Plot

Richard Kaplan documents the life of one of America's most influential first ladies. Orphaned at age 10, Eleanor Roosevelt marries her fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1905. His election in 1932 allows Eleanor to step up to national prominence, battling for civil rights and visiting troops during World War II. After her husband's death, Roosevelt continues to advocate for human rights at the U.N., proving herself one of America's great humanitarians.—Jwelch5742

An admiring, uncritical biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, released three years after her death. The film focuses solely on her, beginning with her unhappy childhood after both her parents had died by the time she was 10. In 1905, she married her fifth cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected President in 1932. She always was concerned for the oppressed, and was a great supporter of civil rights, even if it was unfashionable. As First Lady, she traveled ceaselessly visiting the troops in the Second World War. After the war she became a US representative to the United Nations, and chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights, where she was a key contributor to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.—Will Gilbert