- Alan Levin (filmmaker)
Alan Levin (
February 28 ,1926 –13 February ,2006 ) was an Americanfilmmaker andjournalist best known for making documentaries on thePublic Broadcasting Service (PBS) andHome Box Office (HBO) networks. Three of his documentaries wonEmmy 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 fromWesleyan University in Connecticut in 1946. His career started as a journalist working forAssociated Press and the "New York Post ". He worked for SenatorHarrison Williams in 1963-64 before becoming a producer onWABC-TV between 1965-67.Documentary career
Levin's documentary career started with
WNET , a PBS flagship. 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 theIran-Contra Affair . It earned Levin his second Emmy.Levin would later make documentaries for HBO. With his son,
Marc Levin and his production partnerDaphne 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.References
* [http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--obit-levin0217feb17,0,3367836.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey "Newsday" "Documentary filmmaker Alan Levin dies at 79"
17 February 2006, retrieved18 February 2006 ]
*Marquis Who's Who TM. "Marquis Who's Who", 2006. "Alan Levin"
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