Blood and Iron

A look at the meaning of the word and the intrigue and fascination associated with it.

Dancer, choreographer, and actress Jeni Le Gon was one of the first African-American women to sign a long term contract with a Hollywood studio, and in her 14 year-career in the film industry, she worked with many of the greatest black stars of her day, including Paul Robeson, Fats Waller, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Cab Calloway, and The Nicholas Brothers. However, she also discovered that the road to success was steep and crowded in the often segregated film industry of the 1930s and '40s and that there were as many disappointments as triumphs during her years in Hollywood. Jeni Le Gon: Living in a Great Big Way is a documentary that looks at her long and colorful career. Le Gon provides many fascinating stories about her life, times, and illustrious co-workers, as well as her later career as a dance teacher and choreographer in Vancouver, British Columbia.

An examination of four items includes a glass bowl from England, an ancient cup from Wales, a stone papal chalice in Spain and an engraved silver chalice from Antioch.

American and Japanese veterans of the World War II battle on the Pacific island reflect on the physical and emotional toll of the struggle. The campaign to control the small island lasted 33 days and left 6000 Americans and 20,000 Japanese dead.

The stakes on the mat are high, but for these cheerleaders, the only thing more brutal than their workouts and more exceptional than their performances are the stories of adversity and triumph behind the athletes themselves.