Less-Known City Symphonies

[Adam]

Where/how are you seeing these?

[HerrSchreck]

Kind and generous friends and associates. Personal networks, etc.

[HerrSchreck]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was mentioned. And you're right-- it's a great picture of Paris in the 20's. Rayon de soleil, Love of Jeanne Ney.. Menilmontant of course.

[zedz]

Tonight I'm going to take a look at Lionel Rogosin's On the Bowery from 1957, another doco masterpiece on the hardboiled streets of NYC yesteryear.

I love this film. It's got problems dramatically, but it's an amazing portrait of its place and time.

[HerrSchreck]

Since we last posted on this subject I must have watched the On The Bowery at least three times-- I can see why you love it so much Z. The film is so blazingly authentic, despite the Flahertization of the lead character and his backstory in the film (which wasn't far from his actual reality anyway... he was offered a Hollywood contract after the film came out, apparently and believe it or not, but he turned it down, deciding to stay with his people and his kind on the Bowery). And Gorman Hendricks, who plays the second lead in the film, the older gent who "holds" the suitcase for his friend, died just after the film's completion (thus "For Gorman Hendricks" appearing at the start of the film).

As powerful and affecting-- and humane, and devoid of judgement-- as films can ever come, really. Incredibly brave, I just really love everything about this film. The working method he finally came up with to acquire the results he ultimately produced, was nothing short of brilliant. And he apparently had to toss a lot of shot footage/go rounds of the film into the trash before he finally started coming up with something that worked.

Now THIS would be an incredible film for CC to pick up in a loaded study edition, fully restored. A cornerstone in the independent and documentary film movement (Rogosin and his film were adopted with open arms by the British Free Cinema movement), the fact that this film has seen no DVD release whatsoever is an incredible sin.

Get on the ball, somebody! Calling MoC! Criterion! BFI? Hell, even Kino!

[zedz]

Now THIS would be an incredible film for CC to pick up in a loaded study edition, fully restored. A cornerstone in the independent and documentary film movement (Rogosin and his film were adopted with open arms by the British Free Cinema movement), the fact that this film has seen no DVD release whatsoever is an incredible sin.

Get on the ball, somebody! Calling MoC! Criterion! BFI? Hell, even Kino!

Hear hear! Actually, issuing this alongside other independent NY-based location-shot shorts or features from the period ("The Real New York" - there's already been some fantastic stuff made available on the Unseen Cinema and Film Archives sets) would tap into a vastly bigger market than just those interested in 50s independent filmmaking. Imagine a New York version of the Free Cinema box set, with this as its centrepiece.

[Numero Trois]

Allen Baron's "Blast of Silence" certainly made fine use of street level early 60s NYC.