Film

In this part of the show...Terry Gross talks with two people who as teenagers who left home and road trains during The Great Depression. Jim Mitchell and Peggy DeHart are both featured in Michael Uys' film Riding The Rails. Mitchell was 16 years old in 1933 when he first board a train. DeHart was 15 in 1938.

Film maker Michael Uys. His latest project is Riding The Rails which he co-wrote, co-produced, and co-directed. The documentary film recounts the experiences of the more than 250 thousand teenagers who left their homes during The Great Depression and hopped on trains in search for a better life.

Film critic John Powers reviews "The Full Monty."

Saturday Night Live cartoonist Robert Smigel. He’s created such popular segments as The Ambiguously Gay Duo, and Fun with Real Audio. Smigel is no stranger to SNL or comedy TV. He was a writer for Saturday Night Live from 1985-93.

Emily Wortis Leider has written a new biography of Mae West, "Becoming Mae West" (Farrar, Straus, Giroux). Leider’s book examines the early, formative years of West who was famous for witty one-liners, promiscuity, and being censored. Mae West started out as a vaudeville performer before launching a successful career in film. In the 1930’s she starred in "She Done Him Wrong," based on her play "Diamond Lil" and "I'm No Angel," two of her biggest films.

Monty Roberts has been studying horses for his entire life. His extraordinary ability to communicate with them has earned him the title "horse whisperer." He has written a new book about his life from studying wild mustangs in the Nevada desert to demonstrating his horse training methods to the Queen of England. The book is called "The Man Who Listens to Horses: The Story of a Real-Life Horse Whisperer" (Random House). Roberts was featured on "Dateline NBC."

Film critic John Powers reviews "Cop Land"

Journalist Mike McAlary has reported on police in New York for the New York Post and has written several books on the subject as well. His latest project has been a novelization of the new movie "Cop Land" (Miramax Books/ Hyperion) which will be in theaters this summer. The movie, written by James Mangold, stars Sylvester Stallone and Robert DeNiro. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Film critic John Powers reviews "In the Company of Men" the new low-budget film by newcomer Neil Labute.

Film critic John Powers reviews "Air Force One" which stars Harrison Ford.

Film critic John Powers reviews "Contact" starring Jodie Foster.

Mystery writer Donald Westlake has written 70 novels and screenplays (including "The Grifters" and "The Stepfather"). He is known for his novels which combine laughs with thrills, and which show equally incompetent criminals and law enforcement. His recurring characters include a bungling burglar named John Dortmunder, and a gun-for-hire named Parker. Westlake has also written novels that parody the world of publishing and supermarket tabloids. His latest novel is a crime novel about downsizing, "The Ax" (Mysterious Press/Warner Books)

Writer Cari Beauchamp is the author of the new book, "Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Powerful Women of Early Hollywood" (Scribner). She was the highest paid writer, male or female, for three decades, and was also the first woman to win an Academy Award twice for screenwriting. Her stories were directed by George Cukor, John ford, and King Vidor. She was married four times (she has said, "I spent my life searching for a man to look up to without lying down.") But her friendships with women in Hollywood were legendary.

Director John Woo grew up in Hong Kong and directed numerous films there before coming to Hollywood. He has established himself as a master of action thrillers and is known for his elaborate action scenes. Woo also directed the American films Broken Arrow, and Hard Target." His new blockbuster film starring John Travolta and Nicholas Cage is called "Face/Off." It's in theaters now.

Screenwriters Mike Werb and Michael Colleary first collaboration is the script for "Face/Off" which they wrote in 1990. The two attended UCLA film school together. Werb wrote the screenplay for "The Mask" and Colleary's first writing jobs were for Roger Corman and Cannon Films. Since they wrote "Face/Off" they've worked for every major studio and their TV credits include "Darkman3 - Die, Darkman Die!" for MCA and "Bump in the Night" for NBC.

Author Patrick McGilligan talks about the subject of his new biography: film director Fritz Lang. German-born Lang was the director of many films including "Metropolis" and "The Big Heat," and his work has influenced many other filmmakers. During his life, Lang was conscious of his own power to craft his image and his past. McGilligan was able to uncover the truth behind many of the myths in Lang's life. The book, which is called "Fritz Lang: The Nature of the Beast." (St.

Former Saturday Night Live cast member Martin Short. Though he only spent one season with the show (1984), he left a lasting impression with his characters such as Ed Grimley, Jr., the cowlicked dork, and his impersonations of Katherine Hepburn and Jerry Lewis.

Film critic John Powers reviews the rerelease of the French film "Contempt" starring Bridget Bardot. The film is part of the Martin Scorsese Presents series.

Film critic John Powers reviews "Face Off," which stars Nicholas Cage and John Travolta.

Smith's work has won acclaim in the independent film community, including awards at the Cannes and the Sundance film festivals. His new film "Chasing Amy" is the third installment of his New Jersey Trilogy, a series set in central New Jersey, where Smith grew up and still lives. "Chasing Amy," like Smith's other films, deals with the complexities of human relationships during the confusing time before adulthood with an off-beat sense of humor.