A little-known facet of American history comes to life in this fascinating account of Carville, La., a former plantation made over into a community established for victims of leprosy from around the world. Featuring rare photographs as well as recent interviews, the program takes you inside the daily workings of one of the most intriguing medical establishments this nation has ever seen.

William Saroyan's Pulitzer Prize-winning play revolves around the denizens of a San Francisco bar in 1939. Lonely, lovelorn, weary or cynical, the characters drift in and out of the bar and each other's lives, giving voice to Saroyan's philosophies as they randomly comment about the impending world war, the beauty of art, and traditional notions of good and evil. At least one of the relationships stands a chance of enduring: a brawny innocent named Tom is falling in love with a vulnerable young prostitute named Kitty. Saroyan himself is heard reciting the play's prologue.

From the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia to the New York City docks where he worked as a customs inspector, this outstanding documentary tracks the personal and intellectual adventures of Herman Melville, one of the greatest talents in American literary history. Narrated by John Huston, the film includes readings and commentary by F. Murray Abraham, Robert Penn Warren, Alfred Kazan, and other notable writers and critics.