Remembering Craig Gilbert and An American Family
The twelve-part documentary chronicling a family's dissolution was one of the most talked-about TV shows of the past fifty years.
Marijuana Panic Won’t Die, but Reefer Madness Will Live Forever
Originally produced as an exploitation film that drew on racial stereotypes, the ironic revival of Reefer Madness made it a cult classic for stoners.
Doris Day Changed Us Forever
What did women coming of age in the 1950s think of Doris Day in Calamity Jane? Does her filmography have the same meaning now?
Madame Sul-Te-Wan’s Forgotten Brilliant Career
The mysteriously named Madame Sul-Te-Wan was the first black actress to land a Hollywood studio contract.
Mary Pickford Knew Not to Take the First Offer
When the 17-year-old actress auditioned for her first film, director D.W. Griffith offered her $5 a day. That wasn’t good enough for Mary.
William Goldman and the Mystery of Screenwriting
Authorship of Hollywood screenplays is often a complicated matter. But William Goldman was truly a writer in Hollywood.
Why David Hockney Makes Both Paintings and Photographs
In a 1991 interview with singer Graham Nash, David Hockney explained how he applied his drawing skills to photography via the computer.
The Psychology Behind Why Clowns Creep Us Out
For several months in 2016, creepy clowns terrorized America, with sightings of actual clowns in at least 10 different states.
Jerry Lewis: French Film Master
Jerry Lewis was lionized in France as a film auteur, a genius of movie-making. What did the French know that Americans didn't?
