American history professor and Library favorite Dr. William Gudelunas returns to present a 3-part lecture series on Theodore Roosevelt, considered by many to be one of our greatest presidents. Born a sickly child with debilitating asthma in 1858, Roosevelt overcame early challenges by embracing a strenuous lifestyle, and soon developed his well-known "cowboy" persona defined by varied interests and a robust masculinity. Roosevelt would go on to become a naturalist, historian, writer and military leader before becoming our nation's youngest president. Join Dr. Gudelunas in an in-depth examination of the life and legacy of one of our country's most colorful leaders. Filmed 01-25-2019 ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlJho01Okyc

Award-winning author and documentarian Steven C. Smith takes us inside the battles and breakthroughs behind three screen classics. All of them defied the rules, advanced the art of filmmaking, and remain among the most entertaining movies ever made. Smith is an award-winning biographer and four-time Emmy-nominated documentary producer whose collaborators include Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Julie Andrews, and Sidney Poitier. He is the author of Music by Max Steiner: The Epic Life of Hollywood's Most Influential Composer and A Heart at Fire's Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944. Genre: Film Noir) Director Billy Wilder (Sunset Boulevard) hired legendary crime novelist Raymond Chandler to co-script this sexy, twist-filled thriller starring Barbara Stanwyck as one of noir’s greatest femme fatales. The plot—lusty insurance salesman helps a dame kill her husband—defied strict Hollywood censorship, which forbade killers from being sympathetic. The result earned seven Oscar nominations and convinced the industry that adult crime thrillers were fair game to film. Until this drama, Hollywood censors forbade filmmakers from producing movies in which the lead character was a sympathetic murderer, and in which the details of a crime were shown. But with Double Indemnity, director/co-writer Billy Wilder managed to overcome all production code objections and bring the unfilmable to the screen. The movie also established the best-known template of film noir storytelling: a likable but gullible male who teams with an attractive but dangerous woman to commit a crime, resulting in tragedy for all involved. James M. Cain’s bestseller was adapted by Wilder and Raymond Chandler. It was Chandler’s first screenwriting job, and his combative relationship with Wilder has become Hollywood lore. Double Indemnity not only set the bar for noir storytelling, it earned seven Oscar nominations, including Best Actress (Barbara Stanwyck), Best Director, Best Writing, and Best Picture. It remains one of the most quotable, entertaining movies ever made. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae-aKjUuC54

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Professor Penny Rivin returns for her annual look at global terrorism, radical Islam, and the Middle East. She'll probe behind the headlines and cable news reports on trouble spots and the terrorism stalking the West. Professor Rivin will answer what the turmoil, violence, and chaos mean to the people still living in the region. She will also cover our homegrown terrorists and what this means to us, as Americans. Part 1: An examination of the daily existence of those living inside and outside of the war zones. How is the uncertainty affecting us all? ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBwR77XmThs