Hubert Humphrey

Gr 9 Up—The decades from the 1940s through the 1970s were challenging times to our country's united resolve. Hubert Humphrey was one of the great voices of progressivism through those turbulent years. From a childhood in the remote prairies of South Dakota and Minnesota to the U.S. Senate and eventually less than one percent away from the presidency in 1968, Humphrey worked for civil rights and broad social programs aimed at America's middle class. This magnificent program movingly summarizes his personal and political history through the utilization of a rich variety of media (vintage film, video, and stills along with live-action recreations, commentaries by noted journalists and politicians from the broad philosophical spectrum, as well as selections from interviews with Humphrey). A highlight is a 1948 political endorsement advertisement of liberal Democrat Humphrey by Ronald Reagan. Chronologically arranged, the film masterfully documents the many areas in which Humphrey's contributions continue to influence our lives even today. Particularly interesting is the synopsis of domestic and international events of the 1960s and how they helped almost propel "The Happy Warrior" into the White House. This highly-affordable title offers the scene selection option as well as excerpts from Bill Moyers' 1976 interview with Humphrey. A must-purchase.—Dwain Thomas, formerly Lake Park High School, Roselle, IL