Tom Brokaw Movies

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

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, All Movie Guide

This documentary examines the place of Italian immigrants in American culture from the 19th century through World War II. Through the use of photographs, music, poetry and the commentary of historians, the changing Italian identity is explored along with the prejudices that it faced in American society. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide

This riveting TV documentary was a joint effort between Hollywood superproducer Steven Spielberg, WWII historian Stephen E. Ambrose and director James Moll, the man responsible for the Oscar-winning Holocaust account Last Days. Concentrating on the final days of the War in the Pacific, from Iwo Jima to Hiroshima, Price for Peace offers reams of rare combat and mop-up footage (much of it in color), coupled with eyewitness interviews from both sides of the conflict. For every story provided by an American veteran of the war, there is an equally compelling story from a former member of the Japanese armed forces. Few of the battle and interview sequences have quite the emotional impact of those moments near the end of the film in which the former enemies tearfully embrace, offering mutual apologies, condolences and words of encouragement. Hosted by Tom Brokaw, Price for Peace made its first NBC network appearance on May 27, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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, All Movie Guide

NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw brings to life his best-selling book The Greatest Generation. In this video of the same name, Brokaw introduces you to men and women who were raised during the difficult years of the Great Depression, who fought for the sake of freedom in World War II and later went on to create a strong nation. These real American heroes tell their stories of tragedy and triumph. Interviewed while in their 70s and 80s, the survivors relate powerfully and dramatically, the meaning of being an American. ~ Sally Barber, All Movie Guide