TheArchive: Reviewing the Rare, Retro, and Restored

This post was originally published on (2/15/21) and updated on (2/21/22) . On the eve of some unpredictable tensions across the world, this President’s day TheArchive honors the Presidents who have led our country through conflict. Some have guided us past it while others caused it.   Either way, it’s challenging at the top, especially as we see President Biden navigate some very provocative leadership moments this week.  These stories of leadership have carved their way into our zeitgeist as they help to inform how our future can and may be shaped. In Ronald Reagan, The Hollywood Years, and Ronald Reagan, the Presidential Years , we track Reagan’s rise to power and his brush with the kind of conflict he could rise above. From that iconic moment on stage with Goldwater in 1964, to his governorship shortly thereafter, to his presidency, Reagan is celebrated as one of the most popular presidents of our time. But we also learn that the Iran-Contra affair certainly led to some ...

Imagine Putin test-driving a Tesla gifted by the American people, with Trump riding shotgun!   What does an American President do when he knows his days are numbered?   One President indeed stepped down due to overwhelming pressure, the infamous Richard Milhouse Nixon, after some ridiculous stunts and justifications. One of the best made movies on Nixon is ‘ The Final Days ’ (1989) which premiered on ABC, with over 2.5 hours of live action mixed with archival footage, it captures all the details of Woodward and Bernstein’s best-selling book on the Watergate scandal.   Featuring a riveting performance from Lane Smith as Nixon, alongside legendary actors Richard Kiley, David Ogden Stiers, and Gary Sinise, we see the how Nixon and his staff navigate the intense scrutiny of his administration and the risky moves they made to extend his Presidency.   Under Nixon’s direction to ‘preserve the integrity of the Presidency’ and to ‘ensure national security,...