The Eleanor Roosevelt Story

Seen today, this 1965 Academy Award-winning documentary seems quaint with its classic straight-ahead blend of archival footage, lyrical narration, stately score and interviews. Fans of such contemporary genre-expanding and unconventional docs as Roger and Me may find it slow-going. But it does do its subject, the "First Lady of the World," Eleanor Roosevelt, proud. Poet Archibald MacLeish wrote and co-narrates with Eric Severeid. Hillary Clinton--who else--graciously contributes a newly-filmed prologue in which she calls Eleanor "a woman for all times and all people, who gave voice to the voiceless and hope for the hopeless." Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)