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American Masters

Filmmaker Interview with Rex Miller: Making "Althea"

A photo Althea Gibson with his mother was the film director's original inspiration.

09/04/2015 | Rating NR

American Masters

Filmmaker Interview with Rex Miller: Making "Althea"

Clip: 9/4/2015 | 2m 45sVideo has Closed Captions

A photo Althea Gibson with his mother was the film director's original inspiration.

A photograph of his mother standing next to Althea Gibson, and his mother's pride at having played once against the tennis champion, are the origins of Rex Miller's interest in Gibson. Gibson's tennis achievements initially drew Miller to tell her story, but he was also intrigued by her other accomplishments, including recording a jazz album, earning a college degree, acting in a John Ford film.

09/04/2015 | Rating NR

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Support for American Masters is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, AARP, Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Judith and Burton Resnick, Blanche and Hayward Cirker Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, Koo...

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Althea Gibson at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills

Video has Closed Captions

Clip: 9/4/2015 | 1m 49s | Home movies of Althea Gibson practicing at the esteemed club in New York City. (1m 49s)

Althea - Preview

Video has Closed Captions

Preview: 9/4/2015 | 2m 24s | The story of Althea Gibson, queen of the highly segregated tennis world in the 1950s. (2m 24s)

Althea: Race in the Sport of Tennis

Video has Closed Captions

Clip: 9/4/2015 | 1m 21s | Althea Gibson wasn't concerned with representing her race, she just wanted to play. (1m 21s)

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Support for American Masters is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, AARP, Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Judith and Burton Resnick, Blanche and Hayward Cirker Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, Koo...

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