Ken Burns Movies
After earning his BA at Hampshire College, Brooklyn-born Ken Burns pursued a career as a documentary filmmaker. At age 22, he formed Florentine Films in his home base of Walpole, New Hampshire. Dissatisfied with dry, scholarly historical documentaries, Burns wanted his films to "live," and to that end adopted the technique of cutting rapidly from one still picture to another in a fluid, linear fashion. He then pepped up the visuals with "first hand" narration gleaned from contemporary writings and recited by top stage and screen actors. Burns' first successful venture was the award-winning documentary The Brooklyn Bridge, which ran on public television in 1981. While he was Oscar-nominated for his 1985 theatrical release The Statue of Liberty, Burns' work has enjoyed its widest exposure on television: such films as Huey Long (1985), Thomas Hart Benton (1986) and Empire of the Air (1991) (a bouquet to the pioneers of commercial radio) have become staples of local PBS stations' seasonal fund drives. In 1990, Burns completed what many consider his "chef d'oeuvre": the eleven-hour The Civil War, which earned an Emmy (among several other honors) and became the highest-rated miniseries in the history of public television. Civil War was the apotheosis of Burns' master mixture of still photos, freshly shot film footage, period music, evocative "celebrity" narration and authentic sound effects. In 1994, Ken Burns released his long-awaited Baseball, an 18-hour saga which, like The Civil War, was telecast at the same time as the publication of a companion coffee-table book. Over the coming decades, Burns would continue to ingrain his reputation as the biggest name in long-form documentary film making, creating multi-part histories of Jazz, WWII, Baseball, and Prohibition. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi- 2013
- NR
Famed raconteur André Gregory reflects on his enduring career as an entertainer, his brief foray into Hollywood, and the revelation that altered the course of his life in this documentary directed by his wife Cindy Kleine. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 1998
Edward Herrmann narrates this portrait of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, as directed by renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns (Lewis & Clark.) The film is an assemblage of photos, film clips, TV appearances (including a 1957 The Mike Wallace Interview), home movies, and more recent footage. Interviews include Wright biographer Brendan Gill. Shown at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Philip Bosco, Julie Harris, (more)
The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara becomes this sprawling historical epic. As in Shaara's novel, director Ronald Maxwell focuses on a handful of major players to dramatize the events of July 1863, when the armies of the Union and Confederacy clash at the small Pennsylvania town of the title. Among them are Martin Sheen as General Robert E. Lee, who disagrees with his top advisor, General James Longstreet (Tom Berenger) over battle strategy, and Jeff Daniels as Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a college professor whose unorthodox techniques save the day (and possibly the war) for his beleaguered army. Other cast standouts include Richard Jordan in his final film appearance as the ill-fated General Lewis Armistead, and cameo roles for Civil War buff Ken Burns and media mogul producer Ted Turner. Filmed on-location at Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg was shot as a television miniseries for Turner's TNT cable channel, but earned a limited theatrical release. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Martin Sheen, Jeff Daniels, (more)
- 2003
- Add Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip to Queue Add Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip to top of Queue
This Ken Burns documentary is a vivid celebration of pioneering "automobilist" Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson. In 1903, Jackson accepted a 50-dollar bet to drive from San Francisco to New York City in his 20-horsepower Winton touring car, the Vermont. With only 150 miles of paved roads in the entire country, virtually no worthwhile terrain maps and absolutely no filling stations, Nelson and his co-driver, Sewall K. Crocker, literally had their work cut out for them. Accompanied by their pet bulldog, Bud (fitted out in goggles and duster like his human companions), Nelson and Crocker embarked upon America's first transcontinental motor trip at a rate of 20 miles per hour -- and before their 63 1/2 day odyssey was over, they found themselves in the middle of a "race to the finish," thanks to the last-minute maneuverings of two competing automobile firms, Packard and Oldsmobile. Producers Burns and Dayton Duncan recreated Jackson's historical journey under many of the same condition, with a special camera mounted on their own car to simulate Jackson's point-of-view; and in typical Burns fashion, the two-hour documentary is rounded out with vintage still photos and recitations of Jackson's personal letters (with Tom Hanks providing the good doctor's voice). Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip was originally telecast by (who else?) PBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Keith David, (more)
- 1982
- Add Ken Burns' America: Brooklyn Bridge to Queue Add Ken Burns' America: Brooklyn Bridge to top of Queue
Fresh out of college, aspiring filmmaker Ken Burns (The Civil War, Baseball) read David McCullough's history of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and decided that the labyrinthine tale of tragic setbacks and incredible engineering feats would be the perfect subject for a documentary film. As he experimented with ways of bringing the story to life, Burns, a Brooklyn native himself, developed innovative techniques that would later become his trademark -- using a moving camera over still photographs, having first-person accounts such as diaries and letters read aloud, and taking the time to create exquisite live cinematography of his subject. The result is an emotional and visually stunning account of one of the most ambitious building projects in American history -- a rare treat for history and film buffs alike. ~ Sarah Welsh, Rovi
- 1991
- Add Ken Burns' America: Empire of the Air - The Men Who Made Radio to Queue Add Ken Burns' America: Empire of the Air - The Men Who Made Radio to top of Queue
Adapted from Tom Lewis' best-selling book, this documentary by premier historic filmmaker Ken Burns examines the legendary figures who took the small-scale hobby of radio and turned it into a major industry -- not to mention a revolutionary force for social change. Empire of the Air recreates the compelling drama through the stories of three important men: Edwin Howard Armstrong, the inventor of the FM system and of AM receivers practical for widespread use; Lee de Forest, the eccentric who almost got patents on a series of groundbreaking new technologies and who also championed the cultural uses of broadcasting; and David Sarnoff, the Russian immigrant who would create NBC and become president of RCA. Narrated by Jason Robards, this inside look at the science, the squabbles, and the entrepreneurial genius behind the modern communications age features interviews, archival footage, insightful commentary, and Ken Burns' characteristic and deeply felt emotional drama. ~ Sarah Welsh, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jason Robards, Jr.
In this excellent documentary, the controversial life and political career of Louisiana governor and state senator Huey P. Long is admirably covered from all possible angles. Director Ken Burns does not spare the politician's personal corruption nor ignore his critics while citing the benefits he brought to his dirt-poor state during his tenure in office (1928-1935). Mendacious and charismatic from the beginning, Long was trained in law and made his way to the gubernatorial mansion by first becoming railroad commissioner. Long's oratory shines forth in archival footage, interviews with family and critics lay bare the private and public persona, and commentary fills in a context and a background on the man and his times. (History has always held that Long was assassinated by Dr. Carl Weiss in the State Capitol building on the night of Sept. 8, 1935. New evidence put together in the 1990s suggests that Weiss was framed.) ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- 1988
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Renowned documentary-maker Ken Burns uses archival film clips, interviews, newspaper stories, and journals to bring the story of the U.S. Congress and the characters involved in its fascinating and sometimes dubious history to life. The film explores the popularly-elected Legislative branch of our government and observes its modes of functioning, along with its past and present strengths and weaknesses. Famous historical figures who served as Congressmen (Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and others) are featured, as are contemporary members and events. Burns uses his skills to draw our sometimes admiring, sometimes skeptical attitudes toward this group of power-entrusted individuals into full perspective, pointing out the valuable role the Congress is designed to serve - potentially providing balance in extreme situations or weighted political atmospheres.
~ Alice Duncan, Rovi
- Starring:
- David McCullough
- 1985
- Add Ken Burns' America: The Shakers to Queue Add Ken Burns' America: The Shakers to top of Queue
Under the official title of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Coming, the Shakers created one of the most fascinating and idiosyncratic religious movements in American history. In this engrossing volume of the seven-part series America, renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns brings to life the unique confluence of history, politics, and dynamic personalities that made this phenomenon possible and that make it symbolic of all that America is and was. Out of the many experimental utopian communities that migrated to America in hopes of finding religious freedom, the Shakers may be the only one to have made a lasting impression upon both the scholarly and the popular imagination. Known to many only for their stunning and influential furniture design, the Shakers were a commune strictly devoted to ideals of work, communal property, celibacy, and prayer. Don't miss this in-depth look at America's religious past. ~ Sarah Welsh, Rovi
- 1985
- Add Ken Burns' America: The Statue of Liberty to Queue Add Ken Burns' America: The Statue of Liberty to top of Queue
This excellent documentary on one of America's most well-known national symbols was nominated for an Academy Award in 1985. Director (Ken Burns) details the perilous history of the Grand Dame, the difficulties in creating her in a Paris suburb and shipping her to New York, and then the heated arguments that arose Stateside as to whether or not she should even be set up in New York's harbor. Pity the dedicated French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi who created her with infinite care, a topic covered by photographs and narration in the first segment of the film. As famous immigrants comment on the meaning of the Statue of Liberty to themselves, it is noted that at the time of her inauguration in 1886 her 152-ft. height on top of a 150-ft. pedestal made her the tallest structure in the U.S. Director Burns quite fairly points out that to some Americans, including Afro-Americans, the Statue of Liberty does not necessarily raise her torch for everyone equally. Nevertheless, The Statue of Liberty is an entertaining documentary by any measure. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- 1989
- Add Ken Burns' America: Thomas Hart Benton to Queue Add Ken Burns' America: Thomas Hart Benton to top of Queue
Documentarian Ken Burns, better known for his epic studies of the Civil War and of Baseball, here explores the life and works of one of the hallmark painters of the U.S., Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975). He is most famous for his ability to evoke the vast rolling spaces of the Great Plains, and for his murals and other large works depicting life and work in rural America. He is the namesake and grand-nephew of the unusually well-remembered U.S. Senator from Missouri, whose career was intertwined with that of President Andrew Jackson. Benton the painter was born in Neosho, Missouri, started his art career as a newspaper cartoonist, and then studied in Paris and Europe. For a while, his work reflected the fashionable avant garde syles of painting, including cubism, but the work for which he is best remembered combines his earlier gift at cartooning in a realistic style which might be called "neo-realism." The period which saw the greatest proliferation of his work was the 1930's. Though later his works were collected and displayed at major museums, and one of his students went on to considerable fame himself (Jackson Pollock), his works were not critically acclaimed during his lifetime, in part due to his extreme homophobia and disdain for the New York art scene, and he has his detractors even today. The documentary includes interviews with Benton's wife, with critics and museum curators, and features many of his paintings. Also included are scenes from Benton's home movies. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- 1994
The first episode in Ken Burns' spectacular documentary of America's favorite pastime takes us from baseball's origins in the 1840s to the dawning of a new century, when glorious moments were captured in still photos rather than newsreel footage. Learn about the valuable contributions of Albert Goodwill Spaulding and Harry Wright, and recall some of the century's great players such as King Kelly, Cap Anson, and Cy Young. Burns highlights great teams like the Cincinnati Red Stockings and the Baltimore Orioles, and provides the background of those less glorious moments, when Moses Fleetwood Walker and all other Negroes were expelled from the major leagues. Also told is the story of John Montgomery Ward's efforts to establish a players' union. Ken Burns' Baseball: Inning 1 -- Our Game is a powerful and informative first inning for this classic baseball series. ~ Kathryn Tamms, Rovi
- 1994
At the turn of the 20th century, Ken Burns' documentary homage to baseball history enters its "second inning." Baseball's first decade in the new century began with the creation of a new league, as "Ban" Johnson's unbending will -- along with the 500-dollar bonus he offered National League players to switch allegiances -- forced the American League into being. Detroit's Ty Cobb ruled the decade on the field while the Pirates' Honus Wagner, another possible contender for best player, was pushed to the sidelines. Other highlights of volume two in this nine-part series include the development of independent professional Negro teams, as well as the story of female semi-pro pitcher Alta Weiss. ~ Kathryn Tamms, Rovi
- 1994
The third inning of Ken Burns' nine-inning documentary leads us into the Roaring '20s, but not before hitting the sport's stumbling block that was the Black Sox World Series scandal of 1919. Charles Comisky's stingy handling of the Chicago White Sox, who would eventually throw the series against the Reds, was tempered by the success of the Athletics under Connie Mack. Kenesaw Mountain Landis became baseball's first Commissioner, making headlines both by banning the Black Sox for life, and by approving the sale of George H. Ruth from the Red Sox to the Yankees for 125,000 dollars. The dark cloud of scandal was about to be cleared away by a new hero. ~ Kathryn Tamms, Rovi
- 1994
In a decade dominated by the New York Yankees, Babe Ruth became the nation's "heirloom." Inning four of Ken Burns' sweeping nine-part documentary series focuses on the years 1920-1930, when baseball's black mark left by the Black Sox scandal of 1919 was erased by the legend of Babe Ruth. His impact on the game far overshadowed the previous achievements of the beloved Ty Cobb. This episode also highlights other great players of the decade such as Rogers Hornsby and Walter Johnson, the organization by Rube Foster of the Negro Leagues, and the barnstorming of the country by the House of David. ~ Kathryn Tamms, Rovi
- 1994
Negro League Baseball, in all of its triumphs and tragedies, is captured in inning five of Ken Burns' classic baseball documentary. The stories of great Negro League players such as Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Judy Johnson, and Buck Leonard help set the stage for the history-making moment in 1942 when Jackie Robinson walked onto Ebbet's Field for the first time. Back in the Major Leagues, the program focuses on Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio, the Yankees' challenge to Dizzy Dean and the Gas House Gang St. Louis Cardinals, and the impact of the Great Depression as inspiration for the first All-Star game. ~ Kathryn Tamms, Rovi
- 1994
The previous five "innings" of Ken Burns' sweeping baseball documentary set the stage for the triumphant moment in this sixth episode when Jackie Robinson takes the field in his first Major League game for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1942, an event of enormous personal and social significance. Other personal achievements of the decade included Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak and Ted Williams' .406 batting average in 1941. Burns also highlights the state of baseball during World War II, rescued, in part, by the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The decade ended with the death of the legendary Babe Ruth. ~ Kathryn Tamms, Rovi
- 1994
New York held sway in the world of baseball from 1950-1960, and the seventh episode -- or "inning" -- of Ken Burns' documentary series focuses on the dominating forces of the Yankees, Dodgers, and Giants. At least one of these teams played in every World Series between 1949 and 1958, and six of those series saw the Yankees pitted against either the Dodgers or the Giants. Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle of the Yankees, Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella of the Dodgers, as well as Willie Mays and Bobby Thompson of the Giants are just some of the legendary players who lit up the newsreel clips and increasingly popular TV screens. It was a decade of moving franchises, as the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, the Giants to San Francisco, and the Braves to Milwaukee. But in the seventh inning, the game is far from over. ~ Kathryn Tamms, Rovi
- 1994
The classic black-and-white newsreel clips and old photographs that dominated the first seven innings of Ken Burns' documentary tribute to America's pastime now give way to color clips as baseball enters the '60s in Ken Burns' Baseball: Inning 8 -- A Whole New Ballgame. In this decade, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris tried to overtake Babe Ruth's home run record, Sandy Koufax made a name for himself, and Bob Gibson and Denny McLain had MVP pitching seasons. In other highlights, fans said goodbye to Ted Williams, welcomed the New York Mets, and Curt Flood challenged the reserve clause as institutional slavery when he refused to be traded from the Cardinals to the Phillies. ~ Kathryn Tamms, Rovi
- 1994
Ken Burns' celebrated baseball documentary has come full circle, from the black-and-white images of the game's beginnings to the full color of the modern era. Ken Burns' Baseball: Inning 9 -- Home, the final episode, deals with such threats to our national pastime as drug use by players, the egos of players and owners such as Reggie Jackson and George Steinbrenner, sky-rocketing salaries, and Pete Rose's banishment for gambling. But it also relives such moments as Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's home run record, Carlton Fisk keeping the ball fair at Fenway with his body language, and Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. hitting back-to-back home runs in a game. Jackie Robinson's funeral is also covered in this episode, as Burns continues to pay tribute to the man who broke baseball's color barrier. ~ Kathryn Tamms, Rovi
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