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American Masters

Filmmaker Interview with Rex Miller: Making "Althea"

A photograph of his mother standing next to Althea Gibson, and his mother's pride at having played once against the tennis champion, are the origins of Rex Miller's interest in Gibson. Gibson's tennis achievements initially drew Miller to tell her story, but he was also intrigued by her other accomplishments, including recording a jazz album, earning a college degree, acting in a John Ford film.

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