Prohibition 

The story of the American activist struggle against the influence of alcohol, climaxing in the failed early 20th century nationwide era when it was banned.

Stars:

Peter Coyote, Pete Hamill, Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Peter Coyote	...	Himself - Narrator 3 episodes, 2011
Pete Hamill	...	Himself - Writer 3 episodes, 2011
Catherine Gilbert Murdock	...	Herself - Historian 3 episodes, 2011
Michael Lerner	...	Himself - Historian 3 episodes, 2011
Daniel Okrent	...	Himself - Writer 3 episodes, 2011
Noah Feldman	...	Himself - Legal Scholar 3 episodes, 2011
Jack Roche	...	Himself - Resident of Chicago 3 episodes, 2011
William Leuchtenburg	...	Himself - Historian 3 episodes, 2011
Patricia Clarkson	...	Reader / ... 3 episodes, 2011
John Lithgow	...	Reader / ... 3 episodes, 2011
Campbell Scott	...	Reader 3 episodes, 2011
Sam Waterston	...	Reader 3 episodes, 2011
John Paul Stevens	...	Himself - Resident of Chicago 2 episodes, 2011
Jonathan Eig	...	Himself - Writer 2 episodes, 2011
Margot Loines Wilkie	...	Herself - Resident of Massachusetts 2 episodes, 2011
Martin Marty	...	Himself - Theologian 2 episodes, 2011
Jack Clarke	...	Himself - Resident of Chicago 2 episodes, 2011
Ruth Proskauer Smith	...	Herself - Resident of New York 2 episodes, 2011
Edwin T. Hunt Jr.	...	Himself - Resident of Seattle / ... 2 episodes, 2011
Joshua Zeitz	...	Himself - Historian 2 episodes, 2011
Philip Bosco	...	Reader 2 episodes, 2011
Kevin Conway	...	Reader 2 episodes, 2011
Tom Hanks	...	Reader 2 episodes, 2011
Josh Lucas	...	Reader 2 episodes, 2011

Storyline

Throughout American history, heavy alcohol consumption has been a pervasive part of its national social character. However in the 1800s, a growing Temperance movement arose determined to oppose the destructive habit by any means necessary. This series tells the story of this crusade until it achieved its ultimate goal of passing the 18th Amendment of the US Constitution which imposed prohibition. After that victory, the series covers this social reform's disastrous unintended consequences that encouraged clandestine drinking and organized crime while undermining civil liberties and society's respect for the law in ways that still reverberate today.

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Plot Keywords:

alcohol | unintended consequences | organized crime | drinking | civil liberties | 

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Taglines:

How did a nation founded on rights ever go so wrong?

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Genres:

Documentary | History

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Prohibition

Company Credits

Production Co:

Florentine Films, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), WETA

Technical Specs

Runtime:

360 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Jeopardy!: Episode #28.10 (2011)

User Reviews

solid doc from Burns

Documentarian Ken Burns creates a three-part five and a half hour series on the subject of prohibition. The first part sets up the alcohol culture and the rise of the temperance movements which coincided with women's suffrage. The fight for prohibition takes on the anti-immigrant sentiment. This part is the most fascinating for me and where I learned the most. The other two parts handle the enforcement and eventual repeal. Those parts are done by everybody who does gangsters and booze running. There are still some fun new tidbits but this documentary series feels front-loaded. This certainly has the Ken Burns style and his attention to good story telling. He continues to be a great asset to any history class in America.