AMERICAN MASTERS: THE EDUCATION OF GORE VIDAL (TV)
Summary
One in this series that explores the lives and achievements of America's most celebrated artists and performers. This program profiles the life and career of American historical novelist and playwright Gore Vidal. This documentary chronicles Vidal's contributions to American literature and attempts to define his place in its history. The program includes interviews with Vidal as well as his friends, colleagues, and family. The program opens in Italy with Vidal discussing why -- even though he is very much an "American" writer -- he chooses to live in Europe. He also discusses his childhood, including why he became a writer and living with his grandfather, famed United States Senator T. P. Gore. Joanne Freeman, assistant professor of history at Yale, remarks on Vidal's book "Burr," noting how Vidal has a penchant for tearing down America's founding fathers. Friend and fellow writer George Plimpton remarks on Vidal being a commentator on America. Vidal further discusses his parents, his homosexuality, and his first novel "Williwaw." Director Sidney Lumet talks about Vidal's forays into television and working with him on a film about Dred Scott. Next, Vidal attends a reading for the revival of his classic play "The Best Man." Several months later, Vidal attends the show's Broadway opening where he watches Spalding Gray and Chris Noth perform and is afterward congratulated by friends Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Richard Belzer, and Eli Wallach. This program is closed-captioned.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by The Marc Haas Foundation, 2002/2003.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: July 30, 2003 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:24:33
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:76286
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Authors; Biography; U S - Politics and government
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1986-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Susan Lacy … Executive Producer
- Julie Sacks … Supervising Producer
- Matt Kapp … Producer
- Erika Frenkel … Associate Producer
- Prudence Glass … Series Producer
- Deborah Dickson … Director, Writer
- Thomas Wagner … Theme Music by
- Paul Newman … Reader
- Anne Jackson … Reader
- Tim Robbins … Reader
- Susan Sarandon … Reader
- Eli Wallach … Reader
- Joanne Woodward … Reader
- Charles Durning … Performer
- Spalding Gray … Performer
- Chris Noth … Performer
- Richard Belzer
- Joanne Freeman
- T. P. Gore
- Sidney Lumet
- Gore Vidal
- George Plimpton