Howard K. Smith

The Movie Orgy

Clips from assorted television programs, B-movies, commercials, music performances, newsreels, bloopers, satirical short films and promotional and government films of the 1950s and 1960s are intercut together to tell a single story of various creatures and societal ills attacking American cities.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

After an encounter with UFOs, an electricity linesman feels undeniably drawn to an isolated area in the wilderness where something spectacular is about to happen.

King: Man of Peace in a Time of War

King: Man of Peace in a Time of War documents the work Martin Luther King did in attempting to bring peace to people during the turmoil of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. The film includes interviews with contemporaries such as Jesse Jackson, and military experts like Colin Powell.

Escape from Sobibor

The true story of WWII's notorious Sobibor Nazi death camp, where a courageous inmate orchestrates and leads the escape of over 300 prisoners.

The Man

When the President and Speaker of the House are killed in a building collapse, and the Vice-President declines the office due to age and ill-health, Senate President pro tempore Douglas Dilman (James Earl Jones) suddenly becomes the first black man to occupy the Oval Office. The events from that day to the next election when he must decide if he will actually run challenge his skills as a politician and leader.

Africa

Documentary looking at the new independent African states.

The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper

A speculation on the fate of the famous hijacker who parachuted with his ransom and disappeared in the mountains. Has Cooper succeeded in following a meticulous plan to disappear into anonymity despite the best efforts of a dogged cop?

Nixon by Nixon: In His Own Words

From 1971 to 1973, Richard Nixon secretly recorded his private conversations in the White House. This film chronicles the content of those tapes, which include Nixon's conversations on the war in Vietnam, the Pentagon Papers leak, his Supreme Court appointments, and more--while also exposing shocking statements he made about women, people of color, Jews, and the media.

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

When a Conservative TV crusader threatens to shut down beloved brothel, the Chicken Ranch, proprietress Miss Mona Stangley and her girls won't go down without a fight.

Nasty Habits

In a Philadelphia convent, two nuns battle it out to be elected to the position of head abbess, and neither is about to let anything stand in the way of getting what she wants.

The Best Man

The other party is in disarray. Five men vie for the party nomination for president. No one has a majority as the first ballot closes and the front-runners begin to decide how badly they want the job.

Gloria: In Her Own Words

Despite decades of opposition from the right, and recent personal setbacks, Gloria Steinem remains one of the most outspoken and visible symbols of the women’s movement today. This film blends interviews of Steinem in her Manhattan apartment, archival footage, photographs from throughout her life and clips from press interviews over the years.

Trapped Beneath the Sea

Based on an incident that occurred off the coast of Florida in 1973, this film tells the story of four men who find themselves trapped in a mini-submarine in the ocean depths.

Nashville

The intersecting stories of twenty-four characters—from country star to wannabe to reporter to waitress—connect to the music business in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Year Gone By

CBS News correspondent Howard K. Smith hosts this year end look at 1958, specifically in the area of the sciences, arts, and humanities.