Without "Talkies" There Would Be No Mae West

The silent film era ended with the birth of the "talkie" not long before Mae West become a Hollywood star. While audiences were enthralled by West's powerful and confident sexuality, the main way she expressed it was with language. ("Any chorus girl in any Warner Bros. movie in the 1930's showed more flesh.")

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Clip Season 34 Episode 2 Length 02:32 Premiere: 06/16/20

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Season 34 Season 34 Episodes

Show Episodes

Show Clips & Previews

Keith Haring: Street Art Boy

S34 E8 Length 52:28 Premiere Date 12/04/20

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Clip Length 01:30 Premiere Date 06/30/20

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Preview Length 01:00 Premiere Date 06/17/20

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Clip Length 02:37 Premiere Date 06/17/20

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Clip Length 04:19 Premiere Date 06/16/20

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Clip Length 02:32 Premiere Date 06/16/20

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Clip Length 01:31 Premiere Date 06/16/20

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Clip Length 03:13 Premiere Date 06/16/20

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Clip Length 04:14 Premiere Date 06/16/20

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Preview Length 01:56 Premiere Date 05/28/20

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Clip Length 01:53 Premiere Date 02/19/20

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Friday August 21, 2026 4:00 am ET on KET2
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Monday August 24, 2026 8:00 pm CT on KET2
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Wednesday August 26, 2026 1:00 am CT on KET2

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Tuesday August 25, 2026 9:00 pm ET on KET
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Without "Talkies" There Would Be No Mae West

Recent Episodes

W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause

Bella! This Woman's Place Is in the House

Sun Ra: Do The Impossible

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire

Starring Dick Van Dyke

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore

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Clips & Previews

Two Things That Gave Carl Reiner the Most Pleasure in Life

For Your Emmy® Consideration

The Mae West Film that Helped Save Paramount Pictures

Mae West Made this "Insane" Film in her 80's

Without "Talkies" There Would Be No Mae West

Director Interview | Mae West "Knew What She Was Doing"

Why Didn't Mae West Keep Up with the Latest Fashions?

How Madonna May Have Been Influenced by Mae West

Mae West: Dirty Blonde

In Memoriam: Actress Zoe Caldwell

Remembering Neil Simon

Remembering Anthony Bourdain

Against All Odds: Meet the Woman Behind American Masters

Specials

Taylor Rooks Talks NBA, Interview Techniques and Finding the Person Behind the Athlete

How Clive Davis became a titan of the music industry

Michael Sarnoski: What Robin Hood and Folklore Tell Us About Ourselves Today

Mike Wallace reflects on the 60 Minutes tobacco story controversy

Tyler James Williams on 30 Years of Acting and Protecting the Next Generation

Olivia Wilde on making “Tron: Legacy” with Jeff Bridges

Why Atsuko Okatsuka’s Comedy Connects Across Cultures

Stankface Standing Soldier: The Rise of Mato Wayuhi

W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause [EAD]

W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause [ASL]

Warren King: King of Cardboard

Greg Kinnear on Acting, AI, and Why Movies Still Matter

Aliah Irvine & Kehau Kapua’a: Kukulu

Chris Fleming Embraces the Chaos

Cindy Tran: From Here to Here

Lani B. Supreme: Legacy

Hannah Mayree: Songs of Reclamation

John Goodman on "The Big Lebowski" and Jeff Bridges

Alsarah: The Sonic Historian

Bella! This Woman's Place Is in the House [EAD]

Bella! This Woman's Place Is in the House [ASL]

Ani Liu: Eye Heart Womb

Sun Ra: Do The Impossible [ASL]

Sun Ra: Do The Impossible [EAD]

Night in Newark

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire [ASL]

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire [EAD]

Maryam Taghavi: Estranged Letters [Extended Audio Description]

How Leslie Jones Became a Comedian

Maryam Taghavi: Estranged Letters

Phoebe Robinson Shows Her Work

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore [EAD]

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore [ASL]

Sarah McLachlan: Making Music to Connect and Heal

Harvey Fierstein on gay representation on Broadway and its deep history

How Natasha Rothwell’s Life Brought Her to “The White Lotus”

When Ringo Starr met Mae West

Daniel Dae Kim Leads Spy Drama and Fights for Industry Change

Edel Rodriguez: Freedom is a Verb

Edel Rodriguez: Freedom is a Verb [ASL]

Edel Rodriguez: Freedom is a Verb [Extended Audio Description]

Mel Brooks' wild ride to his first Broadway show ever

John Kander and Fred Ebb on “Cabaret,” creativity and collaboration

House of Aama: Threads of Legacy

House of Aama: Threads of Legacy [Extended Audio Description]

House of Aama: Threads of Legacy [ASL]

Marcella [ASL]

Marcella [Extended Audio Description]

Norman Teague: Love Reigns Supreme

Norman Teague: Love Reigns Supreme [ASL]

Norman Teague: Love Reigns Supreme [Extended Audio Description]

Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny [ASL]

Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny [Extended Audio Description]

Phil Rosenthal’s Secret Recipe: Good Food and a Laugh

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence [ASL]

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence [Extended Audio Description + OC]