American Masters

History Series / 14 Seasons

American Masters, committed to producing comprehensive film biographies about the broad cast of characters who comprise our cultural history.

Watch Latest: S39 E1

1h 23m / TV-14

Cab Calloway: Sketches

30s / TV-14

Calloway was also an ambassador for his race, leading one of the most popular African American big bands during the Harlem Renaissance and jazz and swing eras of the 1930s-40s. American Masters celebrates "The Hi De Ho Man's" legacy during Black History Month with the documentary Cab Calloway: Sketches premiering nationally Monday, February 27 at 10 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings).

The Blues Brothers Band Remembers Cab Calloway

2m 22s

Lou Marini (saxophone), Steve Cropper (guitar), and Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass) tell a story about a time when Cab Calloway sang "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess while walking to their respective elevators. Cab Calloway: Sketches premieres nationally Monday, February 27 at 10 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings). In the New York metro-area the film airs Sunday, February 26 at 8 p.m. on THIRTEEN.

Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune

2m 11s / TV-14

American Masters opens its 26th season with the biography of a conflicted troubadour who, with guitar in hand, stood up for what he believed in and challenged us all to do the same. Three-time Emmy-nominated filmmaker Kenneth Bowser examines one of America's most iconic folk music heroes in Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune, premiering nationally Monday, January 23 at 10 pm (check local listings).

Interview with Christopher Hitchens

5m 51s

Before his untimely passing on December 15, 2011, author and journalist Christopher Hitchens sat for an interview for Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune, airing January 23 at 10 pm (check local listings). Hitchens offered his viewpoint on the music of Ochs, the United States involvement in Chile, how the modern documentaries have replaced folk music in activism, and more.

Interview with Kenneth Bowser

3m 8s

Emmy Award nominated director Kenneth Bowser explains why he chose to make a documentary about Phil Ochs, why he seems to have been written out of the history of folk music, and the unique way that Ochs' music marries activism and his personal life. Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune premieres Monday, January 23 at 10 pm on PBS (check local listings) and Sunday January 22 at 7:30 pm in New York.

Eames Outtakes: Charles' Uniform

1m 9s / TV-G

Find out about Charles Eames' decision to dress himself in similar clothes every day as a uniform - something he believed saved his energy for decision making at the office. Narrated by James Franco, Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter premieres nationally Monday, December 19 at 10 p.m. (check local listings) as the 25th anniversary season finale of American Masters.

Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter

2m 17s / TV-G

Jason Cohn and Bill Jersey's definitive documentary delves into the private world the Eameses created in their Renaissance-style, Venice Beach, California studio, where design history was born. Narrated by James Franco, the film premieres nationally Monday, December 19 from 10-11:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on PBS (check local listings) as the 25th anniversary season finale of American Masters.

Eames Outtakes: Ray Driving

1m 52s / TV-G

Friends recount that Ray Eames was so obsessed with the visual world around her that she couldn't keep her eyes on the road. Narrated by James Franco, Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter premieres nationally Monday, December 19 at 10 p.m. (check local listings) as the 25th anniversary season finale of American Masters.

Eames Outtakes: Cranbrook

1m 3s / TV-G

Charles and Ray met at the Cranbrook academy in Michigan. But they also absorbed an approach to design there that had a profound affect on their later work. Narrated by James Franco, Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter premieres nationally Monday, December 19 at 10 p.m. (check local listings) as the 25th anniversary season finale of American Masters.

Eames Outtakes: Having Fun

2m 39s / TV-G

In archival footage from "An Eames Celebration," a film for WNET created in 1973, Ray Eames struggles to describe any activities that give her more joy than success in their projects and works. Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter premieres nationally Monday, December 19 at 10 p.m. (check local listings) as the 25th anniversary season finale of American Masters.

Eames Outtakes: L.A. Unrestrained

3m 8s / TV-G

In archival footage from "An Eames Celebration," a film for WNET created in 1973, Charles Eames describes the city of Los Angeles as an illustration of what happens when design lacks constraints. Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter premieres nationally Monday, December 19 at 10 p.m. (check local listings) as the 25th anniversary season finale of American Masters.

Interview with Jason Cohn and Bill Jersey

5m 51s

Directors Jason Cohn and Bill Jersey discuss the making of Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter and how they took a visual approach towards documenting these two great designers. Narrated by James Franco, Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter premieres Monday, December 19 from 10-11:30 p.m. (check local listings) as the 25th anniversary season finale of American Masters.

Eames Outtakes: Scripts

2m 51s / TV-G

Art historian Judith Wechsler tells a story about the time Charles Eames threw out ONE OF her scriptS and taught her a valuable lesson in the process. Narrated by James Franco, Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter premieres nationally Monday, December 19 at 10 p.m. (check local listings) as the 25th anniversary season finale of American Masters.

Eames Outtakes: Pilgrimage

1m 41s / TV-G

Eames Demetrios, grandson of Ray and Charles and Richard Saul Wurman of TED Talk about how the eames house has lured people from all over the world and become a kind of pilgrimage site for modernists. Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter premieres nationally Monday, December 19 at 10 p.m. (check local listings) as the 25th anniversary season finale of American Masters.

Woody Allen: A Documentary

2m 19s

Iconic writer, director, actor, comedian, and musician Woody Allen allowed his life and creative process to be documented for the first time. Filmmaker Robert Weide followed the film legend over a year and a half to create the ultimate film biography. Woody Allen: A Documentary premieres Sunday, November 20 from 9-11 p.m. and Monday, November 21 from 9-10:30 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).

Bill T. Jones: The Cutting Room Floor

5m 54s

In this mini documentary, originally produced for ITVS, see how the directors chose which scenes and storylines to cut from the final edit of the film and see footage from one of the cuts that was made. Bill T. Jones: A Good Man premieres nationally Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) as part of the first PBS Arts Fall Festival.

Bill T. Jones: A Good Man

2m 55s

The 90-minute film chronicles the intense creative journey of Bill T. Jones as he tackles the most ambitious work of his career and leads the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in the creation of Fondly Do We Hope... Fervently Do We Pray, an original dance-theater piece in honor of Abraham Lincoln's bicentennial commissioned by Ravinia Festival.

Creating the Costumes

2m 4s

In this outtake from Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, see the dancers in their initial costume fitting with designer Liz Prince and the following critique by Bill T. Jones. Bill T. Jones: A Good Man premieres nationally Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) as part of the first PBS Arts Fall Festival.

Collaborations in the Dance Company

3m 20s

Creative Director Bjorn Amelan explains the process of collaboration between the production designers, technical crew, and artists when creating new work for Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Bill T. Jones: A Good Man premieres nationally Friday, November 11 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) as part of the first PBS Arts Fall Festival.

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