An illuminating tribute to Jack Kerouac, king of the Beat Generation and author of ON THE ROAD, a cultural icon whose influence is felt around the world. The words come from Kerouac himself, as well as fellow Beat writers, his ex-wife and ex-girlfriend, his daughter, his priest, and the incredible footage of Kerouac on the Steve Allen (1959) and William Buckley (1968) TV shows. This revealing portrait shows us what happened when fame and notoriety were thrust upon an essentially reticent man.

Includes: ''THE BEAT GOES ON'' - 139 minutes of rare and unseen footage, including an all-star countercultural lineup: ABBIE HOFFMAN, TIMOTHY LEARY, PAUL KRASSNER, ALLEN GINSBERG, WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS, GREGORY CORSO, GARY SNYDER and many more.