Alan Levin (filmmaker)
Encyclopedia
Alan Levin was an American
filmmaker and journalist
best known for making documentaries on the Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS) and Home Box Office
(HBO) networks. Three of his documentaries won Emmy Awards.
in Connecticut in 1946. His career started as a journalist working for Associated Press
and the New York Post
. He worked for Senator Harrison Williams
in 1963-64 before becoming a producer on WABC-TV
between 1965-67.
, a Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS) primary member station. He first attracted attention with The New Immigrants in 1979 which explored the immigration of non-European migrants to the US which earned him his first Emmy.
His 1982 film Portrait of an American Zealot was one of the first films of the growing popularity of the so-called religious right
. That film marked the end of his employment for PBS although he would continue to make films for the network. In 1986, he made Inside the Jury Room featuring the first jury deliberation to be filmed which was shown on PBS Frontline
He partnered with Bill Moyers
to film a number of documentaries. The Secret Government: The Constitution in Crisis looked at the activities of the CIA
leading up to the Iran-Contra Affair
. It earned Levin his second Emmy.
Levin would later make documentaries for HBO. With his son, Marc Levin
and his production partner Daphne Pinkerson, he made Thug Life about the lives of four prisoners in Washington. It earned him his third Emmy in 1999.
He died in Maplewood, New Jersey
in February 2006.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
filmmaker and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
best known for making documentaries on the Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
(PBS) and Home Box Office
Home Box Office
HBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium cable television network, owned by Time Warner. , HBO's programming reaches 28.2 million subscribers in the United States, making it the second largest premium network in America . In addition to its U.S...
(HBO) networks. Three of his documentaries won Emmy Awards.
Early life and career
Levin was born in Brooklyn, New York with his original name being Alan Levinstein. He served during World War II and graduated from Wesleyan UniversityWesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in Connecticut in 1946. His career started as a journalist working for Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
. He worked for Senator Harrison Williams
Harrison A. Williams
Harrison Arlington "Pete" Williams, Jr. was a Democrat who represented New Jersey in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate . Williams was convicted on May 1, 1981 for taking bribes in the Abscam sting operation, and resigned from the U.S. Senate in 1982...
in 1963-64 before becoming a producer on WABC-TV
WABC-TV
WABC-TV, channel 7, is the flagship station of the Disney-owned American Broadcasting Company located in New York City. The station's studios and offices are located on the Upper West Side section of Manhattan, adjacent to ABC's corporate headquarters, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State...
between 1965-67.
Documentary career
Levin's documentary career started with WNETWNET
WNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
, a Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
(PBS) primary member station. He first attracted attention with The New Immigrants in 1979 which explored the immigration of non-European migrants to the US which earned him his first Emmy.
His 1982 film Portrait of an American Zealot was one of the first films of the growing popularity of the so-called religious right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
. That film marked the end of his employment for PBS although he would continue to make films for the network. In 1986, he made Inside the Jury Room featuring the first jury deliberation to be filmed which was shown on PBS Frontline
He partnered with Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers is an American journalist and public commentator. He served as White House Press Secretary in the United States President Lyndon B. Johnson Administration from 1965 to 1967. He worked as a news commentator on television for ten years. Moyers has had an extensive involvement with public...
to film a number of documentaries. The Secret Government: The Constitution in Crisis looked at the activities of the CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
leading up to the Iran-Contra Affair
Iran-Contra Affair
The Iran–Contra affair , also referred to as Irangate, Contragate or Iran-Contra-Gate, was a political scandal in the United States that came to light in November 1986. During the Reagan administration, senior Reagan administration officials and President Reagan secretly facilitated the sale of...
. It earned Levin his second Emmy.
Levin would later make documentaries for HBO. With his son, Marc Levin
Marc Levin
Marc Levin is an independent film producer and director. He is best known for his Brick City TV series, which won the 2010 Peabody award and was nominated for an Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking and his dramatic feature film, SLAM, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance...
and his production partner Daphne Pinkerson, he made Thug Life about the lives of four prisoners in Washington. It earned him his third Emmy in 1999.
He died in Maplewood, New Jersey
Maplewood, New Jersey
Maplewood is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 23,867.-History:...
in February 2006.