Susan Lacy

The Janes

Defying the state legislature that outlawed abortion, the Catholic Church that condemned it, and the Chicago Mob that was profiting from it, the members of “Jane” risked their personal and professional lives to support women with unwanted pregnancies. In the pre-Roe v. Wade era — a time when abortion was a crime in most states and even circulating information about abortion was a felony in Illinois — the Janes provided low-cost and free abortions to an estimated 11,000 women.

Release Date: 2022-05-03

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 41

Becoming Helen Keller

The life and legacy of Helen Keller, including how she used her celebrity to advocate for human rights and social justice for women, the poor and people with disabilities.

Release Date: 2021-10-19

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 2

Walter Winchell: The Power of Gossip

The life and times of radio commentator and syndicated newspaper gossip columnist Walter Winchell, who reached an audience of 50 million at his peak.

Release Date: 2020-10-20

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Vote Count: 1

Very Ralph

The first documentary portrait of fashion icon Ralph Lauren, reveals the man behind the icon and the creation of one of the most successful brands in fashion history.

Release Date: 2019-11-12

Department: Production

Job: Producer

Vote Count: 12

Searching for Mr. Rugoff

The feature documentary Searching for Mr. Rugoff is the story of Donald Rugoff, who was the crazy genius behind Cinema 5, the mid-century theater chain and film distribution company. Rugoff was a difficult (some would say impossible) person but was also the man who kicked art films into the mainstream with outrageous marketing schemes and pure bluster. Rugoff's impact on cinema culture in the United States is inestimable, and his influence on the art film business-from the studio classics divisions to the independent film movement to the rise of the Weinsteins-is undeniable. Yet, mysteriously, Rugoff has become a virtually forgotten figure. The story is told through the eyes of former employee Ira Deutchman, who sets out to find the truth about the man who had such a major impact on his life, and to understand how such an important figure could have disappeared so completely.

Release Date: 2019-11-08

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 3

Jane Fonda in Five Acts

Girl next door, activist, so-called traitor, fitness tycoon, Oscar winner: Jane Fonda has lived a life of controversy, tragedy and transformation – and she’s done it all in the public eye. An intimate look at one woman’s singular journey.

Release Date: 2018-01-21

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 61

Spielberg

A documentary on the life and career of one of the most influential film directors of all time, Steven Spielberg.

Release Date: 2017-10-05

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 290

Mike Nichols: An American Master

With charm and wit, Nichols discusses his life and 50-year career as a performer and director.

Release Date: 2016-01-29

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Vote Count: 10

Janis: Little Girl Blue

Janis Joplin is one of the most respected and iconic rock & roll singers of all time, a tragic and misunderstood figure who captivated millions of listeners and blazed new creative trails before her death in 1970 at age 27. Director Amy Berg explored Joplin's story in depth. A portrait of a complicated, driven and often beleaguered artist. Joplin's own words recount a series of letters she wrote to her family over the years. Janis was a vessel of energy when she sang. Her rapid rise and untimely death changed music forever.

Release Date: 2015-09-09

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 159

Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth

The compelling story of an extraordinary woman's journey from her birth in a paper thin shack in the cotton fields of Georgia to her recognition as a key writer of the twentieth Century.Walker made history as the first black woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for her groundbreaking novel, The Color Purple.

Release Date: 2013-05-13

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 1

Inventing David Geffen

Notoriously press and camera-shy, David Geffen reveals himself for the first time in this unflinching portrait of a complex and compelling man. His far-reaching influence - as an agent and manager, record industry mogul, Hollywood and Broadway producer, and billionaire philanthropist - has helped shape American popular culture for the past four decades. This documentary offers a rare insight into the world of the man responsible for launching the early successes of Joni Mitchell, Tom Cruise, and Guns N’ Roses; co-founded DreamWorks; produced Cats and Dreamgirls; and is one of the largest contributors to the fight against AIDS. (SBS AU) Geffen narrates his unorthodox rise from working class Brooklyn boy to billionaire entertainment power broker in extensive interviews. American Masters explores the highs and the lows in Geffen’s professional and personal life through more than 50 new interviews with his friends, colleagues and clients, as well as other media luminaries. (PBS)

Release Date: 2012-11-19

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 7

Eames: The Architect and the Painter

Interviews with the junior designers swept into the 24-7 world of "The Eamery" are the heart of this complex picture of a husband-and-wife creative team that define the era of Mid-Century Modernism. Narrated by James Franco, the film draws from a trove of archival material, primarily the stunning films and photographs produced in mind-boggling volume by Charles, Ray, and their staff during the hyper-creative forty years of the Eames Office.

Release Date: 2011-11-18

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 34

Neil Young: Don't Be Denied

This television special is a first for the reclusive singer with the BBC documentary gaining new interviews with Young, nine months apart in New York and California. The documentary also looks back over the singer's archives, with some never-seen-before material.

Release Date: 2009-06-10

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

John James Audubon: Drawn From Nature

This beautifully photographed documentary profiles the surprising life of John James Audubon, one of the foremost naturalists, artists and explorers of the 19th century. Audubon's stunningly vivid wildlife portraits are examined in detail. A self-taught artist, Audubon was also a showman who reveled in dramatizing his Wild West adventures when he toured European drawing rooms. Audubon's fierce promotion of conservation is also discussed.

Release Date: 2007-07-25

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 1

Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens

An account of the professional and personal life of renowned American photographer Annie Leibovitz, from her early artistic endeavors to her international success as a photojournalist, war reporter, and pop culture chronicler.

Release Date: 2007-05-19

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 23

Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film

Ric Burns unearths rarely seen footage and offers keen observations on the life and artistic influence of Andy Warhol. [Made for and aired on PBS's American Masters series.]

Release Date: 2006-09-01

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 12

Marilyn Monroe: Still Life

Survey Marilyn Monroe’s life through photographs, from Hollywood stills to candid pictures snapped on the streets of New York.

Release Date: 2006-07-18

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Sketches of Frank Gehry

First and foremost, Frank Gehry is an artist. Described as a young child as having golden hands, Frank begins his creation through sketch. Forming thought into substantive sculpture, the marriage of art and architechure is brought to life. Join director Sydney Pollack on a journey into the world and work of the most important architect of our Age.

Release Date: 2006-05-12

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 21

Judy Garland: By Myself

As Hollywood biographies go, Judy Garland's story is one of the saddest success stories you'll ever hear. The sanitized studio version of her life presented a smiling kid with the big voice, who, alongside Mickey Rooney, just wanted to put on a show. But drugs, overwork, even psychological abuse at the hands of the studio is now part of the Garland legend. But despite the number of Garland books and documentaries, one account has always been missing -- Garland herself never managed to write a memoir. She did make several attempts at an autobiography, often recording stories on a tape recorder. Judy Garland: By Myself (2004), finally fills in the blanks - using Judy's personal recordings to tell the story in her own words.

Release Date: 2004-02-25

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 2

The Education of Gore Vidal

A contrarian and wickedly funny man, this PBS American Masters special explores Gore Vidal's extraordinary life and work, joining him at his cliff-side villa in Ravello, Italy.

Release Date: 2003-06-30

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 1

Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind

Joni Mitchell's career as a singer-songwriter and painter is extensively profiled in this in-depth documentary, which originally aired as part of the PBS American Masters series. Take a look at this prolific artist as she reflects on a career that spans decades and includes some of the most influential music of that era.

Release Date: 2003-04-03

Department: Production

Job: Producer

Vote Count: 7

Norman Rockwell: Painting America

A documentary about American artist Norman Rockwell, featuring his biography accompanied with opinions by the artist's son, movie director Steven Spielberg, two of the artist's models, and art critics

Release Date: 1999-05-02

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Paul Robeson: Here I Stand

Paul Robeson: Here I Stand presents the life and achievements of an extraordinary man. Athlete, singer, and scholar, Robeson was also a charismatic champion of the rights of the poor working man, the disfranchised and people of color. He led a life in the vanguard of many movements, achieved international acclaim for his music and suffered tremendous personal sacrifice. His story is one of the great dramas of the 20th century, spanning an international canvas of social upheaval and ideological controversy.

Release Date: 1999-02-24

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note

The life of the composer, shaped by his Jewish heritage, his morality and his playful sense of humor.

Release Date: 1998-10-27

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Vote Count: 4

Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy

A profile of writer-director Billy Wilder

Release Date: 1998-02-04

Department: Writing

Job: Writer

Vote Count: 1

Nichols and May: Take Two

A documentary made for the PBS program American Masters about the comedy team Nichols and May.

Release Date: 1996-05-22

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 2

Rod Serling: Submitted for Your Approval

The life and career of the renowned television writer and creator of the classic science fiction series, "The Twilight Zone."

Release Date: 1995-11-29

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Vote Count: 1

Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage

A study of Tennessee Williams's life and work as a whole, ranging from his youth in Mississippi and in St. Louis to success and acclaim, followed by the final difficult years. Includes some of the most celebrated scenes from film adaptations of Williams' work, among them extracts of A Streetcar Named Desire (1951),Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Night of the Iguana, The (1964), and Suddenly, Last Summer (1993) (TV). Contains footage of Williams being interviewed, including conversations with David Frost, 'Edward R. Murrow (I)', and Melvyn Bragg, as well as reminiscences from people who knew and worked with him, among them Edward Albee, Gore Vidal, and his lifelong friend, Lady Maria St. Just. Features readings from Elia Kazan's Notebook by Kim Hunter.

Release Date: 1994-12-19

Department: Production

Job: Producer

Martha Graham: The Dancer Revealed

Released on DVD as part of The Criterion Collection's "Martha Graham: Dance on Film" collection.

Release Date: 1994-05-13

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 6

You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story

Biographical portrait of one of Broadway's most brilliant songwriters. Told through the use of archival material and interviews with the rich and famous that knew him, this portrait concentrates on his career and his public life events.

Release Date: 1990-07-23

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Martin Scorsese Directs

Providing behind the scenes footage of the director on set with clips from his own films, Martin Scorsese Directs depicts to riveting effect the way Scorsese brings the written story to life on the big screen. Additional interviews with the likes of Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Thelma Schoonmaker, the director’s own parents, and others build a perception of Scorsese that not everybody knows.

Release Date: 1990-06-16

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 2

Waldo Salt: A Screenwriter's Journey

Documentary is about the life and work of American screenwriter Waldo Salt who won two Academy Awards and was put on the Hollywood blacklist in the 1950s. The story is told through interviews with collaborators and friends such as Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jon Voight, John Schlesinger and with clips from Salt's films, chiefly Midnight Cowboy.

Release Date: 1990-01-19

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 5

W. Eugene Smith: Photography Made Difficult

The war in the South Pacific, a country doctor in Colorado, victims of industrial pollution in a Japanese village — all were captured in unforgettable photographs by the legendary W. Eugene Smith. This program showcases over 600 of Smith’s stunning photographs and includes a dramatic recreation in which actor Peter Riegert (Crossing Delancey, Local Hero) portrays the artist using dialogue take from Smith’s diaries and letters. Interwoven through the program are archival footage and interviews with family and friends of this brilliant, complicated man, whose work developed from twin themes of common humanity and social responsibility.

Release Date: 1989-09-25

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket

James Baldwin was at once a major 20th century American author, a Civil Rights activist and, for two crucial decades, a prophetic voice calling Americans, black and white, to confront their shared racial tragedy.

Release Date: 1989-08-14

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

Vote Count: 2

Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre

A study of the Group Theatre, a company that changed the face of American drama. The Group was founded in 1931 by Cheryl Crawford, Harold Clurman and Lee Strasberg, who were strongly influenced by the naturalistic acting of Konstantin Stanislavski’s Moscow Art Theatre.

Release Date: 1989-06-26

Department: Production

Job: Executive Producer

American Masters

American Masters is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and others who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the United States.

Release Date: 1986-06-23

Department: Crew

Job: Creator

Episode Count: 301

Vote Count: 19

Seguin

A dramatization of the life of Juan Seguin, a heroic Mexican-Texan who became entangled in the struggle between two contrasting cultures in the turbulent decade between the Texas Revolution (1836) and the Mexican-American War (1846-1847).

Release Date: 1982-01-26

Department: Production

Job: Development Manager

Billy Joel: And So It Goes

An expansive portrait of the life and music of Billy Joel, exploring the love, loss, and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting. With unprecedented access to never-before-seen performances, home movies, and personal photographs, along with extensive, in-depth one-on-one interviews, the documentary intimately explores the life and work of Joel, whose music has endured across generations.

Department: Directing

Job: Director

Episode Count: 2