Movies

HomeMoviesSearchTV SeriesBookmarksView Source
Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio
Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio

Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio

Genres

DocumentaryHistory

OverView

For 50 years radio dominated the airwaves and the American consciousness as the first “mass medium.” In Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio, Ken Burns examines the lives of three extraordinary men who shared the primary responsibility for this invention and its early success, and whose genius, friendship, rivalry and enmity interacted in tragic ways. This is the story of Lee de Forest, a clergyman’s flamboyant son, who invented the audion tube; Edwin Howard Armstrong, a brilliant, withdrawn inventor who pioneered FM technology; and David Sarnoff, a hard-driving Russian immigrant who created the most powerful communications company on earth.

Others

Budget

$--

Revenue

$--

Status

Released

Original Language

English

Runtime

113 mins

Rating

7.5/10

Release Date

01 October 1991

Country

United States of America

Cast

Jason Robards

Jason Robards

Narrator (voice)

Red Barber

Red Barber

Self - Radio Announcer

Erik Barnouw

Erik Barnouw

Self - Historian

Ken Bilby

Ken Bilby

Self - Biographer of David Sarnoff

Norman Corwin

Norman Corwin

Self - Writer

Susan Douglas

Susan Douglas

Self - Historian

Frank Günther

Frank Günther

Self - Engineer

Jeanne Hammond

Jeanne Hammond

Self - Niece of Edwin H. Armstrong

Loren Jones

Loren Jones

Self - Engineer

Garrison Keillor

Garrison Keillor

Self - Writer

Helen Kelley

Helen Kelley

Self - Radio Broadcaster

Robert Morris

Robert Morris

Self - Engineer

Dana Raymond

Dana Raymond

Self - Friend of Edwin H. Armstrong

Gertrude Tyne

Gertrude Tyne

Self - Engineer

Fred Allen

Fred Allen

Self - Predicts Demise of Radio (archive footage)

Gene Autry

Gene Autry

Self - Sings (archive sound)

John Barrymore

John Barrymore

Hamlet (archive sound)

Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill

Self - Finest Hour Speech (archive sound)

Charles J. Correll

Charles J. Correll

Self - Prepares for Amos 'n' Andy Broadcast (archive footage)

Lee De Forest

Lee De Forest

Self - Objects to Quality of Radio Programming (archive footage)

Ralph Edwards

Ralph Edwards

Self - Host of 'This Is Your Life' (archive footage)

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Self - Announces Landing in Normandy (archive footage)

Eugenia Farrar

Eugenia Farrar

Self (with Lee De Forest) (archive footage)

Freeman F. Gosden

Freeman F. Gosden

Self - Prepares for Amos 'n' Andy Broadcast (archive footage)

Guglielmo Marconi

Guglielmo Marconi

Self - Visits Sarnoff at RCA (archive footage)

Marie Mosquini

Marie Mosquini

Self - with Lee De Forest (archive footage)

Nelson Rockefeller

Nelson Rockefeller

Self - Eulogizes Sarnoff (archive footage)

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Self - Makes Broadcast About Banking Reform (archive footage)

David Sarnoff

David Sarnoff

Self - with Marconi at RCA (archive footage)

Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra

Self - Serenades Sarnoff (archive footage)

Arturo Toscanini

Arturo Toscanini

Self - Conducts NBC Symphony (archive footage)

Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman

Self - Announces Bombing of Hiroshima (archive sound)

Bob Warren

Bob Warren

Self - This is Your Life Announcer (archive footage)

Orson Welles

Orson Welles

Self - Professor in War of the Worlds Broadcast (archive sound)

Similar Movies

0.0

Gros chat

June 2022 •French

Siméon Malec, host on Pakueshikan FM radio, receives Marie-Soleil Bellefleur on the air to discuss new regulations concerning salmon nets. To their great dismay, the duo is constantly interrupted by increasingly worrying calls... It seems that a lion has been seen in the community!

6.7

Kick Out the Jams: The Story of XFM

August 2022 •English

Titled after the first-ever song to play on their airwaves, Kick Out the Jams follows the development of XFM from its rebellious pirate radio roots in the early 90’s, through to its official FM radio launch in 1997 as a major platform for launching alternative talent into the mainstream. The doc deep-dives into the struggles and influence of the station which gave rise to the likes of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, whose global hits The Office and The Ricky Gervais Show were originally developed while working at the radio station.

0.0

Untitled KROQ Documentary

Invalid date •English

The history and enduring legacy of one of the world's biggest and most influential radio stations.

6.7

Jakob the Liar

September 1999 •English

In 1944 Poland, a Jewish shop keeper named Jakob is summoned to ghetto headquarters after being caught out after curfew. While waiting for the German Kommondant, Jakob overhears a German radio broadcast about Russian troop movements. Returned to the ghetto, the shopkeeper shares his information with a friend and then rumors fly that there is a secret radio within the ghetto.

7.7

The King's Speech

November 2010 •English

The King's Speech tells the story of the man who became King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II. After his brother abdicates, George ('Bertie') reluctantly assumes the throne. Plagued by a dreaded stutter and considered unfit to be king, Bertie engages the help of an unorthodox speech therapist named Lionel Logue. Through a set of unexpected techniques, and as a result of an unlikely friendship, Bertie is able to find his voice and boldly lead the country into war.

8.0

Carbone 14, le film

May 1983 •French

Supernana, David Grossexe, Simone Cuisse d'Acier, Jean-Yves Lafesse occupy during three nights of summer 82, with their guests, Radio Carbone locals, one of those numerous « free radio » created in France at this period.

10.0

The Last Pirates: Britain's Rebel DJs

September 2017 •English

Rapper Rodney P. presents the story of Britain's second wave of pirate radio DJs. In the 1980s a new generation of pirate radio stations appeared broadcasting from London tower blocks.

0.0

Baseball, Dennis & The French

May 2011 •English

Baseball, Dennis & the French tells the true story of Paul Croshaw, longtime liberal activist and connoisseur of French films, who amazed his family, friends and himself by becoming a churchgoing, conservative Christian after years of listening to nationally syndicated radio host Dennis Prager.

0.0

The Gap

September 1937 •English

A dramatization to promote the Territorial Army.

7.3

Restrepo

June 2010 •English

Directors Hetherington and Junger spend a year with the 2nd Battalion of the United States Army located in one of Afghanistan's most dangerous valleys. The documentary provides insight and empathy on how to win the battle through hard work, deadly gunfights and mutual friendships while the unit must push back the Taliban.

7.4

Service public

November 2022 •French

Salhia Brakhlia has filmed the set and behind the scenes of Franceinfo's breakfast show during a year. How to inform at the time of social media and fake news ? How careful are journalist with those news ? How do they connect to politicians during an presidential election campaign ? This unique immersion gives us a part of the answer.

0.0

Behind Your Radio Dial

January 1949 •English

Familiar radio voice Ben Grauer leads the viewer on a behind the scenes tour of the National Broadcasting Company studios -- both radio and television -- in Rockefeller Center and Hollywood. The original 25-minute film previewed by network execs and affiliates in the fall of 1948 was cut down to 20 minutes before its first broadcast, reportedly to excise high-profile stars and programs such as Amos 'n' Andy, Jack Benny, and Edgar Bergen that had since left NBC for other networks.

6.4

Sex and Broadcasting

November 2014 •English

SEX AND BROADCASTING is a feature length documentary about New Jersey's WFMU, the world's strangest and most unique radio station, and one man's attempt to keep it alive in the face of recession, the persistent threat of commercial media, and the challenges that come with keeping a rebellious group of outsiders together.

0.0

Století rádia

January 2013 •Czech

6.1

Glorious 39

November 2009 •English

A mysterious tale set around a traditional British family on the eve of World War Two. Oblivious to the looming shadow of World War II, the wealthy Keyes maintain a confident façade in the British countryside until daughter Anne becomes an unexpected pawn. Her accidental discovery of secret recordings creates a rift in the family.

0.0

Pirates of the Airwaves

July 2014 •English

In 1966 a group of determined young men defied the New Zealand government and launched a pirate radio station aboard a ship in the Hauraki Gulf.

0.0

The Voice That Rocked America: The Dick Biondi Story

May 2023 •English

THE VOICE THAT ROCKED AMERICA is an one-hour documentary about Top 40 radio personality Dick Biondi. Dick's powerful connection with his audience has endured for decades, and the bands he promoted have never forgotten his generosity. Dick's story will be told through archival photos and footage, recreations, and interviews with recording artists, broadcasters, fans, friends and Dick Biondi himself. The film is narrated by Pam, whose life was changed when she met her teenage idol.

10.0

A Mediocre Documentary with Tom And Dan

May 2018 •English

'A Mediocre Time' with Tom and Dan' was becoming a hit podcast...until big radio made them shut it down. Now, after quitting their terrestrial radio jobs and making the podcast a career, they will embark on their biggest event yet: showcasing their podcast at the Hard Rock Live!

8.0

The Great Radio Comedians

May 1971 •English

Documentary about radio comedies primarily focused on Burns & Allen, Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy, The Jack Benny Program, Fibber McGee & Molly, The Bob Hope Show, and The Fred Allen Show.

7.6

Radio Unnameable

September 2012 •English

The story of legendary New York City disc jockey Bob Fass who pioneered free expression on the airwaves with his long running FM program 'Radio Unnameable'.