or


[10/24/16 - 10:26 AM]
"Underfire: The Untold Story of PFC. Tony Vaccaro," Recounting the Life of a WWII Combat Infantryman and War Photographer, Debuts Nov. 14 on HBO
The film chronicles the life and vision of this remarkable man, exploring how photography defines the way the public perceives armed conflict, and revealing the sheer difficulty of survival while taking photos in a war zone.

[via press release from HBO]

"UNDERFIRE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF PFC. TONY VACCARO," RECOUNTING THE LIFE OF A WWII COMBAT INFANTRYMAN AND WAR PHOTOGRAPHER, DEBUTS NOV. 14 ON HBO

Documentary To Have A Sneak Preview On Veterans Day, Nov. 11

In World War II, Tony Vaccaro played two risky roles, serving as a combat infantryman on the front lines, as well as a photographer who shot 8,000 photographs. Though he began as a young GI eager to record the war, he vowed never to take another war photo on the day the conflict ended, horrified by what he had seen.

Directed by Max Lewkowicz (the New York Emmy(R)-winning "Morgenthau"), UNDERFIRE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF PFC. TONY VACCARO chronicles the life and vision of this remarkable man, exploring how photography defines the way the public perceives armed conflict, and revealing the sheer difficulty of survival while taking photos in a war zone. The poignant documentary debuts MONDAY, NOV. 14 (8:00-9:15 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

Other HBO playdates: Nov. 17 (4:15 p.m., 11:15 p.m.), 19 (1:20 p.m.), 22 (10:45 a.m.), 27 (3:05 p.m.) and 30 (noon), and Dec. 13 (4:45 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Nov. 20 (11:40 a.m.), 22 (8:00 p.m.) and 30 (1:10 a.m.)

UNDERFIRE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF PFC. TONY VACCARO will have a sneak preview on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals on Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11, and will subsequently be available on those digital platforms.

Through interviews with Pulitzer Prize-winning photographers and Vaccaro himself, this intimate film examines issues raised by witnessing and recording conflict, following him as he retraces his journey across Europe as a soldier, sharing the stories behind some of his most powerful pictures along the way.

In 1943, a newly drafted Tony Vaccaro hoped to join the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Europe as a photographer, but was told he was too young. Undeterred, he found that his $47 personal camera, which was much more compact than the bulky, standard-grade military one, allowed him "the ability to run with the camera, to move it [and] to react quickly."

As an infantryman, Vaccaro was also uniquely positioned to gain the trust of his fellow soldiers, and was able to capture up-close-and-personal photographs that brought the war into focus in a way no one else could. Vaccaro spent the next 272 days in the 83rd Infantry Division as an unofficial combat photographer.

Revisiting Omaha Beach, Vaccaro recalls tearing a hole in his raincoat for his camera after being told photography was not allowed. The resulting serene photo of the beach ("My First View of La Belle France") belies a horrific scene he later discovered.

"There is a war smell that is ugly," he says. "And I smelled that the minute I arrived in Normandy." After his first taste of combat in Sainteny, Vaccaro found an abandoned camera store in the city's ruins and mixed chemicals to develop "ten rolls in four army helmets," hanging them on tree branches overnight.

Having taken portraits of all the men in his battalion, Vaccaro also captured by chance a fellow soldier's final breath ("The Last Step of Jack Rose"), a "live battle moment of death" that curator Anne Wilkes Tucker calls "incredibly rare." Until WWII, most combat photography was staged because of unwieldy equipment.

In Ottre, Belgium, Vaccaro narrowly escaped death when he was ordered to remain at headquarters and stand guard on the night his entire platoon was killed. Walking the battlefield the next morning, he photographed a snow-covered body at peace ("White Death"), which he only later recognized as a dear friend. The photo later helped connect the fallen soldier with his son.

On the 70th anniversary of D-Day, with Secretary of State John Kerry in attendance, Vaccaro delivered a speech at Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, Normandy, recalling "Kiss of Liberation," a photo he took of a soldier kissing a young girl on the cheek. Afterwards, he received hugs and kisses from two women who were dancing in the background of that photo.

Though he traveled through Europe working with Stars and Stripes newspaper following the war, Vaccaro struggled to cope with the horrors he had witnessed. He went on to become a world-renowned fashion and magazine photographer (capturing everyone from Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren to Pablo Picasso and John F. Kennedy) and start a family, but never took another image of armed conflict.

In addition to Tony Vaccaro, interviewees include Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalists Lynsey Addario and Tyler Hicks; New York Times senior photographer James Estrin; bestselling author and historian Alex Kershaw; Anne Wilkes Tucker, a curator of the photography exhibition WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY; and John G. Morris, photo editor of LIFE magazine during World War II.

UNDERFIRE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF PFC. TONY VACCARO was written, produced and directed by Max Lewkowicz; written and produced by Valerie Thomas; executive producers, Tim Van Patten, Gianna Cerbone-Teoli and Ann Oster; co-executive producer, James Estrin. For HBO: senior producer, Jacqueline Glover; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.





  [october 2016]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[09/12/25 - 09:18 AM]
Tubi Presents New Docuseries "Always, Lady London" Premiering Exclusively on Tubi October 10
Directed and executive produced by Erika Bryant, the three-part documentary series was greenlit under Tubi's new content incubator, Stubios, a fan-fueled studio for aspiring content creators and their fans.

[09/12/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Is It Cake? Halloween" - A Spooktacular Sneak Peek - Netflix
"Is It Cake?" returns for a special Halloween season with Mikey Day and nine of the best hyper-realistic cake artists around!

[09/12/25 - 08:31 AM]
Netflix Renews "The Hunting Wives" for Season 2 Globally
Season 2 will release exclusively as a Netflix-branded series in nearly all countries where Netflix is available, with the original cast set to reprise their roles in Season 2.

[09/12/25 - 08:08 AM]
ESPN Re-Signs Michael Eaves to New Multi-Year Contract
Eaves will continue his hosting duties on "SportsCenter" along with contributing to ESPN's coverage of golf majors.

[09/12/25 - 07:35 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams "M3GAN 2.0" Beginning September 26
The unrated edition will also stream exclusively on Peacock that same day.

[09/12/25 - 06:04 AM]
ID Sets October Premieres for New Series "The Friday the 13th Murders" & New Season of "The Real Murders on Elm Street"
Both series will premiere back-to-back on Wednesday, October 1 beginning at 9:00/8:00c.

[09/12/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Swim to Me" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The gripping family drama tells the story of the intense relationship between Estela, a domestic worker, and the six-year-old girl she takes care of day and night.

[09/12/25 - 05:31 AM]
ESPN Networks Deliver Most-Watched WNBA Regular Season Ever
ESPN networks aired eight of the top 10 most-watched WNBA games during the 2025 season, highlighted by its most-watched WNBA game ever - 2.7 million viewers for Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever on May 17 (ABC).

[09/12/25 - 12:01 AM]
Video: "Heweliusz" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A disaster on the Baltic Sea, a complicated investigation, and the fight of the victims' families for the truth and the good name of those lost at sea.

[09/11/25 - 08:01 PM]
Netflix Marks 10 Years in Japan, Announces Three New Series That Will Keep You Hitting The "Next Episode"
"Straight to Hell," "Did Someone Happen to Mention Me?" and "STEEL BALL RUN JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" are all on tap.

[09/11/25 - 05:01 PM]
New International Crime Series "Road" (wt) Explores Twisted Murders Across Borders
The international crime thriller follows two detectives as they track a series of gruesome cross-border murders, characterized by twisted bodies and mysterious dying messages.

[09/11/25 - 12:01 PM]
Apple TV+ Renews Global Hit, Epic Sci-Fi Saga "Foundation" for Season Four
The season three finale debuts globally this Friday, September 12 on Apple TV+.

[09/11/25 - 12:00 PM]
Two Unforgettable Nights of Music Coming to CBS This Fall
Look for "A Grammy Salute to Earth, Wind & Fire Live: The 21st Night of September" and "A Grammy Salute to Cyndi Lauper: Live from the Hollywood Bowl" in the coming weeks.

[09/11/25 - 11:00 AM]
Special Show Moments Announced for the "77th Emmy Awards," Sept. 14 on CBS
Plus: Brad Garrett, Young Mazino, S. Epatha Merkerson, Hunter Schafer, Ray Romano and Ice T have been added as presenters.

[09/11/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: BET+ Releases Trailer for Horror-Thriller "Fatal Detour"
In the film, a demented tech genius lures unsuspecting influencers into his nightmarish mansion by hacking their luxury electric vehicles.