TV Worth Blogging
by David Thiel, Program Director for WILL-TV
An insider's view of public television programming and the issues that help determine what and how you watch
Movies You'll Want to Remember
Cagney. Eastwood. Nicholson. Kubrick. These names, and many more, figure into the 85-year history of Warner Bros. American Masters brings us its legacy--from The Jazz Singer to Harry Potter--in a three-night miniseries: You Must Remember This.
Airing Tuesday, September 23 through Thursday, September 25 at 8:00 pm, You Must Remember This begins in 1923, when Warner's biggest star was a canine named Rin Tin Tin. What may surprise you most about this look at the early days of the film industry is that it was not as charmingly naive as we prefer to believe. Prior to the Hays Production Code of the 1930s, movie dramas depicted drug abuse, sexual promiscuity and more than a bit of skin. Warner Bros. in particular became famous for its hard-hitting crime stories featuring the likes of James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson (pictured).
While musicals, comedies and family films all make their way into this star-studded documentary, make no mistake: some of the clips--particularly in Wednesday night's episode, which covers the turbulent '70s--are quite violent. Some of the historically relevant and highly influential motion pictures of this era include Bonnie & Clyde, A Clockwork Orange, Dog Day Afternoon and Deliverance. These tantalizing yet disturbing scenes invite viewers to seek out the full-length films. I know that after watching You Must Remember This, I felt the need to visit my local video rental store.
Image: Edward G. Robinson from Little Caesar, ©Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Thanks! Its very interesting.
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