I hope that everyone had the opportunity to watch the two part PBS documentary movie by Ken Burns, "Jackie Robinson", over the last two nights. It was an excellently done show, as you would expect from Burns, about one of the most important figures of the twentieth century.
As is often the case with such shows, the most interesting part was those parts they dealt with Robinson's life after he left baseball. In a show that was filled with terrific moments, a couple were especially impactful. One, involved two of the people being interviewed and providing commentary for the documentary - President and Mrs. Barack Obama. The unspoken connection between Robinson and the President and their roles in the social history of this country was unmistakable. The second was what was shown over the closing credits of Part Two - scenes of major league ball players and teams in action with all players wearing the number 42 on their uniforms.
If you missed it and didn't record it for later viewing, I believe that you can stream it from the PBS website:
http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/jackie-robinson/#.Vw4RNoJIEmI.facebook
And DVD sets are also already available.
It is well worth it.
I also contend that his wife was a class act who carried herself with dignity and grace.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore...Ken Burns is the best documentary film maker of our life time. I enjoy EVERYTHING he has done and consider his body of work a national treasure.
ReplyDeleteAgree on both points, Donn!!
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