Film

The jazz and film critic believes that all the methods and techniques filmmakers use to tell a story were ether pioneered or refined by D.W. Griffith. Despite the pervasive racism in the director's art, Williams argues for the preservation of Griffith's legacy.

Fresh Air film critic Bill Van Wert speaks with Terry Gross about the new movie, Take This Job and Shove It!

Writer and director Garson Kanin's new book explores the success of certain actor pairings in Hollywood history, arguing that the team members brought out the best in one another.

Baltimore-based filmmaker John Waters has released a new book which explores his love of bad taste in film. With a new movie, Polyester, soon to be released, he join Fresh Air to explain his transgressive aesthetic and share his experiences working on set with a regular crew of actors.

Viveca Lindfors made her mark in Swedish films before becoming a noted Hollywood actress in the post-war era. She talks about fate of and attitudes toward fellow actresses from that period.

As a member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Lyon documented many of the violent clashes between polices and protestors during the civil rights era. He continues to produce politically-charged photos and movies today.

Mayron started in the theater before moving on to film and television. Her role in the movie Girlfriends led to more difficult roles like the television version of Arthur Miller's play Playing for Time, about the Holocaust, and Costa-Gravas' controversial film Missing.

Patrick and Michael Wayne are commemorating the iconic Western actor's life with a gun featuring his likeness.

Singer Wilhelmenia Fernandez is best known for playing the role of Bess in the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess. She makes her film debut in the new movie Diva.

Paul Zimmerman is the screenwriter of the upcoming film "The King of Comedy," directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert DeNiro and Jerry Lee Lewis. Zimmerman was previously the movies editor for Newsweek and has written several books. ZImmerman is based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and has become active in the Bucks Alliance for Nuclear Disarmament (B.A.N.D.). The group has invited Helen Caldicott of Physicians for Social Responsibility to speak at a local event.

Robert A. Harris is the producer, and along with Kevin Brownlow, one of the reconstructionists of the 1927 French silent film "Napoleon." The film used techniques such as montage, "poly-vision," and rapid edits. Harris and Brownlow tracked down missing footage across England, France, and the United States. Harris is the head of Image Film Archive, a film distribution company. Harris joins the show to discuss the film and the efforts to reconstruct it.

Donald Bogle is an author, film critic, and staff writer for Ebony, who wrote "Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks; An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films." Bogle, who also works as a story editor for Otto Preminger, has recently released "Brown Sugar: Eight Years of America's Black Female Superstars." He joins the show to discuss film images of African Americans and the role of race in the motion picture industry.

Film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert come from two competing Chicago newspapers, but teamed up for the hit PBS show "Sneak Previews," which won an Emmy in 1979. The two have recently left PBS for a new, nationally-syndicated show. "At the Movies."

Philadelphian John Zacherle (sometimes credited as Zacherly) is the exemplar of the horror movie show host. He plays the character of "Roland" (pronounced "Ro-LAND) on his television show "Shock Theater." He not only introduces the films he plays, he also adds in cut-aways that often mock the movie or the genre itself. Zacherle is also had a top-ten hit with the novelty song "Dinner with Drac" and also works a d.j. Zacherle will join the Philadelphia Pops for a performance of "The Raven" this weekend.

Edie Massey is an actress known for her eccentric roles in John Waters' films. She has appeared in "Pink Flamingos" "Multiple Maniacs," and "Polyester." She was discovered by the director in a Baltimore bar, and she also runs a thrift store, "Edith's Shopping Bag," in the city. Massey also heads a punk act and is performing in Philadelphia tonight. She plays a mixture of Connie Francis and Four Seasons' songs, as well as originals.

Film critic Leonard Maltin has been writing about films since he was 17 years old. The 1983-1984 edition of his guide "T.V. Movies," which gives "capsule" reviews of films airing on television, has just been published. This year's edition has 15,000 movies and also reviews made-for-television movies. Maltin has written several books about film and is the film critic for Entertainment Tonight. Maltin will answer listener calls about movies.

Milo O'Shea is an Irish actor currently starring as a priest in "Mass Appeal" at the Walnut Street Theater. He played the same role on Broadway for which he won several awards and was nominated for a Tony award. O'Shea has appeared in numerous films and plays. He will appear with Paul Newman in the upcoming film "The Verdict."

Tom Shales is the film critic for NPR and a television critic and t.v. editor at the Washington Post. His column is syndicated in nearly 150 newspapers, including the Philadelphia Daily News. A collection of Shales' t.v. columns from 1974-1982, "On the Air," has just been published.

Divine is known for acting in drag in John Waters' films. Divine has developed a club act which will play in Philadelphia and is publishing a paper-doll book. Divine's drag persona was developed with director and writer John Waters. A retrospective of Waters' films is currently playing in Philadelphia. The two join the show to discuss their careers, lives, and the public's reaction to their boundary-pushing films.

Documentarian Bob Mugge's new film "Black Wax" is a performance documentary with poet and activist Gil Scott-Heron. The film documents performances by Scott-Heron, including some with wax figures. Mugge's previous film "Amateur Night at City Hall," was a documentary about Frank Rizzo. The film includes Scott-Heron performing a portion of his poem/song "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised."