A new film, part of the American Masters, series premieres tonight on WGBH TV. It's called Ted Williams: "The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived,” and it looks at Williams' life in and out of baseball. Producer and director Nick Davis spoke with WGBH News' Aaron Schachter about the documentary. This transcript has been edited for clarity.

Aaron Schachter: So first off, let's talk about the title - "The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived." That's not just a description of Williams’ talent. It's kind of a designation he himself coveted.

Nick Davis: Yes, the subtitle actually of the film is in quotes. The film isn't saying he was the greatest hitter who ever lived. The film is saying that's what drove him. All he ever wanted out of life, he would say repeatedly, was to walk down the street and be known as the greatest hitter who ever lived. He was so driven and so obsessed with hitting and so compulsive about it that that's what made him such a fascinating portrait for a documentary. And that's frankly why I think American Masters chose him - because his obsession, his rage, his incredibly interesting personality.

Schachter: Now you just brought up the fact that he seemed to be motivated a great deal by rage. So what made Ted Williams so angry?

Davis: He was born into poverty in San Diego. Claudia Williams, who we were lucky enough to get a terrific interview with, his surviving daughter, tells us that he would just refuse to talk about his childhood. He wouldn't talk about his mom, wouldn’t talk about his dad. His dad was essentially a ne'er do well and a drunk, and was never around. But his mother was a Salvation Army worker. Sometimes she’d be gone for two, three days at a time leaving Ted and his younger brother Danny to fend for themselves. So he felt virtually abandoned by his mom.

Schachter: So Nick, he used this rage, this anger that you talk about in the film, to be very early on, a great baseball player. Made it to the Red Sox. What did that mean for him?

Davis: It gave him a chance to be known as the greatest hitter who ever lived, to finally have made it to the major leagues. And at first he played with such joy and spirit. He tore the cover off the ball. His second year, two things happened. One, he got off to not such a great start and his power numbers were down and he'd hear the occasional boo at Fenway Park. Not a lot, a smattering of boos, but it was enough to get under his skin. And then the press started to turn on him as well.

Schachter: One of the other amazing things about all this is - baseball is a game that runs on stats. Ted Williams missed a bunch of seasons because of World War II and the Korean War. He was a Marine pilot. What might have been, do you think, if Williams had not missed all that time?

Davis: Even if you give him only 30 home runs a year, you're getting close to 700 home runs lifetime, and would have certainly approach Babe Ruth's record of 714 at that point. It bothered Ted greatly that he missed nearly five years serving his country. On the other hand, I think it enhances his legacy, because what a sacrifice. I mean, he wasn't just pushing paper. He was flying 39 successful combat missions in the Korean War.

Schachter: There's a great scene in the film where someone compares him to John Wayne and says “You’re John Wayne . John Wayne is playing you.”

Davis: Yeah, exactly.

Schachter: For all Ted Williams' accomplishments, his personal life as an adult was a bit of a mess. Tell us about that, if you would.

Davis: As a husband and a father, he said “I struck out.” He really didn't know how to relate to people. Claudia Williams tells a wonderful story - he would get angry if you were upset. You know, if you went to him and said, you know, I did badly on a math exam, he would get angry like, well, what do you want me to do about it? He just didn't know how to relate as a human being.

Schachter: What do you think Ted Williams means to baseball now, especially in Boston and maybe to American sports in general?

Davis: Well, I think he has a huge role in the American sports pantheon. I think his dedication to his craft, his devotion, his focus. I think that his approach is now followed by a lot of hitters.

Schachter: Nick Davis, thank you so much for joining us and for making the film.

Davis: It was a pleasure.

Schachter: That's Nick Davis, producer and director of the film, Ted Williams: "The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived". It's part of the American Masters Series and it premieres tonight at 9:00pm on WGBH television. This is All Things Considered.