The Rat Pack

A rare behind the scenes look at the tragedies and bitter disappointments that plagued one of MGM's most popular leading ladies

The life and times of Joe Albany, a little-known jazz pianist, is the subject of this specialized documentary that not only brings out the pianist himself, but the mood and feeling of the era in which he reached the top. Albany talks about the great musicians and singers he worked with - Billie Holliday and Charlie Parker among them - and how so many succumbed to drugs and died young. He is followed around at home, work, on the bus, and in other settings as he is interviewed by director Carole Langer. His sharp observations and dry sense of humor enliven the stories.

Documentary about the Radium Dial Company and the aftereffects experienced by its workers from repeated exposure to radioactive paint.

"This engaging. cinema verité-style documentary is about Kojo Odo, a remarkable man living in Harlem who adopted a total of 18 handicapped children over a 10-year period of time. When Odo was only 32 years old, he met a small boy, missing one arm, who was being shunted from one foster home to the next -- and he was affected enough to go through adoption proceedings and ultimately bring the boy home. As a social worker and civil rights activist, Odo was familiar with the problems he saw in the boy -- unwarranted fears, violent behavior, and emotional maelstroms -- and set himself to slowly calming his new son through affection and parental concern. Heartened by the difference he was able to bring to just one boy, Odo continued with his mission to individually help others through the same adoption process." -Eleanor Mannikka