American Masters

Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel “Maus” was about both his father Vladek’s experiences in the Holocaust and the difficult relationship they had with each other.

Art Spiegelman’s “Li’l Pitcher” comic depicts a young boy who learns about the horrors of the Holocaust while listening to his parents’ conversation during a car ride.

In this segment of “Maus,” Art Spiegelman illustrated four Jewish victims hung by Nazis in Poland that Spiegelman’s parents knew. The page provides details about the victims as people, humanizing them and asking readers to slow down and acknowledge the horrors of the Holocaust.

When the Spiegelman family witnessed the towers falling on 9/11, they noticed that the gray of the buildings fell first, leaving bright red beams hanging in the air that slowly disintegrated. Art Spiegelman later depicted this in his comic, “In the Shadow of No Towers.”

Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” was featured in the comic book “Funny Aminals” in 1972, with a cover by Robert Crumb, one of Spiegelman’s comic heroes. Being part of “Funny Aminals” helped Spiegelman feel like he had established himself in the comics scene.

Explore the work of cartoonist Art Spiegelman and the impact of his Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel Maus, about his parents’ survival of the Holocaust. A defender of free speech, Spiegelman has spoken out as book bans spread across the country.

As the daughter of Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli, Liza Minnelli learned how to handle the press at a young age, which helped with the media attention that came after the successes of “Cabaret” and “Liza with a Z.”

Liza Minnelli struggled with fertility issues throughout her life and wasn’t able to have children of her own. However, she surrounded herself with close friends and became a godmother to several of her friends’ children, creating her own chosen family.

Friends described Liza Minnelli as going into her relationships with fervor and passion, even if they were only for a short period of time. “She throws herself into the relationship with the same passion that she throws herself into a song. But then just like in a song, you then go on to the next song.”

Liza Minnelli made “Liza with a Z,” a concert film made for television, with producer Fred Ebb and choreographer Bob Fosse in 1972. The show highlighted both Liza’s personality and her performance capabilities. “What Fred Ebb did in collaboration with her is to take anything that was unpolished and awkward about Liza ... and either polish it or embrace the vulnerabilities.”

Take an intimate look into the life of Liza Minnelli, best known for her Oscar-winning role in Cabaret. Following in the footsteps of her mother Judy Garland, Minnelli used her boundless raw talent to build her own legacy in showbiz.

When Hazel Scott's name appeared in "Red Channels," a book by former FBI agents accusing entertainers of affiliations with communism, she was determined to clear her name. Before the House Un-American Activities Committee, Scott wrote a 50-page statement declaring her innocence, but HUAC had already made up their minds about her.

Learn about jazz virtuoso and screen superstar Hazel Scott, the first Black American to have their own television show. An early civil rights pioneer, she faced down the Red Scare at the risk of losing her career and was a champion for equality. The film features interviews with Mickey Guyton, Tracie Thoms, Amanda Seales, and Sheryl Lee Ralph as the voice of Hazel Scott.

Hazel Scott is most well-known for her role in the film "The Heat's On," where she plays two pianos at once. However, while shooting the movie, Scott refused to have the Black women in the film wear soiled aprons to see their husbands off to war and staged a strike until their costumes were changed. This act of defiance ultimately cost her her film career.

At just 15 years old, Hazel Scott was playing as an intermission pianist at 52nd Street for headliner Frances Faye. Because the club didn't want her playing the same songs as Faye, she started "jazzing" or "swinging" the classics, or playing classic songs at an uptempo and with improvisation, displaying her mastery of the piano.

Learn about jazz virtuoso and screen superstar Hazel Scott, the first Black American to have their own television show. An early civil rights pioneer, she faced down the Red Scare at the risk of losing her career and was a champion for equality. This version contains extended audio description and large open captions.

Learn about jazz virtuoso and screen superstar Hazel Scott, the first Black American to have their own television show. An early civil rights pioneer, she faced down the Red Scare at the risk of losing her career and was a champion for equality. This version contains on-screen ASL interpretation.

American Masters illuminates the lives and creative journeys of those who have left an indelible impression on our cultural landscape—through compelling, unvarnished stories. Watch a sneak peek from this season, featuring artists like Liza Minnelli, Hazel Scott, Art Spiegelman, Hannah Arendt, Marcella Hazan, Marlee Matlin

Discover the story behind singer Brenda Lee’s iconic songs and explore how her early fame and life of poverty shaped her artistry across pop, rock ‘n’ roll and country. Known for her Christmas classic and Billboard hit “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” she is still a force in music today. The film features interviews with Keith Urban, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and many others.

Discover the story behind singer Brenda Lee’s iconic songs and explore how her early fame and life of poverty shaped her artistry across pop, rock ‘n’ roll and country. Known for her Christmas classic and Billboard hit “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” she is still a force in music today. The film features interviews with Keith Urban, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and many others.