As World War Two was ending in the mid 1940s, John Huston began to make a film for the US Army on veterans who’d been psychologically damaged in battle. As WNYC’s Sara Fishko tells us, the film “Let There Be Light” was filled with gripping footage of ailing veterans.  But the film never saw the light of day until thirty-five years later.  Here is the next Fishko Files…

This Sunday, the Motion Picture Academy gives out its Oscars, and the silent film “The Artist” is nominated in ten categories.  As WNYC’s Sara Fishko tells us, that film is driven by a story engine that just won’t quit.  Here is the next Fishko Files…

Next week, a 1950s English play opens off-Broadway that was more than just a play, says WNYC’s Sara Fishko. It was a cultural landmark that shook English class consciousness to its foundations.  A trip to post World War II Britain –in this episode of Fishko Files.

For the first time, the complete films from the 1930s, by the French director Jean Vigo, are available in a DVD set.  The restless and adventurous young filmmaker was not always so celebrated, WNYC’s Sara Fishko tells us --in this quick look. 

Marilyn Monroe would have been 85 in June. Her popularity has never been greater, says WNYC’s Sara Fishko, thanks to a seemingly inescapable urge to evoke her in any way possible.  Here is the next Fishko Files…

This Sunday, a revival of the classic comedy “Born Yesterday” opens on Broadway.  As WNYC’s Sara Fishko tells us, its author, Garson Kanin, was responsible for a generous slice of American culture.  Here is the next Fishko Files...

In this archival edition of Fishko Files, WNYC’s Sara Fishko reflects on the mystique of cool jazz trumpeter/singer Chet Baker, and the facts and fantasies that have lifted jazz horn players to a special place in cultural mythology.

Premiering this weekend is a new TV adaptation of “Mildred Pierce,” one of James M. Cain’s Depression-era, tough-guy novels. As WNYC’s Sara Fishko tells us, those books provided 1940s Hollywood with plenty of material for its dark dramas. Here is the next Fishko Files...

On the final day of 2010, we consider the art of actor Montgomery Clift.  Clift would have been 90 this year, and as WNYC’s Sara Fishko tells us, he was one of the founders of modern screen acting. Here is the next Fishko Files...

Every November, fans honor the romantic tenor Mario Lanza, who made his mark in a career that lasted only around 12 years.  As WNYC’s Sara Fishko tells us, he hit notes both high and low.  Here is the next Fishko Files...

In a confluence of culture, the upcoming U.S. Open tennis tournament is overlapping with a Festival of Films by actress-director Ida Lupino. As a result, WNYC’s Sara Fishko can’t stop thinking about a certain Ida Lupino film...in this edition of the Fishko Files...

British film director Ken Russell is in New York for a series of screenings and appearances at Lincoln Center.  For this edition of the Fishko Files, WNYC’s Sara Fishko spoke to Russell about his movie- run through music history...

The cancellation of the long running TV series ‘At the Movies’ has stimulated speculation about the future of film criticism. Sara Fishko weighs in on this edition of the Fishko Files….

Click here to see Phillip Lopate’s book American Movie Critics.

The Oscars ceremony will be broadcast this Sunday evening. Whatever the outcome, the run-up to the ceremony has Sara Fishko thinking about art, commerce and movies. Here is the next Fishko Files...

Daniel Eagan, author of America’s Film Legacy: the Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry will speak at Film Forum on Monday, March 22nd.

Andrew Sarris writes regularly for the magazine Film Comment. Read his work here.

As movies flood the market in this summer of ’09, Sara Fishko is thinking about the movies of nineteen-fifty-nine. From romantic comedies to sword-and-sandal spectacles, the films of that year spoke volumes about what was happening off screen.

For more about the movies of '59, including trailers ...

Actor Charles Boyer had a continental flavor that went over big in the U.S. Ten of his most engaging films will be screened in New York this month. Sara Fishko asks why... in this edition of the Fishko Files.

To learn more about Hollywood's studio system of the 1930s, 40s ...

Jazz has become so treasured as a part of film-scoring that it's the subject of a new Museum of Modern Art exhibit, opening next week. As WNYC's Sara Fishko tells us in this edition of the Fishko Files, the connection between jazz and American film was especially vibrant during one ...

The upcoming film "I'm Not There" features six different actors playing Bob Dylan. This has Sara Fishko thinking about the problem of turning lives into art.

Audio clips of "Doctor Atomic" courtesy of San Francisco Opera.