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Ricky Jay learned much from magician Charlie Miller about how to refine his practice and make a move better each time he performs it. Despite the extreme repetition and level of questioning Miller demanded, Jay describes working on sleight-of-hand moves with Miller "as close to ...

The 2015 American Masters season kicks off with its first magician profile --- the great Ricky Jay --- followed by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, August Wilson; violin virtuoso Jascha Heifetz; and Ken Burns' portrait of American Ballet Theatre. More films to be announced.

Bing Crosby sings the African-American spiritual "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" with three of his sons on his television special in 1960. Crosby's first four sons --- Gary, twins Dennis and Philip, and Lindsay --- created the The Crosby Boys quartet in 1959. This ...

Bing Crosby, French entertainer Maurice Chevalier and musical theater actress Carol Lawrence sing "Riding High" during Crosby's television special in 1961. This film outtake is from American Masters - Bing Crosby Rediscovered, directed by Emmy Award-winning director Robert Trachtenberg.

In this exclusive outtake from Bing Crosby Rediscovered, hear never-before-released audio of Bing Crosby singing the lyrics he penned to roast Hollywood director Raoul Walsh. The filming of "Going Hollywood," starring Crosby and Marian Davies, had its obstacles. When Bing poked fun at the director ...

Launching the series’ 29th season, American Masters — Ricky Jay: Deceptive Practice premieres nationwide Friday, January 23, 2015, 9-10 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). Here is a look back at an in-depth profile in The New Yorker from 1993, when Jay had recently formed ...

In this web exclusive, see Bing Crosby's full performance of "The Second Time Around" (music by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn). A clip of this song from Crosby's television special in 1961 is seen in American Masters - Bing Crosby Rediscovered, which after its ...

This portrait of the inimitable magician Ricky Jay delves into the mysterious world of sleight-of-hand and its small circle of eccentric devotees. Jay is also a best-selling author, historian, actor and a leading collector of antiquarian books and artifacts. Told largely in Jay’s own distinctive ...

Follow entertainer Bing Crosby's remarkable life, from growing up in Spokane, Washington, to his death after a good game of golf at a course in Madrid, Spain. He had four sons with his first wife Dixie Lee, who died at the age of 40 of ...

In this exclusive clip, Bing Crosby's family reflects on his life as a performer and family man. Hear all surviving members of Crosby’s immediate family — his wife Kathryn, daughter Mary and sons Harry and Nathaniel, and see archival footage from the film. American Masters ...