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producer: Martin Berman
correspondent: Geraldo Rivera
executive producer: Albert T. Primo
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Willowbrook:
The Last Great Disgrace
28 minutes / documentary / 1972 / USA
Focusing
on an institution located in Staten Island, NY, this film was
one of the first exposés ever done on local television.
As a result of this program airing on WABC-TV, the manner of
treating people with disabilities was forever changed.
As the producers were putting the documentary together, they
located a piece of film shot 10 years earlier of Robert F. Kennedy
after he completed a tour of Willowbrook. He said, "Willowbrook
was a disgrace." Despite Kennedy's anger and compassion, nothing
was done about it.
Geraldo Rivera, the film's correspondent, is quoted, "I can
show you what it looked like and what it sounded like, but I
can never show you how it smelled and the horrible conditions."
The film won the 1972 Peabody Award.
Albert
T. Primo - executive producer
Al led the news team at WABC-TV that forever changed treatment
for people with mental retardation with his Peabody Award winning
series with Mr. Rivera, "Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace."
He also created the Eyewitness News format which revolutionized
broadcast journalism. He has been on the leading edge of television,
developing regional news formats for cable television and building
an independent production company, which provides programming
for networks, television stations and cable systems.
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