A New Dimension in Noir: Filming Inferno in 3D
May 16, 2017Documentary about the use of 3-D technology in Inferno (1953) and the advent of CinemaScope, in 1953 in the film The Robe (1953).
Gary Giddins
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Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
Apr 01, 2015Jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams was a genius ahead of her time. From child prodigy to "Boogie-Woogie Queen" to groundbreaking composer to mentoring some of the greatest musicians of all time, she never ceased to astound those who heard her play. But for a Black woman in the early 1900s, life as a star did not come easy.
Documentary
In Full Swing
Jun 11, 2019A documentary on the making of the 1936 film Swing Time, featuring interviews with jazz and film critic Gary Giddens, dance critic Brian Seibert, and Dorothy Fields biographer Deborah Grace Winer. This is an all-encompassing feature covering the evolution of the Hollywood musical, Astaire's and Rogers' work, and the film's music, written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields.
Documentary
Thank Heaven! The Making of 'Gigi'
Sep 16, 2008Brief overview of the two actors at the Fox Studio.
Documentary
Miles Goes Modal
Jan 01, 1970In 2006, jazz trumpeter Jon Faddis and critic Gary Giddins discuss the iconic Miles Davis and the critical time in his career when the score for ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS was recorded.
Documentary
Bing Crosby: Rediscovered
Dec 02, 2014Bing Crosby was, without a doubt, the most popular and influential multi-media star of the first half of the twentieth century, pulling audiences in with his intimate, laid-back voice and innate charm. Narrated by Stanley Tucci and directed by Robert Trachtenberg, this film explores the life and legend of this iconic performer, revealing a personality far more complex than the image the public had only thought they'd known.
Documentary
Zuza Homem de Jazz
Nov 30, 2018What is the influence of Jazz on Brazilian music and the influence of Brazilian music on Jazz? The documentary Zuza Homem de Jazz draws a parallel between the two universes, featuring the renowned Brazilian musicologist Zuza Homem de Mello as the protagonist. It offers an intimate look at the writer and music journalist and highlights his long connection with Jazz, that dates back to the 1950’s, when Zuza was a student at the Julliard School of Music. The film was also shot in New York, where Zuza meets old friends in the jazz circuit and revisits memorable stories.
'S Wonderful: Creating An American in Paris
Sep 16, 2008This recently produced behind-the-scenes documentary digs into Gershwin's original work, the genesis of the cinematic adaptation, casting, the shoot, and the eventual reception of the film.
Saxophone Colossus
Jan 01, 1998Tenor saxophone master Sonny Rollins has long been hailed as one of the most important artists in jazz history, and still, today, he is viewed as the greatest living jazz improviser. In 1986, filmmaker Robert Mugge produced Saxophone Colossus, a feature-length portrait of Rollins, named after one of his most celebrated albums.
Music
The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong
Aug 27, 1999Louis Armstrong is one of the most recognizable figures in jazz, with his incomparable trumpet playing and beaming smile. This video profiles Armstrong from his humble beginnings in New Orleans through his career as America's Ambassador of Good Will. Film clips, vintage photographs and interviews with family, friends, fellow musicians and Armstrong himself are woven together to tell the story of this legendary personality.
Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker
Aug 05, 1989
Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong
Jan 01, 1992Satchmo. Theer are few people in this country - or around the world - who will not recognize that name. Louis Armstrong embodied twentieth-century American culture. He revolutionized the world of music and became one of the nation's most influential entertainers. No other performer of his era has such a profound effect as a singer as well as an instrumentalist.
Documentary
Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong
Jan 01, 1992Satchmo. Theer are few people in this country - or around the world - who will not recognize that name. Louis Armstrong embodied twentieth-century American culture. He revolutionized the world of music and became one of the nation's most influential entertainers. No other performer of his era has such a profound effect as a singer as well as an instrumentalist.
Documentary
Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong
Jan 01, 1992Satchmo. Theer are few people in this country - or around the world - who will not recognize that name. Louis Armstrong embodied twentieth-century American culture. He revolutionized the world of music and became one of the nation's most influential entertainers. No other performer of his era has such a profound effect as a singer as well as an instrumentalist.
Documentary
Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood
Dec 13, 2010Each installment focuses on a different era of American movie history, from the invention of the first moving pictures to the revolutionary, cutting-edge films of the 1960s.
Documentary
