AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, THE: THE KENNEDYS, PART 2: THE SONS (TV)
Summary
One in this documentary series. This program, part two of a two-part series about the Kennedy family, concentrates on the political careers of the sons of Joseph P. Kennedy: John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Edward M. Kennedy. The following people give their opinions on the lives of these three brothers: Charles Bartlett, a journalist and friend of the Kennedy family; historian Michael Beschloss; Brock Brower, journalist; Judith Campbell Exner, mistress of John F. Kennedy; Cesar Chavez, member of the National Farm Workers Association; Clark Clifford, counsel to President Lyndon B. Johnson; Rita Dallas, Joseph P. Kennedy's nurse; Midge Decter, political essayist; C. Douglas Dillon, Kennedy's Secretary of the Treasury; film producer Robert Drew; Marian Wright Edelman, member of the NAACP; campaign aide Peter Edelman; Fred Dutton, advisor to Robert F. Kennedy; author Doris Kearns Goodwin; Richard Goodwin, assistant special counsel to President Kennedy; Hays Gorey, reporter for Time Magazine; Ed Guthman, press secretary to Robert F. Kennedy; author Nigel Hamilton; Sen. Fred Harris; pollster Louis Harris; Richard Harwood, reporter for the Washington Post; State Department official Roger Hilsman; Dolores Huerta, member of the National Farm Workers Association; Sen. Edward M. Kennedy; Joseph P. Kennedy, II, the eldest son of Robert Kennedy; Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.; civil rights activist John Lewelyn Lincoln, personal secretary to President Kennedy; Burke Marshall, assistant attorney general for civil rights; Charles Spalding, a friend of the Kennedy family; Rep. Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill; Dave Powers, special assistant to the president; George Reedy, special assistant to Vice President Johnson and press secretary to President Johnson; Pierre Salinger, press secretary to President Kennedy; Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., special assistant to President Kennedy; John Seigenthaler, an advisor to Robert F. Kennedy; Sen. George Smathers; Ted Sorensen, special counsel to President Kennedy; Sen. John Tunney, friend of Ted Kennedy; Adam Walinsky, legislative assistant to Robert F. Kennedy; William Walton, a friend of the Kennedy family; and Roger Wilkins of the Agency for International Development. Topics of discussion include the following: the Kennedy style; Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy's independent accomplishments; how Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy dealt with the press; Edward M. Kennedy's campaign for the U.S. Senate; John F. Kennedy's affairs with women; how President Kennedy handled the Cuban Missile Crisis; Robert F. Kennedy's role in his brother's presidency; John F. Kennedy's arms agreement with Nikita Khrushchev; the Kennedys and the civil rights movement; John F. Kennedy's quest for a second term in office; his dedication to his father; his assassination; Jacqueline Kennedy's arrangements for her husband's funeral and her efforts to make him a legend; how Robert F. Kennedy dealt with his brother's death; the relationship between Lyndon B. Johnson and Robert F. Kennedy; the plane crash that almost killed Edward M. Kennedy; the tribute to John F. Kennedy at the 1964 Democratic Convention; the effect of John F. Kennedy's death on Robert F. Kennedy's political career; Robert F. Kennedy as the inheritor of brother's legacy; Robert F. Kennedy's climb of the Canadian mountain named for his brother; the campaign tactics of Robert F. Kennedy; Robert F. Kennedy's fight for civil rights and his thoughts about Vietnam; the California primary of 1968; the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy and what it meant to America; how Edward M. Kennedy dealt with his brother's death; the possibility of Edward M. Kennedy running for President in 1972; the accident at Chappaquiddick that killed Mary Jo Kopechne; the death of Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.; and Edward M. Kennedy's run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1980. Also included are footage and still photos of the following: John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy hosting parties; Jacqueline Kennedy giving a tour of the White House; John F. Kennedy's children; a debate between Edward M. Kennedy and his campaign opponent; Marilyn Monroe singing "Happy Birthday" to President Kennedy on his forty-fifth birthday; Rose Kennedy campaigning for her sons; President Kennedy giving a speech at the American University; President Kennedy meeting with Khrushchev in Berlin; the racial violence in Birmingham; President Kennedy discussing civil rights issues with his advisors; President Kennedy giving a speech about America's commitment in the Vietnam War; the funeral procession for President Kennedy; Lyndon B. Johnson signing the civil rights bill; Robert F. Kennedy speaking at the Democratic Convention; Sen. Kenneth Keating speaking negatively about Robert F. Kennedy; Rose Kennedy speaking on behalf of her son Robert; Lyndon B. Johnson being sworn into office; Robert and Edward Kennedy responding to winning their seats in the Senate; Robert F. Kennedy traveling around the world; Robert F. Kennedy climbing the Kennedy Mountain in Canada; the people who rallied behind Robert F. Kennedy; Robert F. Kennedy questioning the Kern County Sheriff; Robert Kennedy visiting Mississippi; marches against Vietnam; Edward M. Kennedy visiting Vietnam; Johnson defending the actions being taken in Vietnam; Robert F. Kennedy speaking about Vietnam; Eugene McCarthy speaking about the race for the presidential office in 1968; Robert F. Kennedy announcing his candidacy for presidential nomination; Robert F. Kennedy's assassination; Frank Mankiewicz, Kennedy press aid, announcing Robert F. Kennedy's death; Robert F. Kennedy's funeral; Rose Kennedy talking to reporters about her son's death; Edward M. Kennedy visiting Alaska; Sen. George Murphy criticizing the trip; a doctor talking about the accident in Chappaquiddick; Edward M. Kennedy speaking to the public about his actions relating to the fatal accident; and Edward M. Kennedy announcing his withdrawal from the race for the office of the presidency in 1980. Includes a promo.
Acquisition and cataloging of this program was made possible by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: September 21, 1992 Monday 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:55:35
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:34416
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: She Made It Collection (Judy Crichton); She Made It Collection (Margaret Drain); U S - Officials - Talk/Interviews; U S - Politics and government; U S - Presidency
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1988-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Judy Crichton … Executive Producer
- Elizabeth Deane … Executive Producer
- Susan Mottau … Coordinating Producer
- Margaret Drain … Senior Producer
- David Espar … Senior Producer, Director
- Carter Harrison … Co-Producer
- Carol Lynn Alpert … Associate Producer
- Geoffrey C. Ward … Writer
- James DeVinney … Writer
- Michael Bacon … Music by
- Charles Kuskin … Theme Music by
- David McCullough … Host
- Stacy Keach … Narrator
- Charles Bartlett
- Michael Beschloss
- Brock Brower
- Campbell Exner, Judith
- Cesar Chavez
- Clark Clifford
- Rita Dallas
- Midge Decter
- C. Douglas Dillon
- Robert Drew
- Fred Dutton
- Peter Edelman
- Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Richard Goodwin
- Hays Gorey
- Ed Guthman
- Nigel Hamilton
- Fred Harris
- Louis Harris
- Richard Harwood
- Roger Hilsman
- Dolores Huerta
- Edward M. Kennedy
- Kennedy, Joseph P., II
- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
- Nikita Khrushchev
- John Lewis
- Evelyn Lincoln
- Burke Marshall
- O'Neill, Thomas P. "Tip"
- Dave Powers
- George Reedy
- Pierre Salinger
- Arthur Schlesinger
- John Seigenthaler
- George Smathers
- Sorensen, Theodore (See also: Sorensen, Ted)
- Charles Spalding
- John Tunney
- Adam Walinsky
- William Walton
- Roger Wilkins