1964

Gr 7 Up—Oliver Platt narrates this look at 1964, one of the most momentous years in an even more rollicking decade. Most Americans, still reeling from President Kennedy's assassination in late 1963, could not have imagined what was yet to come. The Beatles arrived in New York in February, beginning an American tour that delighted teenagers and mystified their parents. In Miami, the young singers crossed paths and posed for pictures with Cassius Clay before he surprisingly won the heavyweight boxing champion title and later changed his name to Muhammad Ali. President Johnson, wasting no time after taking office, began campaigning for the Civil Rights Act, announced the Great Society, and cruised to a landslide election in November. He seemed to have an unstoppable mandate for liberalism, but the growing conflict in Vietnam would soon derail his entire presidency. Historians, activists, and some minor players from the era offer their recollections and interpretations of events. This two-hour production is a bit long for showing in its entirety during class, but chapter titles allow teachers and other viewers to skip directly to any of the above events, and more. 1964 will find a useful place in most school and public libraries.—Bernie Morrissey, The Harker School, San Jose, CA