Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.
American Masters Season 18 Episodes
Season 18 Episode Guide
8 Episodes 2003 - 2004
Episode 1
None Without Sin
Wed, Sep 3, 2003120 mins
Director Elia Kazan and playwright Arthur Miller were once best friends and professional colleagues, to most that knew them then in both capacities as soul mates. Their politics were similar which was reflected in their work. Kazan was a Communist Party member for a few years in the mid-1930's, but Miller never officially joined the party ranks. Their relationship changed in the early 1950's when Kazan was subpoenaed to testify in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee. To the Committee, Kazan named names of supposed friends - albeit names the Committee already had - but for many, including Miller, Kazan's move was both an act of support of the Committee's blacklisting, and a purely self-preserving measure for his own movie directing career. Kazan's professional life, and by association personal life, was not an easy one following his testimony. Both Kazan and Miller's individual works following - most specifically Kazan's On the Waterfront (1954), Miller's "The Crucible" and "A View from the Bridge", and their collaboration on "After the Fall" - were direct responses to Kazan's act in front of the Committee. Marilyn Monroe, Miller's wife in the late 1950's and a past lover of Kazan's, also played an integral role in both their lives in relationship to the affect of Kazan's testimony, and Miller's own testimony to the Committee four years after Kazan's.
Episode 2
James Brown: Soul Survivor
Wed, Oct 29, 2003
"The Hardest-Working Man in Show Business," "Soul Brother Number One," "the Godfather of Soul," - in whatever guise, James Brown is unquestionably one of the most charismatic musical icons of the 20th century.
Episode 3
Balanchine - Master of The Dance
Wed, Jan 14, 2004
The man who would one day rank among the greatest choreographers in the history of ballet came to the United States in late 1933 following an early career throughout Europe.
Episode 4
Judy Garland: By Myself
Wed, Feb 25, 2004116 mins
Actress Judy Garland tells her own story through recordings she made while preparing to write her autobiography.
Episode 5
A Vision of Empire: Henry Luce and Time Life's America
Wed, Apr 28, 200490 mins
Henry Luce co-founded Time Inc. in 1923 and presided over the company for more than 45 years, making an indelible mark on publishing in the process. This compelling look into the life of the publishing icon includes photographs and news footage from the company's unparalleled archives, readings from ground-breaking essays, and firsthand accounts from those who knew Luce best to provide insight into his life, work, and influence on America.
Episode 6
Cary Grant: A Class Apart
Tue, May 25, 200487 mins
American Masters explores the life and career of Cary Grant (born Archie Leach) with celebrity interviews.
Episode 7
Hank Williams: Honky Tonk Blues
Wed, Jun 23, 200488 mins
The authoritative documentary on Country Music's most influential figure.
Episode 8
Julia! America's Favorite Chef
Wed, Aug 18, 200460 mins
Scooping up a potato pancake, patting chickens, coaxing a reluctant soufflé, or rescuing a curdled sauce, Julia Child was never afraid of making mistakes. "Remember, if you are alone in the kitchen, who is going to see you?" she reassured her television audience. Catapulted to fame as the host of the series The French Chef, Julia was an unlikely star. Over 6' 2", middle aged and not conventionally pretty, Julia had a voice careened effortlessly over an octave and could make an aspic shimmy. She was prone to say things like "Horray" and "Yum, yum." Her early culinary attempts had been near disasters, but once she learned to cook, her passion for cooking and her devotion to teaching, brought her into the hearts of millions and ultimately made her an American icon. To the fans who knew and loved her, she was known simply as Joooolia.