The Story Of Mount Rushmore: America In Stone

Lewis & Clark, Red Cloud, and John C. Fremont: those were among the original choices for the carved heads to appear on Mt. Rushmore. But the artist who was eventually chosen for the project, Gutzon Borglum, thought differently, and therefore we have Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt (all American presidents, yes, but as a group best known as important character actors in Hitchcock's North by Northwest). Using archival documentary footage and stills, The Story of Mt. Rushmore delivers a straightforward chronological narrative of the principal players and events in the Mt. Rushmore project, which began in 1923 and didn't reach completion until 1941. The video concludes with former President Bush's dedication on the 50th anniversary. Although the narration occasionally leans toward the purple, and the style is not particularly compelling, the tech credits are very good, the information is sound, the site is a popular vacation spot, and the cost is low. On balance, then, this is recommended. (R. Pitman)