50 Years with Peter, Paul and Mary

Emmy-winning director Jim Brown presents the story of folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary in this PBS-aired documentary. Founder Peter Yarrow recalls that Bob Dylan's manager, Albert Grossman, suggested that Yarrow form a trio (a fictionalized version of this scenario plays out in the Coen brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis). Shortly afterwards, Yarrow was struck by a photo of Mary Travers, a recently divorced young mother, and set out to work with her, although they didn't quite gel as a duo (Gloria Steinem says she had great respect for Travers, who always spoke her mind about social issues). Once the two added Noel Paul Stookey to the group, Yarrow felt sure they had something special, and soon they were playing six days a week for 12 months at a time. Notable performances include the Newport Folk Festival and the March on Washington, as their involvement with progressive politics continued throughout the 1960s. As for their material, they placed as much importance on pre-existing songs, such as Ewan MacColl's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," as original compositions, like their megahit "Puff, the Magic Dragon." After years of non-stop performing, the group took a seven-year hiatus, which Stookey found essential for his well-being, although Travers was bored. They returned to support numerous causes, including the anti-apartheid and nuclear disarmament movements, and even after Travers underwent treatment for leukemia in 2004, they continued to perform for four more years. Brown includes footage of the late Travers's 2009 memorial, in which Bill Moyers and other notable figures pay tribute, and concludes by looking at the musical and humanitarian activities of Yarrow and Stuckey. Featuring performances of classics including “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” “500 Miles,” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?,” this solid profile of a key ‘60s musical act—presented in stereo—is recommended. (K. Fennessy)