Paul Jacobs and the Nuclear Gang
Encyclopedia
Paul Jacobs and the Nuclear Gang is a 1980 political documentary film produced and directed by Jack Willis
and Saul Landau
, written by Jack Willis and Penny Bernstein, narrated by Penny Bernstein with cinematography by Zack Krieger and Haskell Wexler
.
The focus of the film is the government cover-up of the health hazards related to the 1950s atomic bomb testing in Nevada. Paul Jacobs
, a journalist, activist and co-founder of the magazine Mother Jones
, investigated the results of the tests on unknowing civilians and soldiers used as guinea pigs. Jacobs died of lung cancer before the film was completed; his doctors believed he contracted cancer as a result of radiation exposure.
The film was shown on PBS in the United States and widely distributed on television and theatrically in Europe. It was censored by Swedish Television during the time of a referendum on nuclear energy in Sweden.
The film won an Emmy Award
(1980), George Polk Award for investigative journalism on TV, Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award
, and Best Documentary at the Mannheim Film Festival
.
Jack Willis
-Career:Jack Willis, an award winning documentary filmmaker and television producer, was the co-founder of Link TV a Direct Broadcast Satellite channel currently in over 34 million American homes via DirecTV and the Dish Network....
and Saul Landau
Saul Landau
Saul Landau is journalist, filmmaker, and commentator. He is Professor Emeritus at California State University, Pomona. He is a senior Fellow at and Vice Chair of the Institute for Policy Studies.-Career:...
, written by Jack Willis and Penny Bernstein, narrated by Penny Bernstein with cinematography by Zack Krieger and Haskell Wexler
Haskell Wexler
Haskell Wexler, A.S.C. is an American cinematographer, film producer, and director. Wexler was judged to be one of film history's ten most influential cinematographers in a survey of the members of the International Cinematographers Guild.-Early life and education:Wexler was born to a Jewish...
.
The focus of the film is the government cover-up of the health hazards related to the 1950s atomic bomb testing in Nevada. Paul Jacobs
Paul Jacobs (activist)
Paul Jacobs was a pioneering activist, journalist, and co-founder of Mother Jones magazine. In 1966 he signed a tax resistance vow to protest the Vietnam War....
, a journalist, activist and co-founder of the magazine Mother Jones
Mother Jones (magazine)
Mother Jones is an American independent news organization, featuring investigative and breaking news reporting on politics, the environment, human rights, and culture. Mother Jones has been nominated for 23 National Magazine Awards and has won six times, including for General Excellence in 2001,...
, investigated the results of the tests on unknowing civilians and soldiers used as guinea pigs. Jacobs died of lung cancer before the film was completed; his doctors believed he contracted cancer as a result of radiation exposure.
The film was shown on PBS in the United States and widely distributed on television and theatrically in Europe. It was censored by Swedish Television during the time of a referendum on nuclear energy in Sweden.
The film won an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
(1980), George Polk Award for investigative journalism on TV, Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award
Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award
The Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Awards are given to people who a panel of judges believes have made significant contributions to the protection and enhancement of the rights enshrined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution...
, and Best Documentary at the Mannheim Film Festival
International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg
Mannheim-Heidelberg International Filmfestival is an annual film festival held jointly by the cities of Mannheim and Heidelberg in Baden-Württemberg. The festival was established in 1952. In Mannheim there are six cinema centres and 19 single cinemas.The festival presents arthouse films of...
.