King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis

US (1970): Documentary

Having tackled every known film subject in his long career, from musicals to murder mysteries, Sidney Lumet tries his hand at documentary. Lumet co-directed and co-produced the film with another Hollywood luminary, Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Beyond selecting appropriate filmclips, Lumet and Mankiewicz directed the bridging sequences, narrated by such friends and admirers of Dr. Martin Luther King as Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, James Earl Jones, Ruby Dee, Burt Lancaster, Ben Gazzara, Charlton Heston, Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier. Though well-intentioned, these bridges are unnecessary: the clips, which trace King's life and accomplishments from the 1955 bus boycott to his 1968 assassination, speak for themselves most eloquently. Released to theatres at an epic 153 minutes, this film is also available in a 90-minute TV and cassette version. (Commonwealth United/Maron Films) (Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide)

 View a clip from this film on YouTube.com.

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