Speak Up America - Voices from a Crossroads

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Global ImageWorks is proud to announce the addition of Speak Up America to our archival collection. Produced by George Schlatter of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In and Real People fame, this series captured the raw pulse of America as it entered the 1980s.

For archival producers and filmmakers, this ten-episode series offers strong stories, authentic voices, and well-shot footage of 1980 America at a crossroads. For any project seeking to understand how America got to where it is today, this collection provides essential primary source material.

The collection spans a wide range of themes:

Political and Social Crises include families of Iranian hostages speaking about their ordeal, the Love Canal toxic waste disaster, and interviews with unemployed auto workers in Detroit as the Rust Belt economy collapsed.

Controversial Figures feature confrontations with atheist activist Madalyn Murray O’Hair, KKK Grand Dragon and Congressional candidate Tom Metzger, and debates on subjects from gun control to marijuana legalization.

Military and Veterans’ Experiences feature American troops at the Korean DMZ discussing the draft, women discharged from the Navy on accusations of lesbianism, and Vietnam veterans suffering the effects of Agent Orange—footage of considerable historical value.

Cultural Flashpoints include the adult film industry with contrasting interviews of Marilyn Chambers and Linda Lovelace, an investigation into the Unification Church, and Holocaust survivors sharing their stories and warnings.

Activism and Investigations document Paul Watson’s campaigns to save baby harp seals, the Guardian Angels patrolling New York City subways, undercover vice squad operations, and Senator Proxmire’s Golden Fleece Awards exposing government waste.

Sports and Entertainment feature a young Magic Johnson at his basketball clinic, coverage of Muhammad Ali’s unsuccessful comeback against Larry Holmes, and the Shogun miniseries phenomenon.

In next month's newsletter, we'll explore the final series in this trilogy: Look At Us (1981), an examination of American life and culture. Together, these three Schlatter series capture a pivotal moment when television discovered the most compelling stories were the real ones.