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Posted by: Cary O’Dell
Today, on the final day of Pride, the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, with the help of author Josiah Howard, looks back at one of its most recent and best-known additions–the Village People’s “YMCA.” Though, today, you’ll hear the track at everything from a school dance to a 50th anniversary party, it has also …
Posted in: National Recording Registry, Recorded Sound, Uncategorized
Posted by: Cary O’Dell
Has it really been half a century? Yes, 50 years ago TODAY–June 30, 1971–actor Gene Wilder put on his top hat and we all made our first trip to the world’s most beloved candy factory. In 2014, this version of “Willy” was added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry. In the original essay …
Posted in: Film Essay, Motion Pictures, National Film Registry
Posted by: Cary O’Dell
It’s the good ole’ summer time and that means a trip to the fair–even in the movies. One of Will Rogers’ great cinema achievements as this 1933 State Fair-set fan fave. Though remade a couple of times and even brought to television, the original “Fair,” with its homespun humor, is the best known and best …
Posted in: Film Essay, Motion Pictures, National Film Registry
Posted by: Cary O’Dell
In 1992, Bruce Baillie’s film “Castro Street” (subtitled: “The Coming of Consciousness”) was added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry. As it turns 55 years old, film professor Scott MacDonald looks back at the impressionistic, non-narrative documentary that is, now over half a century on, still as evocative as ever. For Bruce Baillie, …
Posted in: Film Essay, Motion Pictures, National Film Registry
Posted by: Cary O’Dell
“The OKeh Laughing Record” original label Imported into the United States in 1922, “The OKeh Laughing Record” is one of the most unusual, (in its way) influential, and surprisingly enduring novelty records ever recorded. Actually, there is nothing overly complicated about the recording itself. On it, a solo cornetist begins a rather slow, sad, even …
Posted in: Early Recording Industry, National Recording Registry, Recorded Sound
Posted by: Cary O’Dell
In our ongoing series of looking at–and analyzing–films from the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry, here scholar Ian Scott looks at one of the classiest of classics, “It Happened One Night.” Film scholar Charles Maland reminds us that, “Frank Capra was an auteur long before the auteur theory” ever existed. And it was true …
Posted in: Film Essay, Motion Pictures, National Film Registry
Posted by: Cary O’Dell
This past Sunday, the great character actor Ned Beatty passed away at the age of 83. Over the years, several of Mr. Beatty’s films have been named to the Library’s National Film Registry including “Deliverance” (1972), “Nashville” (1975), “Network” (1976) and “Superman” (1978). His role in 1976’s Oscar-winning Best Picture, Paddy Chayefsky’s scathing indictment of …
Posted in: Film Essay, Motion Pictures, National Film Registry, Uncategorized