Official website: http://www.pbs.org/americanmasters | #AmericanMastersPBS #music #composing #musical “The Way We Were,” “Nobody Does It Better” and scores for "The Sting," "Sophie’s Choice" and the Broadway hit "A Chorus Line" made Marvin Hamlisch the go-to composer and performer for film, Broadway, every U.S. President since Reagan, and concert halls worldwide. A musical prodigy accepted to Juilliard at age six, Marvin Hamlisch devoted his talents to musical theater and pop music composition. The composer and conductor earned four Grammys, four Emmys, three Oscars, three Golden Globes, a Tony Award, and a Pulitzer Prize. Barbra Streisand, Steven Soderbergh, Quincy Jones, Christopher Walken are among those who admire Hamlisch as a person and a musician. This documentary originally aired on December 27th, 2013. Watch on your local PBS station, the PBS app, online, and here on YouTube until February 7, 2027. Enjoy full episodes of your favorite PBS shows anytime, anywhere with the free PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2QbtzhR This program is made possible by viewers like you. Please support your local PBS stations: https://pbs.org/donate Subscribe to the American Masters channel for more clips: http://bit.ly/1JmUCu5 Enjoy full episodes of your favorite American Masters films: http://www.pbs.org/americanmasters FOLLOW AMERICAN MASTERS: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/americanmasters X: https://twitter.com/PBSAmerMasters Instagram: https://instagram.com/pbsamericanmasters TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pbsamericanmasters Newsletter: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/newsletter/ FOLLOW PBS: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pbs/ X: https://twitter.com/PBS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PBS TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pbs ___________________________________ Now in its 39th season on PBS, American Masters illuminates the lives and creative journeys of those who have left an indelible impression on our cultural landscape—through compelling, unvarnished stories. Setting the standard for documentary film profiles, the series has earned widespread critical acclaim: 28 Emmy Awards—including 10 for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series and five for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special—two News & Documentary Emmys, 14 Peabodys, three Grammys, two Producers Guild Awards, an Oscar, and many other honors. To further explore the lives and works of more than 250 masters past and present, the American Masters website offers full episodes, film outtakes, filmmaker interviews, the podcast “American Masters: Creative Spark,” educational resources, digital original series and more. The series is a production of The WNET Group.
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So many years ago, Marvin Hamlisch is in Cleveland for concert and buys a shirt at Neiman Marcus and becomes friends with the woman who sold in the shirt. Several years later, the woman is living in Menorah Park, an independent living facility and she and her friends are putting on a musical show and need another song to complete the program. The woman writes Marvin Hamlisch a letter and Marvin proceeds to write them a song, but it doesn’t stop there. Marvin Hamlisch shows up at Mendora Park to watch the show go on and stays to meet my mother and all the other women performing his song. Quite a story. Quite a man.
I love this documentary. 5-9-2026 Thank You PBS
Marvin tested me for pitch when I was 13 (he was about 18) and his dad Max took me for a student. I also got my own personal concert by him and I remember one of the songs his cousin Freddy asked him to play "Three Little Words". Wonderful memory! I wish I knew where Fred is today, if he is still with us. Great guy.
5/8/26: My God! This is a fabulous documentary -- a must-see! I lived in Manhattan from 1966 to 2016 -- 50 years and I remember so much about it through what was on Broadway at the time. I'm so glad I came across this.
He played at my dad and stepmom’s wedding!!❤❤
2nd concert I ever attended was Marvin and Liza. I was maybe 10. He did the bit where he would write a song on the spot. He asked the audience "give me a job description." and someone yelled "Garbage Man!." So he wrote "Sanitation Engineer." Genius!
Marvin Hamlisch is one of my favorite composers ever! The soundtrack to “The Spy Who Loved Me” is my favorite of his! I also love the music to “A Chorus Line” and the song “Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows”. Only Hamlisch and Richard Rodgers are the only ones to win a PEGOT (Pulitzer, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). What an amazing talent! 🇺🇸🎼🎵🎶🎹🎻🎺😁
The theme songs of The Way We Were, Same Time Next Year, and Ice Castles are three of my favorite songs.
Looking at those Oscar clips and seeing Hamlisch, Bacharach, and Mancini all together. Three giants, think of all the great music they were collectively responsible for.
The Way We Were...heartbreakingly beautiful.🥲
Queens College was very proud to acknowledge Marvin graduated from that college with a Bachelor of Arts in 1967
A brilliant man. A really heartwarming documentary. Thank you so much for the music. RIP. 💕
The first mention I've heard of the Hamlisch name, was from Barbra Streisand, She couldn't praise him enough. She depended on him a lot and worked with him often. it was then that i knew how really accomplished he was. A great musician, writer, composer. His name lives on.
I was in college in Manhattan and went with a classmate to see to see two one act plays at Shakespeare on the Square theater in Lafayette Park. As we were leaving the complex, hearing music singing and dancing from one of the auditoriums, we went in, sat and watched for a while. As it later turned out, it was Marvin going through routines with the cast of Chorus line. This was months prior to opening. We got up to leave during a break when he saw us. He hollered out asking what we thought. I hollered back, jokingly, "catchy tunes, but will flop in Pioria!" He laughed back my friend and I gave him four thumbs up. It was exciting being in that auditorium with all that energy. Of course, Marvin wasn't yet a NAME at that time. This was a great documentary memorializing Maestro Hamlish. I later met him down in Greenwich Village at a piano bar. Non puffed up at his success, no fanfare, just one of the patrons.
I adore this documentary. I'm not a big musical theater fan, haven't seen every Hollywood movie Marvin Hamlisch scored, but I fell in love with this human being through this film. I highly recommend it!
Wonderful documentary. What I knoew was how incredibly talented this man was; what I didn't know was how funny and vibrant he was. The story of his courtship, proposal, and marriage bowled me over and to think it lasted is the stuff that makes all of the fools in us chase rainbows. Thank you American Masters and PBS.
marvelous Marvin! simply marvelous
I recall seeing this documentary, I think shortly after he passed away. It was a great story of a terrific talent and human being. Tonight watching it again this many years later, his story feels even richer. Those of us who had the benefit of experiencing his music and personality in real time were gifted.
I was obsessed with "At The Ballet" as a child. My parents had the soundtrack on 8-track
What a great documentary ,PBS thanks