This is the latest documentary series from Ken Burns--the docu-god for Public Broadcasting. Not surprisingly, with his amazing reputation for perfection, he was able to once again get many of America's top actors to provide their voice talents to the shows--such as Tom Hanks, Sam Waterston and Blythe Danner. And, like so many PBS documentaries, Peter Coyote narrates more than capably.
This final part of the three-part series on Prohibition concerns the disintegration of the popular support for Prohibition. As the episode begins, while there is quite a bit of non-compliance with the law, the country still is behind the law. After all, the country is going well, life is good and most Americans seem willing to back the status quo. When Al Smith runs on an anti-Prohibition platform, he's savaged by the combined forces of Prohibition, anti-Catholicism and anti-immigration movements. It's hard to imagine that within a decade, the public would be rather solidly behind repeal of the law. Other topics covered in the show include the rise and fall of Al Capone, the FDR election, the complete inflexibility of the Prohibitionists and how this led to the downfall of the law and the subsequent women's movement for repeal.
Part Three is well made and interesting throughout--and another worthy episode that wraps up the topic quite well. Worth seeing and well-crafted.
This final part of the three-part series on Prohibition concerns the disintegration of the popular support for Prohibition. As the episode begins, while there is quite a bit of non-compliance with the law, the country still is behind the law. After all, the country is going well, life is good and most Americans seem willing to back the status quo. When Al Smith runs on an anti-Prohibition platform, he's savaged by the combined forces of Prohibition, anti-Catholicism and anti-immigration movements. It's hard to imagine that within a decade, the public would be rather solidly behind repeal of the law. Other topics covered in the show include the rise and fall of Al Capone, the FDR election, the complete inflexibility of the Prohibitionists and how this led to the downfall of the law and the subsequent women's movement for repeal.
Part Three is well made and interesting throughout--and another worthy episode that wraps up the topic quite well. Worth seeing and well-crafted.