American Masters

History Series / 11 Seasons

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

1h 51m / TV-14

Exclusive Preview: Who was William F. Buckley, Jr.?

10m 12s

Watch the first ten minutes of The Incomparable Mr. Buckley in this sneak preview. Discover how political commentator William F. Buckley, Jr. galvanized the modern conservative movement. The preeminent public intellectual grew up on a sprawling estate in Sharon, Connecticut, where his father's own idea of pedagogy had a lasting impact on his future ideals.

When William F. Buckley, Jr. ran for mayor of New York City

2m 56s

In an effort to drive votes away from "liberal Republican" John Lindsay, William F. Buckley, Jr. ran for mayor of New York City under the Conservative Party. The columnist Pete Hamill said of Buckley at the time, "This is the first person we've ever seen in politics with a genuinely original mind."

Buckley's Yale criticism fueled the conservative movement

1m 47s

William F. Buckley, Jr. was tapped to speak at the Alumni Day Speech at Yale University in 1950. However, Yale administration feared his outspoken criticism of the university and asked Buckley to pare back his speech. Buckley refused and later wrote a book about his experiences at the school.

William F. Buckley, Jr.'s relationship with wife Patricia

2m 5s

William F. Buckley, Jr. and his wife Patricia had a brazen, but loving relationship. The two "annoyed each other intensely and absolutely adored each other." They held grand parties at their home with many distinguished guests.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan on going "beyond the melting pot"

2m 40s

In 1963, Daniel Patrick Moynihan and sociologist Nathan Glazer published their book, "Beyond the Melting Pot," which transformed how ethnicity was viewed in America, from a homogenized country to one of jostling ethnic groups.

Moynihan on working with Nixon across party lines

2m 23s

Against the advice of his family and friends, Daniel Patrick Moynihan took a job with the Nixon administration as Richard Nixon's domestic advisor. Although Moynihan didn't necessarily agree with all of Nixon's politics, he felt a duty to serve the American public. His impact as domestic advisor was wide-ranging, including creating the Council on Urban Affairs.

Explaining the "Moynihan Report"

6m 3s

In 1965, Daniel Patrick Moynihan released his report on the Black family, titled "The Negro Family: The Case for National Action." Through structural and cultural analysis, the "Moynihan Report," as it was known colloquially, detailed "the deterioration of the fabric of Negro society is the deterioration of the Negro family." The report caused controversy upon its release.

Moynihan

2m 49s

Discover the life and legacy of former U.S. Senator and diplomat Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Going beyond the “Moynihan Report,” President Joe Biden, Ta-Nehisi Coates and others reflect on his decades-long fight to end national poverty.

Moynihan (EAD + ASL + OC Trailer)

5m 45s

Discover the life and legacy of former U.S. Senator and diplomat Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Going beyond the “Moynihan Report,” President Joe Biden, Ta-Nehisi Coates and others reflect on his decades-long fight to end national poverty. This version contains extended audio description, open captions and ASL interpretation.

Rare interview footage of Edward Hopper on his process

29m 7s

In this rare archival footage from 1964, Edward Hopper joins host and art critic Brian O'Doherty at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston for a conversation about Hopper's process and inspirations, and his belief that "the important element in the picture cannot be defined."

Edward Hopper's career soared as wife Jo Nivison's faltered

2m 31s

When Edward Hopper first met fellow painter and future spouse Josephine Nivison in 1923, he had not sold a painting in 10 years. Jo, on the other hand, was at her most productive, both showing and selling her artwork. When Jo recommended Hopper's paintings to gallerists, his career began to soar while hers faltered.

A closer look at Edward Hopper's "Automat" and "Chop Suey"

1m 59s

Edward Hopper displayed a preference for quieter social commentary with his art. In "Automat," he paints a woman alone in an empty automat, conveying a sense of loneliness and isolation. In "Chop Suey," two women are depicted at lunch without male chaperones, reflecting the newfound independence many women were experiencing at the time.

Edward Hopper's work showed a narrow view of New York

2m 39s

Edward Hopper painted what he wanted to paint, showing no interest in the growing diversity of America or the social movements happening in New York City. "It's just almost comical for me to imagine Hopper, still in his button-down at his easel, when you have this great Bohemian culture happening right outside the window," says curator Kim Conaty. "And it's not really reflected in the work."

Edward Hopper's childhood in Nyack, New York

2m 3s

Edward Hopper was raised in Nyack, New York, where his creativity was fostered by his supportive parents and his childhood home influenced his interpretation of light and space in his paintings.

Edward Hopper's simple lifestyle with wife Jo

1m 55s

Edward and Jo Hopper lived an extremely frugal life, with just a hot plate to cook on and their living room used as an art studio. Hopper had a reputation for being gruff and unfriendly, while Jo loved to have drinks and chats with friends.

HOPPER: An American love story (EAD + ASL + OC Trailer)

2m 10s

Discover the secrets behind Edward Hopper’s most iconic and enigmatic works. Known for “Nighthawks” and other evocative paintings of American life, Hopper has left a lasting impression on our culture. Meet the man behind the brush, and see how his marriage to fellow artist Josephine Nivison Hopper shaped his art and career. This version contains extended audio description and ASL interpretation.

HOPPER: An American love story

1m 2s

Discover the secrets behind Edward Hopper’s most iconic and enigmatic works. Known for “Nighthawks” and other evocative paintings of American life, Hopper has left a lasting impression on our culture. Meet the man behind the brush, and see how his marriage to fellow artist Josephine Nivison Hopper shaped his art and career.

Orozco’s paintings were destroyed by U.S. customs agents

1m 19s

In 1917, José Clemente Orozco left Mexico to find a better place to make art in the United States. Along the way, Orozco was detained in Laredo, Texas, where officials took issue with many of his paintings and deemed them “immoral.”

Las pinturas de Orozco fueron destruidas en los EE. UU.

1m 19s

En 1917, José Clemente Orozco dejó México para encontrar un mejor lugar para hacer arte en Estados Unidos. En el camino, Orozco fue detenido en Laredo, Texas, donde los funcionarios objetaron muchas de sus pinturas y las consideraron “inmorales”.

La historia de “Hidalgo y la Independencia Nacional”

1m 50s

Orozco pintó uno de los murales públicos más icónicos de México, que desafió directamente a instituciones veneradas. Su formidable pintura del Padre Hidalgo, el “George Washington de la Independencia Mexicana”, representaba al líder como un profeta empuñando una espada que “purificaba el mundo con derramamiento de sangre”.

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