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Ken Burns: The Dust Bowl DVD & Blu-ray

$29.99 $17.99
Item #: WA7802
THE DUST BOWL chronicles the worst man-made ecological disaster in American history, when a frenzied wheat boom on the southern Plains, followed by a decade-long drought during the 1930s, nearly swept away the breadbasket of the nation. Menacing black blizzards killed farmers' crops and livestock, threatened the lives of their children, and forced thousands of desperate families to pick up ... More
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THE DUST BOWL chronicles the worst man-made ecological disaster in American history, when a frenzied wheat boom on the southern Plains, followed by a decade-long drought during the 1930s, nearly swept away the breadbasket of the nation. Menacing black blizzards killed farmers' crops and livestock, threatened the lives of their children, and forced thousands of desperate families to pick up and move somewhere else.

Vivid interviews with more than two dozen survivors of those hard times, combined with dramatic photographs and seldom seen movie footage, bring to life stories of incredible human suffering and equally incredible human perseverance. THE DUST BOWL, a four-hour, two-episode documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns, is also a morality tale about our relationship to the land that sustains us - a lesson we ignore at our peril.

Episodes include…
The Great Plow Up - In the early twentieth century, thousands of homesteaders and ""suitcase farmers"" converge on the southern Plains, where wet years, rising wheat prices and World War I produce a classic boom. Millions of acres of virgin sod are plowed up. Caroline Henderson stakes her claim in a strip of Oklahoma called No Man's Land, and for a while prosperity seems certain for her and the families of two dozen survivors who provide eyewitness testimony. Then, in 1931, a decade-long drought begins, exacerbated by the Great Depression. Huge dust storms carry off the exposed topsoil and darken the skies at midday, killing crops and livestock. ""Dust pneumonia"" breaks out, threatening children's lives. And just when it seems things could not get any worse, in 1935 the most catastrophic dust storm in history strikes on ""Black Sunday.""

Reaping the Whirlwind - Following ""Black Sunday,"" the crucible of dust, drought and Depression only intensifies. Many people on the southern Plains, including an itinerant songwriter named Woody Guthrie, give up and join a ""migration of the defeated"" to California. There they are branded as ""Okies"" and face vicious discrimination. Meanwhile, Caroline Henderson and her neighbors struggle to hang on to their land. Franklin Roosevelt's administration attempts to help them through New Deal programs aimed at preventing the breadbasket of America from becoming a Sahara. Survivors recount their families' desperate times, their joy at the rains' return, and the lessons learned - and sometimes forgotten - from the Dust Bowl.

Special Bonus Features include…
Grab a Root and Growl
A Land of Haze
After the Dust Bowl
Behind the Scenes
Uncovering The Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl - Eyewitnesses The Dust Bowl - Legacy

This DVD features…

Subtitles (SDH) in English
Descriptive Video for the Visually Impaired in English (DVI)
Spanish Subtitles
Spanish Audio Track

Producer: Ken Burns, Dayton Duncan, Julie Dunfey
Executive Producer: Ken Burns
Production Company: WETA; Florentine Films
Production Year: 2012
Copyright Year: 2012
Rating: TV-PG
Narrator: Peter Coyote
Writers: Dayton Duncan
Number of Discs: 2
Length: 240 minutes
Subtitled: Y
Subtitle Languages: English (SDH);Spanish (SDH)
Language Track: Spanish
DVI: Y
Audio Format: 5.1 Surround
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 Widescreen

43 Reviews
F
Faith
Verified Buyer
5.0 star rating
04/20/23
great
Review by Faith on 04/20/23 review stating great
I knew I liked the program; wanted a copy
E
Elizabeth
Verified Buyer
5.0 star rating
09/06/22
Thank You
Review by Elizabeth on 09/06/22 review stating Thank You
Im not sure how we missed this when it was originally broadcast. A superb film that brings home how truly devastating the dirty 30s were - and how they were a man-made eco-disaster. As with all Mr. Burns documentaries, the Dust Bowl illuminates the past, but holds relevance for the present day, warns us how close we are, in this age of so many discounting climate change, to repeating this massive disaster. The resiliency of those who lived through it, the haunting photographs, Woody Guthries amazing music, all combine in a heartbreaking film. Thank You, PBS.
W
William
Verified Buyer
5.0 star rating
02/26/22
Very cool movie, more people
Review by William on 02/26/22 review stating Very cool movie, more people
Very cool movie, more people need to see this [?] [?] .
S
SHARON
Verified Buyer
5.0 star rating
01/10/22
Very sad stories so well
Review by SHARON on 01/10/22 review stating Very sad stories so well
Very sad stories so well presented.
C
Charlene
Verified Buyer
5.0 star rating
10/27/21
Good documentary of where I
Review by Charlene on 10/27/21 review stating Good documentary of where I
Good documentary of where I grew up. Saving our DVD player for posterity so grandchildren can watch it.
S
Sue
Verified Buyer
5.0 star rating
06/04/21
Ive Learned So Much More
Review by Sue on 06/04/21 review stating Ive Learned So Much More
Ive watched 3 other Ken Burns documentaries and was excited to learn more about the Dirty 30s as my Grandparents called them. So many excellent films, pictures stories by survivors, etc. I look forward to watching it again with interested family.
D
Diddy
Anonymous User
5.0 star rating
08/16/20
Dust Bowl
Review by Diddy on 08/16/20 review stating Dust Bowl
I want 2 copies of this. My husband, our grown daughter and I watched this. We grew up in the 30s-40-50s and experienced so many of the after effects of this. We went to college in Alva, Ok. and our folks were part of this Dust Bowl experience. My Dad dug for scrap iron in the snow to sell, to buy a loaf of bread, for 5 cents. We know what it was like, and this film hit the nail on the head of how it REALLY WAS! Excellent! Kathie Wyatt
R
Roper
Anonymous User
5.0 star rating
07/17/20
Great Resource!
Review by Roper on 07/17/20 review stating Great Resource!
Ken Burns The Dust Bowl tells the story of both the people who stayed, and of the people who migrated west, in a clear and concise manner that is very user friendly for the classroom.
P
Pbs06 G.
Anonymous User
5.0 star rating
07/17/20
Another excellent Ken Burns documentary!!!!
Review by Pbs06 G. on 07/17/20 review stating Another excellent Ken Burns documentary!!!!
Everyone should watch this program. If we dont change our ways this could happen again.
K
Kris
Anonymous User
4.0 star rating
07/17/20
The Dust Bowl
Review by Kris on 07/17/20 review stating The Dust Bowl
Black and white imagery held student attention. Great HD images and viewpoints presented.
S
Sue
Anonymous User
5.0 star rating
07/17/20
the dust bowl
Review by Sue on 07/17/20 review stating the dust bowl
ken burns has a way of making you feel like your living it with them.this is a great documentary on this period of time.very accurate and historical.ive watched it many times in the past...highlyrecommended...
A
Arthur
Anonymous User
5.0 star rating
07/17/20
excellent documentary
Review by Arthur on 07/17/20 review stating excellent documentary
Very comprehensive and accurate. Really shows the human response.
S
Steven G.
Anonymous User
5.0 star rating
07/17/20
as always
Review by Steven G. on 07/17/20 review stating as always
excellent ken burns
T
Tct
Anonymous User
5.0 star rating
07/17/20
A must for the American History Lover!!!
Review by Tct on 07/17/20 review stating A must for the American History Lover!!!
Like all of Ken Burns work, this brings our past, the struggles and the right men at the right time working together to fix it.
S
Songsmith
Anonymous User
5.0 star rating
07/17/20
Ken Burns Put Visuals to My Grandmothers Stories, Amazing
Review by Songsmith on 07/17/20 review stating Ken Burns Put Visuals to My Grandmothers Stories, Amazing
My Grandmother homesteaded on the KA/OK border and lived the Dust Bowl. I grew up on her stories. This documentary put her anguish and loss into sharp contrast for me and showed me more than my imagination could ever have conceived. I wept wished my Grandmother were alive to watch it with me. I am buying this so my young friends can see what they have only heard about.
P
Pam
Anonymous User
5.0 star rating
07/17/20
Stunning
Review by Pam on 07/17/20 review stating Stunning
After seeing this documentary on tv, I bought a copy for my granddaughter and bought the book for myself. I am now buying a copy of the video for my father. That this really happened in the United States, and not too long ago, is haunting. We all learned about the dust bowl in grade school, but not like this.
T
Tom C.
Anonymous User
5.0 star rating
07/17/20
The best
Review by Tom C. on 07/17/20 review stating The best
It must have been tough living in the dust bowl
J
Ja L.
Anonymous User
5.0 star rating
07/17/20
OH.MY.GOD.
Review by Ja L. on 07/17/20 review stating OH.MY.GOD.
This is a must see for many generations - until you watch this indescribable documentary and listen to the stories of survivors, you just cannot imagine the horror and devastation that occurred. It brings you to tears and give you a newfound knowledge and renewed inspiration in the spirit of humankind.
S
Sue
Anonymous User
3.0 star rating
07/17/20
super
Review by Sue on 07/17/20 review stating super
Great documentary. The facts are they were, shown in true to believe settings. Educational for ALL generations. How our people turned land to that condition, how they survived, and how to prevent in the future. Man vs. Land. Extremely important for future. Not merely as story of the past.
L
Loves H.
Anonymous User
5.0 star rating
07/17/20
In Ken Burns Fashion
Review by Loves H. on 07/17/20 review stating In Ken Burns Fashion
My family and I are huge fans of Ken Burns. One of the things that stands out in his films, is the human element. He has the gift of portraying history as the story of people. The letters, original photographs, and period newspaper articles all combine to make the subject interesting and...almost tangible. Ken Burns fans will not be disappointed.

Highlighted Customer Reviews


G
Ginger reviewed Ken Burns: The Dust Bowl DVD & Blu-ray
5 star rating
amazing
Review by Ginger review stating amazing
I watched this on pbs. My great uncle moved to Oaklahoma from Canada in the 20s.I am awed by the endurance of those people.We were very poor growing up but these people put me to shame.It certainly puts life in perspective.
C
Cyn reviewed Ken Burns: The Dust Bowl DVD & Blu-ray
5 star rating
Ken Burns, the documentary King!
Review by Cyn review stating Ken Burns, the documentary King!
Once again, Ken Burns has given us another great documentary from American history. The story was so moving and I cried through most of the show. Very touching. My father once told me when he was a little boy (he was born in 1925)he remembered seeing the rolling black dust clouds moving across the sky in Neshoba County, Mississippi. It must have been an impressive site for a small boy to remember it. It was some tough times back then.
D
Donna reviewed Ken Burns: The Dust Bowl DVD & Blu-ray
5 star rating
Ken Burns: The Dust Bowl DVD by PBS
Review by Donna review stating Ken Burns: The Dust Bowl DVD by PBS
Dust Bowl was an outstanding documentary. A must see for everyone. It will touch your heart. My Mother and Dad were from the Dust Bowl(Guymon). Your story was just like theirs. Thank you so much. They were the Volino family, ten miles north of Guymon. Donna R. Bannister

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