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

Bing Crosby's Style of Singing

1m 56s

Bing Crosby sang as if he were addressing only one person with his voice. "What Bing created was the art of intimacy," says singer Tony Bennett. Entertainer Michael Feinstein uses the song "Moonlight Becomes You," from the film Road to Morocco to illustrate how Bing would change a song's phrasing and melody to make it more conversational. Bing Crosby Rediscovered premieres Dec. 2 on PBS.

Filmmaker Interview: Bing Crosby Rediscovered

3m 29s

Director Robert Trachtenberg worked with the Bing Crosby estate to bring a wealth of audio recordings and images to the public from the first time. In this interview he speaks about the challenge of presenting the man who down-played how hard he worked to become a sensation in film, radio and television. American Masters - Bing Crosby Rediscovered premieres Tue., Dec. 2 at 8 pm on PBS.

Bing Crosby Performs "The Second Time Around"

2m 54s / TV-14

In this web exclusive, see Bing Crosby's full performance of "The Second Time Around" (music by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn). A clip of this song from Crosby's television special in 1961 is seen in American Masters - Bing Crosby Rediscovered, which after its premiere on December 2, comes around for its second time on Friday, December 26 at 9 pm for a holiday encore (check local listings).

Bing Crosby and Maurice Chevalier Duet

3m 20s / TV-14

Legends Bing Crosby and French entertainer Maurice Chevalier sing "I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore" from the film "Gigi" on Bing Crosby's television special in 1961. This film outtake is from American Masters - Bing Crosby Rediscovered, directed by Emmy Award-winning director Robert Trachtenberg.

The Road Films: Bing Crosby and Bob Hope

1m 46s

At the age of 37, Bing Crosby had 24 films behind him and his Hollywood career was at a crossroads. He found the perfect comedic partner in Bob Hope, with whom he had first performed on stage in 1932. Starting in 1940, Hope and Crosby would star in seven "Road" films. This film excerpt from American Masters: Bing Crosby Rediscovered is rich in archival footage of interviews and film.

Bing Crosby's Charity and "Take Care of" List

1m 48s

Bing Crosby used his fame and wealth to help friends, acquaintances and strangers in ways both public and nearly invisible. In this web-exclusive outtake, Crosby's biographer Gary Giddins describes the "take care of" list of people the entertainer kept, and how Crosby generally did not draw attention to his charitable giving. American Masters: Bing Crosby Rediscovered premieres Dec. 2 on PBS.

Bing Crosby, Maurice Chevalier and Carol Lawrence Perform

4m 44s / TV-14

Bing Crosby, French entertainer Maurice Chevalier and musical theater actress Carol Lawrence sing "Riding High" during Crosby's television special in 1961. This film outtake is from American Masters - Bing Crosby Rediscovered, directed by Emmy Award-winning director Robert Trachtenberg.

Bing Crosby, An All-Purpose Singer

40s / TV-14

Bing Crosby recorded thousands of songs during the height of his career. Singer and pianist Michael Feinstein and Ken Barnes, who wrote songs with Crosby in the 1970s, talk about Crosby's prolific output of songs and the variety of genres he recorded.

Bing Crosby's Innovations in Technology

4m 44s

Not only was Crosby a multimedia star, he advanced the technology to record music and make television --- such as the laugh track. Filmmaker Robert Trachtenberg describes how his crew was able to include in "American Masters - Bing Crosby Rediscovered" the private letters Crosby recorded on dictabelts. American Masters Executive Producer Michael Kantor adds perspective on Crosby's significance.

Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin Sing Together

2m 53s

America's most famous crooners --- Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin --- sing "The Oldest Established" song from the musical Guys and Dolls. This web-exclusive clip captures the three legendary singers in a televised performance that took place in 1964. This is an web-exclusive outtake from American Masters: Bing Crosby Rediscovered, premiering Dec. 2 at 8 pm on PBS.

Bing Crosby Rediscovered

1m 56s

Bing Crosby (1903-1977) was the most popular and influential multi-media star of the first half of the 20th century. For more than three decades, through radio, film, television and records, he reigned supreme. For this new documentary, Crosby’s estate granted American Masters access to the entertainer’s archives, including never-before-seen home movies, Dictabelt recordings, photos and more.

Crosby Family Remembers Bing

1m 30s

In this exclusive clip, Bing Crosby's family reflects on his life as a performer and family man. Hear all surviving members of Crosby’s immediate family — his wife Kathryn, daughter Mary and sons Harry and Nathaniel, and see archival footage from the film. American Masters - Bing Crosby Rediscovered premieres Tues., Dec. 2 at 8 pm and has a holiday encore on Fri., Dec. 26 at 9 pm.

Bing Crosby Sings with the Crosby Boys

1m 49s

Bing Crosby sings the African-American spiritual "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" with three of his sons on his television special in 1960. Crosby's first four sons --- Gary, twins Dennis and Philip, and Lindsay --- created the The Crosby Boys quartet in 1959. This is a web-only full version of the performance, as seen excerpted in American Masters - Bing Crosby Rediscovered.

The Powerful Memory of Music

1m 52s / TV-14

Serving in Vietnam and the music of the era are inextricably linked for veteran and author Tim O'Brien (b. 1946). "One of my most powerful memories of Vietnam has nothing to do with bullets and firefights," he says. It's about the moment when two platoons started singing together. This outtake is from The Boomer List, premiering Sept. 23, 9-10:30 p.m. on PBS, featuring 19 iconic baby boomers.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work - Preview

37s / TV-MA

American Masters – Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work takes the audience on a year-long ride with Joan Rivers in her 76th year of life; it peels away the mask of an iconic comedian, laying bare both the struggle and thrill of living life as a groundbreaking female performer. The film by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg premieres September 23, 2014 at 10:30 pm on PBS (check local listings).

The Boomer List - Trailer

1m 35s / TV-PG

The baby boomer generation (1946-1964) has significantly and uniquely changed our world. 2014 marks an important shift in American culture, as the last boomers turn 50. American Masters: The Boomer List, premiering Tues., Sept. 23, 9-10:30 p.m. on PBS, tells the story of this influential generation through the lives of 19 iconic boomers. Directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.

Lange's Eye on The Great Depression and Sharecropping

2m 53s

Dorothea Lange's photographed resilient men and women struggling with the Great Depression and sharecropping system. Lange tells the story of Tom Collins, the manager of "Migratory Labor Camp," whom she met. He became a character in John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath. American Masters: Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning premieres Friday, August 29 at 9-11 pm on PBS.

Web Exclusive: Japanese-American Internees Today

4m 46s

Photographer Paul Kitagaki Jr. found surviving Japanese-Americans who were photographed by Dorothea Lange and others as they were taken to internment camps during World War II. This forced relocation process was led by the U.S. War Relocation Authority in 1942. Kitagaki took portraits of these former internees, often taking the photos in the same locations or arrangements as the 1942 photos.

Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning - Preview

3m 31s / TV-G

Her photograph Migrant Mother is one of the most recognized and arresting images in the world, a portrait that came to represent America's Great Depression. Yet few know the story, struggles and profound body of work of the woman who created the portrait: Dorothea Lange. Directed and narrated by Lange's granddaughter Dyanna Taylor, the two-hour film premieres Friday, August 29 at 9 pm on PBS.

Lange's Photos of the Internment of Japanese-Americans

The U.S. War Relocation Authority hired photographer Dorothea Lange to document the relocation of Japanese-Americans to internment camps during World War II. It horrified her, but she felt it was important to record what has happening. "This is what we did. How did it happen? How could we? Now, I have never had a comfortable feeling about that war relocation job," she later said.

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