Michael Kantor

A sheer delight. "Make 'Em Laugh" is an excellent historical survey that profiles many of the major funnymen and funnywomen, showcases some of their best lines, and places their work in the context of whatever was going on in theater, vaudeville, burlesque, film and TV at the time (and often society and politics too). Maybe if I'm lucky, PBS will someday rerun the accompanying series. Until then I'll watch Colbert, laugh with Ellen, sing along with Tom Lehrer, and track down old Buster Keaton clips on YouTube to get my comedy fix.… (mehr)

BROADWAY: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL is a six-part documentary series that chronicles the Broadway musical throughout the 20th century and explores the evolution of this uniquely American art form. The series, created by filmmaker Michael Kantor, draws on a wealth of archival news footage, lost and found television moments, original cast recordings, still photos, feature films, diaries, journals, intimate first-person accounts, and on-camera interviews with many of the principals involved in creating the American musical.… (mehr)