George Stevens, Jr.

And one afternoon, I was in Edward R. Murrow's directors meeting with about 25 people and my assistant, my deputy, came in and handed me a note. And I read it and I kind of looked at Murrow and I got up and left the meeting and went down one flight to my office. And my assistant said, Mrs. Lincoln's on the line. She said, I'll ask her to put the president on.

And one afternoon, I was in Edward R. Murrow's directors meeting with about 25 people and my assistant, my deputy, came in and handed me a note. And I read it and I kind of looked at Murrow and I got up and left the meeting and went down one flight to my office. And my assistant said, Mrs. Lincoln's on the line. She said, I'll ask her to put the president on.

And it was President Kennedy calling me. And he came on the phone and he said, George, he said, I saw the five cities of June last night. He said, it's one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. He said, how many countries is it being shown in? How many languages? He asked all of these Kennedy questions.

And it was President Kennedy calling me. And he came on the phone and he said, George, he said, I saw the five cities of June last night. He said, it's one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. He said, how many countries is it being shown in? How many languages? He asked all of these Kennedy questions.

and he was known that president kennedy often wouldn't call the secretary of state he'd call somebody on the cambodia desk to ask questions because he wanted to get first-hand knowledge so he had called me to find out about this movie He was that kind of leader and inspiring figure.

and he was known that president kennedy often wouldn't call the secretary of state he'd call somebody on the cambodia desk to ask questions because he wanted to get first-hand knowledge so he had called me to find out about this movie He was that kind of leader and inspiring figure.

Well, when we started AFI, that was one of the reasons for starting it. We started a rescue program because half of the films that was in 1967 and half of the films that had made from 1900 till then were missing and they were made on nitrate film. so they could just decompose in their cans.

Well, when we started AFI, that was one of the reasons for starting it. We started a rescue program because half of the films that was in 1967 and half of the films that had made from 1900 till then were missing and they were made on nitrate film. so they could just decompose in their cans.

And we started a rescue program and saved, there are 42,000 feature films in the Library of Congress in the American Film Institute collection, which were films that AFI saved and are preserved for generations today. So that was one of our big jobs. And we also started a conservatory which exists today. It's over 50 years old, which is really training the best filmmakers in America.

And we started a rescue program and saved, there are 42,000 feature films in the Library of Congress in the American Film Institute collection, which were films that AFI saved and are preserved for generations today. So that was one of our big jobs. And we also started a conservatory which exists today. It's over 50 years old, which is really training the best filmmakers in America.

Terrence Malick and David Lynch from those old days and Patty Jenkins and other wonderful contemporary filmmakers are all graduates of AFI.

Terrence Malick and David Lynch from those old days and Patty Jenkins and other wonderful contemporary filmmakers are all graduates of AFI.

Yeah, well, again, I was inspired by President Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, who both have had real understanding of the problems of race in America. And we made films at USIA. One won the Academy Award called Nine from Little Rock. which was the story of the nine students who entered Little Rock High School. They were the first black students. And we tell the story of their lives.

Yeah, well, again, I was inspired by President Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, who both have had real understanding of the problems of race in America. And we made films at USIA. One won the Academy Award called Nine from Little Rock. which was the story of the nine students who entered Little Rock High School. They were the first black students. And we tell the story of their lives.

And much later, I wanted to tell the story of the cases that ended school desegregation. The unanimous Supreme Court decision led by the great Justice Earl Warren that outlawed segregated schools. In 1890, Plessy versus Ferguson ruled the Supreme Court that segregated schools were equal, segregated facilities were legal if they were equal.

And much later, I wanted to tell the story of the cases that ended school desegregation. The unanimous Supreme Court decision led by the great Justice Earl Warren that outlawed segregated schools. In 1890, Plessy versus Ferguson ruled the Supreme Court that segregated schools were equal, segregated facilities were legal if they were equal.

And of course, in the South, they were anything but equal, separate restrooms, separate schools. And Thurgood Marshall, as a young lawyer, took on this case to go to the Supreme Court and prove that separate but equal should not be the law of the land when it led to that unanimous Supreme Court decision. So we made separate but equal miniseries that won the Emmy for the best miniseries in 1991.

And of course, in the South, they were anything but equal, separate restrooms, separate schools. And Thurgood Marshall, as a young lawyer, took on this case to go to the Supreme Court and prove that separate but equal should not be the law of the land when it led to that unanimous Supreme Court decision. So we made separate but equal miniseries that won the Emmy for the best miniseries in 1991.

And Sidney Poitier plays Thurgood Marshall and Burt Lancaster plays the other lawyer in the Supreme Court arguments. and a wonderful cast of actors, Cleavon Little and Albert Hall and Richard Kiley as Earl Warren. But for people to have the opportunity to understand the drama of what it took to end this unfortunate law, watching Separate but Equal can be a real treat.

And Sidney Poitier plays Thurgood Marshall and Burt Lancaster plays the other lawyer in the Supreme Court arguments. and a wonderful cast of actors, Cleavon Little and Albert Hall and Richard Kiley as Earl Warren. But for people to have the opportunity to understand the drama of what it took to end this unfortunate law, watching Separate but Equal can be a real treat.