Jackie Robinson, Harry Belafonte, Ossie Davis, and Dick Campbell are just a few of the notable personalities featured. ~ Scott Albright, All Movie Guide

Oliver Stone is the executive producer of this political documentary recalling the idealism, struggles, and turmoil of 1968 when two visionary American leaders promised hope but were slain within months of each other. After opening with Robert Kennedy on April 4, 1968 telling people in Indianapolis about Martin Luther King's murder in Memphis, the film looks back on the lives of both during the '60s, through interviews with friends, associates, and family members. When King was killed, a dream for the future was passed to RFK. During a 1967 Mississippi trip, RFK had an emotional reaction to the conditions in which poor black children lived. News footage and photos sketch in the backdrop of the '60s. By the end of 1968, with both men gone, the dream turned to despair. This two-hour film premiered April 5, 1998 on TBS. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

In this final volume of the three-tape documentary Roots of Rhythm, host Harry Belafonte chronicles the rise to fame and fortune of Latin-influenced performers. As in the first two volumes, Roots of Rhythm, Vol. 3: To the Top of the Charts features the performances of some of the leading lights in the field of Latin music including Dizzy Gillespie, King Sunny Ade, the Miami Sound Machine, and many more. ~ Sean Hurley, All Movie Guide

Harry Belafonte presents a tour through his musical career and varied influences in this concert video, in which the legendary singer and actor is accompanied by a superb ensemble of African and Latin musicians. Harry Belafonte: An Evening With Harry Belafonte and Friends includes the songs "Jamaica Farewell," "The Banana Boat Song," "Eyala," "We Are the Wave," "Try to Remember," and more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The jazz world of 1930s Kansas City serves as the backdrop for an offbeat story of kidnapping, political corruption, and organized crime in director Robert Altman's loving but unsentimental look at his childhood hometown. The film's intricate story is triggered by petty thief Johnny O'Hara (Dermot Mulroney), who aims for a big score by trying to rob notorious crime boss Seldom Seen (Harry Belafonte), only to end up Seen's captive. In fear for her husband's life, Johnny's wife Blondie (Jennifer Jason Leigh) decides to take action. Following an eccentric personal logic, she takes as a hostage the wife of a prominent local politician, in hopes of getting the woman's husband to help; unfortunately, he is on the road with an upcoming presidential campaign, putting a major hitch in Blondie's plans. The film moves freely among its idiosyncratic characters in an overt attempt to mimic the improvisational structure of 1930s jazz. Indeed, many of the film's most important sequences take place in Seldom Seen's club, with contemporary jazz greats imitating the period's master musicians and Harry Belafonte shining as the magnetic, menacing Seen. The central narrative never achieves the seemingly effortless integration of Altman's greatest works, but those who share Altman's obvious passion for the period and its music will find much to admire. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

The wife of a British army officer falls in love with an African American G.I. in this made-for-cable World War II drama. When her unfaithful husband (Ciaran Hinds) goes off to war, small-town homemaker Maggie Leyland (Kerry Fox) spends her time caring for her young son (Rory Jennings) and helping with the war effort. She's therefore present at a dance the locals throw for a newly arrived platoon of black soldiers from the United States. Despite Maggie's prim and proper demeanor, an unlikely friendship develops between her and Travis Holloway (Courtney B. Vance), a private who works as an army cook and dreams of actually fighting in the trenches for his country. Although the townspeople give the black G.I.'s a pleasant reception, the American brass frets about fraternization between their African-American soldiers and the local lasses. The white soldiers stationed nearby bitterly resent the competition, causing trouble for both participants in any interracial romance. Nonetheless, as the friendship between Travis and Maggie deepens, they're unable to suppress their feelings for one another. Into this clandestine relationship steps Maggie's husband, who returns unexpectedly and promptly accuses Travis of rape when he discovers the couple making love. Based on true events, The Affair was filmed by House of Cards director Paul Seed for HBO. Malcolm X's Leland Gantt co-stars as one of Travis' fellow soldiers who also pays dearly for a romance with a British woman. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Jack and the Beanstalk is a classic story that transcends ethnic boundaries. After all, foolishness knows no color. Happily Ever After demonstrates this with an African-American retelling of the fairy tale. When Jack comes across some magic beans, he unwittingly plants danger in the backyard. HBO originally presented this universal program featuring the voices of Robert Guillaume, Harry Belafonte, and Tone-Loc. Jack must use his wits and luck to escape the rhyming giant. When he does, he learns a valuable lesson about greed. Jack and the Beanstalk is recommended for ages four to nine. ~ Sarah Ing, All Movie Guide