Product Description

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most important and inspirational figures in U.S. – and World – History. He spoke of peace at a time when there was great conflict between black and white America, divisiveness within the civil rights movement itself, and an undeclared war in Vietnam that seemed to divide everyone.

In addition to rare, archival footage, King: Man Of Peace In A Time Of War features exclusive interviews with such notables as the Rev. Jesse Jackson (who marched alongside Dr. King); retired general and former Secretary of State, Colin Powell (who reflects on how far the civil rights movement has come); and legendary journalist Howard K. Smith (who introduced Dr. King to Richard Nixon); amongst others including Congressman Charles Rangel, Quincy Jones, Hugh Hefner and Laurence Fishburne, plus controversial commentary from Malcolm X.

Most remarkable of all is the ultra-rare appearance of Dr. King himself on a 1967 Mike Douglas Show speaking eloquently about civil rights, especially the issue of black participation in the Vietnam War. It is a revelation to see Dr. King in this intimate, conversational setting – even though he is peppered with pointed questions from host Douglas and fellow guest, singer Tony Martin.

King: Man Of Peace In A Time Of War is a timely tribute to a man who remains an inspiration and a living, breathing force for social change nearly forty years after his untimely death at the age of 39.\

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #40086 in DVD
• Brand: Unknown
• Released on: 2007-01-09
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 60 minutes

Features

• A rare and candid TV interview with Martin Luther King, Jr. - unseen in 40 years - is the centerpiece of this timely tribute, featuring exclusive interviews with such notables as Jesse Jackson and Colin Powellthat provide fresh insight into the life and personality of the late civil rights leader. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES Rating: NR Age: 025493165494 UPC:&nb

Customer Reviews

Important addition to the King Canon
This is an important addition to the publicly available materials on MLK. For the most part, it shows rare footage that one seldom sees in documentaries on Dr. King.

Yes, the ubiquitous "Dream speech" footage is here, along with a few seldom-seen interviews from the days of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. There is also a rare piece of film featuring some blistering commentary from Malcolm X attacking Dr. King in an interview (as well as a different picture from their actual meeting than is usually seen). A nice, but unidentified as to place and date scene shows Dr. King casually dressed in a denim jacket giving a witty but powerful response to rioters.

The bonus here of course, is a complete interview from November 2, 1967 from the Mike Douglas show. Those of us who remember the Douglas show as a sort of lightweight Ed Sullivan making small talk with the popular entertainers of the day are in for a shock here. Here, Mike Douglas and a singer named Tony Martin ask Dr. King some rather pointed questions about his stand on Vietnam, race riots, communism, patriotism, and race relations in general. Dr. King responds to each question and refutes the common criticisms of his time without missing a beat in an equally pointed fashion.

It would be interesting to see similar television appearances of Dr. King from this era. I once saw a brief clip of a 1968 Tonight Show appearance with a relaxed and joking Dr. King, but this is nowhere to be found in recent video compilations.

The narrator does not mention Iraq here, but he makes some intersting statements about Dr. King's Vietnam pronouncements being "equally relevant to our own time." Read between the lines, folks.

This is important since the post-Dream aspects of Dr. King's career are seldom discussed these days (although Eyes on the Prize, Citizen King, and the KING miniseries with Paul Winfield handles these subjects admirably).

In either case, this is a must see for the "Kingologists" and a good addition to the growing selections of King Cds and DVDs.

Understanding the Essence of Martin Luther King, Jr.
A wonderful look at a unique man. Worth it just to see the very impressive spontaneous conversations on the Mike Douglas Show.

An inspiring example
I watched this video just before the 2008 presidential election and the clip from the Mike Douglas show at the end about made me weep. If you are tired of vitriolic "debate" and bitter and divisive invective in our political discussions today, you will love Dr. King. Here was a man with every reason to be angry and frustrated and bitter, and yet how he handles some pointed questions and paraphrased criticisms is awe-inspiring. You will yearn for the lost days of civility in our political debates. No name-calling, no attacking punditry, no slanderous "framing" of the critical questions of the time...the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights struggle, and more. He remains calm and centered and righteous (as in "on the side of justice," not self-righteous or vain) without pretension, anxiety or defensiveness. You will be inspired and maybe, like me, will see him as one of the greatest Americans that ever lived. We have much to learn from watching this powerful patriot and Christian work for justice and peace.