Gemini Entertainment

It was thousands of years ago that nature began the slow work of creation. Glaciers slashed into the landscape, carving out a small, mountainous piece of land along the coast of what would one day be Maine. That island -- a place of dazzling and unique beauty - would eventually be called Mount Desert. In the early twentieth century, men and women of foresight and dedication began the process of preserving this wonder of nature. Their efforts would culminate in the creation of Acadia National...

If one were to unpack its jagged, irregular shoreline -- straighten out all the islands and inlets, all the peninsulas, bays and harbors -- the Maine coast would stretch out over three thousand miles, longer than that of California or Texas. And while the Maine coast may seem distant from the rest of America, it is on these craggy shorelines where America truly began. Join former NBC News correspondent and A&E "Biography" host Jack Perkins for a guided tour of this remarkable place called...

After the sudden death of their wealthy father, two estranged sisters return to their family home to sort out the estate. To the shock of plain, conservative sister Billie, their father has willed the bulk of his assets to her, leaving the sultry and rebellious Harriet with just a small monthly trust fund payment. As Harriet schemes to get a bigger share of the money and their father's attorney maneuvers to curry favor with the sisters, Billie begins hearing strange, unearthly noises in the...

In the late 1960's the United States Military Academy at West Point faced growing problems with enrollment, as increasing discontent over the Vietnam War drove a parallel decrease in applications. With fewer of the best and brightest interested in military service, the Army risked being deprived of the talented young men that its officer corps needed. Produced in 1968, "West Point: The Army Challenge" was a recruitment film meant to correct the academy's reputation as a place where "they lock...

As U.S. combat operations in South Vietnam expanded in the mid-1960's, the inability of the Saigon government to control large swaths of the countryside, as well as the primacy of the Communist 'shadow government', became major obstacles for American military planners. "This is not primarily a military problem," Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara would say. "It's a battle for the hearts and the minds of the people of South Vietnam." As a part of that effort, the Marines in South Vietnam...

Some lighthouses usher the mariner in. Others warn him away. Yet all of them selflessly serve those who travel by sea. But for those lighthouses that have survived into the present, what will be their fates now that modern navigational technology has rendered many of them obsolete? And how do these ageless towers continue to cast such magical, mystical spells after centuries of use? Narrated by former NBC News correspondent and A&E "Biography" host Jack Perkins, this documentary attempts to...

This is a story about the making of a movie. It's the story of a how a sixteen year-old wunderkind talks a scandal-beleaguered corporate sponsor into financing his dream project, a thriller called "High Output" (it's like "The Boston Strangler" meets "My Fair Lady", but without all that pesky singing). It's the story of a lunkheaded lead actor who needs his daily almond fix and can't go without talking to his pet corgi over the phone. It's the story of a deeply damaged producer-for-hire who...

Join former NBC News correspondent and A&E "Biography" host Jack Perkins for two classic documentaries exploring the Maine coast. "The Gift of Acadia" tells the history of Acadia National Park, from the private philanthropy which created it to the continuing generosity of those who have cared for it throughout its history. "Maine: America's Coast" shows that, while the Maine coast may seem distant from the rest of America, it is on these craggy shorelines where American history truly began.

A half century ago, there were two hundred year-round settlements on Maine's coastal islands. Today there are a mere fourteen. One of these is the island of Isleford, a close-knit community that still clings tenaciously to a disappearing way of life as the growing number of seasonal residents slowly crowds out the remaining year-round population. Narrated by former NBC News correspondent and A&E "Biography" host Jack Perkins, "A Sense of Place, a Sense of Time" looks at the elements --...

Commissioned in 1943, the mighty USS New Jersey was one of the last battleships ever launched by the United States Navy. Armed with nine sixteen-inch guns, the New Jersey would rain massive destruction upon Japanese bases from Truk to Okinawa and earn nine battle stars for her role in the Pacific War. Decommissioned in 1948 and then returned to service during the Korean War, the New Jersey would be retired again in 1956 and consigned to sit as a reserve ship at the Philadelphia Navy Yard....

Set to music and told entirely through vintage home movie footage, "Mount Desert Island Through the Camera Lens" is a beautiful and moving look at six decades of life on this scenic Maine island, where many visit and a fortunate few manage to live and work. From summer sailboat racing to winter celebrations and every type of work and play in between, this one-of-a-kind film compiles rare archival footage into a never before seen look at the modern history of the magnificent Mount Desert.

By 1967 the armed forces had produced plenty of documentaries about their operations in Vietnam, and these had usually tried to stay above the fray of domestic political controversies. But not this time, as the film's narration immediately goes for the jugular of the antiwar movement. Devoting equal time to operations by the Navy and Marine Corps, the film attempts to correct public perceptions of the war by showing the good works being performed by the military. From search and rescue...